Record: 11-14-9, 42 pts, 8th Place Western Conference
Goals For: 42
Goals Against: 49
Team Leaders
Goals: Will Bruin - 11
Assists: Brad Davis - 10
Shutouts: Tyler Deric - 7
All-Stars: DaMarcus Beasley
Year in Review
It was a tough year for the Dynamo as they missed the playoffs for a second consecutive season. Giles Barnes, a year after scoring a team-high 11 goals, endured a 13-match scoring drought midseason, Cubo Torres failed to score on the heels of his 15-goal season with Chivas USA in 2014, and injuries derailed the seasons of rookies Rob Lovejoy and Taylor Hunter, as well as veteran Jermaine Taylor. Meanwhile, the Dynamo's aging veteran core - DaMarcus Beasley (33), Ricardo Clark (32), Brad Davis (33) - while still productive, is now another year older with another season of miles on their legs. But while there are certainly question marks going forward, not everything was a disaster in 2015. Tyler Deric won four Save-of-the-Week honors in his first full year in net after the departure of Tally Hall, Beasley made the All-Star team, Davis notched his seventh double-digit assist season, Clark doubled his career-high with 8 goals, Will Bruin scored double digit goals for the third time in four years, and youngsters Mauro Manotas, Zach Steinberger, Lovejoy, and Rasheed Olabiyi all logged playing time. But Houston never won more than two games in a row at any point in the season and their longest unbeaten streak was just 3 matches.
What's Next?
With Giles Barnes, Cubo Torres and Will Bruin (if he re-signs), the Dynamo have proven goal scorers, but Barnes and Torres in particular will have to do more than they did in 2015. Clark and Davis were both solid in 2015, but they won't continue on forever, and at some point replacments will need to be groomed. Rumors of Davis's departure have already started swirling, but it's too early to tell if those hold water. Torres and Beasley are currently holding down Designated Player spots on the Dynamo roster which means Houston could go out and get another piece. I'd expect a midfielder or a defender. The Dynamo defense was solid if not spectacular in 2015 with Beasley, David Horst, Raúl Rodríguez and Jermaine Taylor/Sheanon Williams holding down the backline. Still, depth was an issue as there were times this year when midfielder Boniek García was forced to play in the back due to injuries. The Dynamo aren't that far removed from back-to-back Finals runs, but they'll need to make some adjustments if they want to end the playoff drought in 2016.
Showing posts with label Year in Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Year in Review. Show all posts
Friday, November 6, 2015
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Season in Review: New York City FC
Record: 10-17-7, 37 pts, 8th Place Eastern Conference
Goals For: 49
Goals Against: 58
Team Leaders
Goals: David Villa - 18
Assists: David Villa - 8
Shutouts: Josh Saunders - 4
All-Stars: David Villa, Frank Lampard
Year in Review
New York City FC stormed out of the gates with a win and a draw in their first two matches, but followed that up with an eleven game winless streak (0-7-4), and despite winning four of their next five, they never truly recovered. Ultimately, they capped their season with a three-game losing streak, a three-game winning streak, and finally another three-game losing streak. The season started without franchise centerpiece Frank Lampard, as his loan to Manchester City was extended, and when Lampard finally did arrive, City lost the first four games he played in. Lampard would play in only 10 matches all year during which City went 3-7-0. Mix Diskerud struggled mightily in his first MLS season scoring just three goals in 27 appearances, injuries tabled top draft pick Khiry Shelton and striker Tony Taylor for much of the season, and while the mercurial Andrea Pirlo brought sensational playmaking to the table, he didn't help City's defense which allowed a league-worst 58 goals. Still, despite the struggles and the disappointment of missing the postseason, David Villa showcased his abilities to the tune of 18 goals and 8 assists in his MLS debut season and youngster Kwadwo Poku was a great story as he delivered four goals and seven assists despite starting just 6 matches and logging less than 1000 minutes on the season. Still, when you have Andrea Pirlo, Frank Lampard, David Villa and Mix Diskerud, you expect to win more than a third of your matches, and an eighth place finish in the East was seen as cause to fire first-year head coach Jason Kreis.
What's Next?
City is going to have to address their defense moving forward. Just four shutouts in 34 matches and a league-worst 58 goals surrendered was more than their offensive arsenal could overcome. Josh Saunders faced 20 more shots than any other keeper in the league and while he led the league in saves, he also led the league in goals allowed. I would expect to see improvement in the back as City's ownership has not shown themselves to be the types to sit idly by. For example, this past season they brought in RJ Allen, Angeliño, Andoni Iraola, Jefferson Mena and Pirlo; all months after the season began. While the offense certainly wasn't a weak point in 2015, I'd expect to see it be even stronger in 2016. Mix Diskerud should improve upon his poor showing (3 goals, 1 assist), Lampard and Pirlo will have a full season to get used to playing together, and youngsters like Shelton and Poku should get more time on the field. It will be interesting to see how City goes upon filling the vacancy left by Kreis, as that will go along way in deciding just how far City can go next season.
Goals For: 49
Goals Against: 58
Team Leaders
Goals: David Villa - 18
Assists: David Villa - 8
Shutouts: Josh Saunders - 4
All-Stars: David Villa, Frank Lampard
Year in Review
New York City FC stormed out of the gates with a win and a draw in their first two matches, but followed that up with an eleven game winless streak (0-7-4), and despite winning four of their next five, they never truly recovered. Ultimately, they capped their season with a three-game losing streak, a three-game winning streak, and finally another three-game losing streak. The season started without franchise centerpiece Frank Lampard, as his loan to Manchester City was extended, and when Lampard finally did arrive, City lost the first four games he played in. Lampard would play in only 10 matches all year during which City went 3-7-0. Mix Diskerud struggled mightily in his first MLS season scoring just three goals in 27 appearances, injuries tabled top draft pick Khiry Shelton and striker Tony Taylor for much of the season, and while the mercurial Andrea Pirlo brought sensational playmaking to the table, he didn't help City's defense which allowed a league-worst 58 goals. Still, despite the struggles and the disappointment of missing the postseason, David Villa showcased his abilities to the tune of 18 goals and 8 assists in his MLS debut season and youngster Kwadwo Poku was a great story as he delivered four goals and seven assists despite starting just 6 matches and logging less than 1000 minutes on the season. Still, when you have Andrea Pirlo, Frank Lampard, David Villa and Mix Diskerud, you expect to win more than a third of your matches, and an eighth place finish in the East was seen as cause to fire first-year head coach Jason Kreis.
What's Next?
City is going to have to address their defense moving forward. Just four shutouts in 34 matches and a league-worst 58 goals surrendered was more than their offensive arsenal could overcome. Josh Saunders faced 20 more shots than any other keeper in the league and while he led the league in saves, he also led the league in goals allowed. I would expect to see improvement in the back as City's ownership has not shown themselves to be the types to sit idly by. For example, this past season they brought in RJ Allen, Angeliño, Andoni Iraola, Jefferson Mena and Pirlo; all months after the season began. While the offense certainly wasn't a weak point in 2015, I'd expect to see it be even stronger in 2016. Mix Diskerud should improve upon his poor showing (3 goals, 1 assist), Lampard and Pirlo will have a full season to get used to playing together, and youngsters like Shelton and Poku should get more time on the field. It will be interesting to see how City goes upon filling the vacancy left by Kreis, as that will go along way in deciding just how far City can go next season.
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Season in Review: Real Salt Lake
Record: 11-15-8, 41 pts, 9th Place Western Conference
Goals For: 38
Goals Against: 48
Team Leaders
Goals: Javier Morales - 8
Assists: Javier Morales - 12
Shutouts: Nick Rimando - 8
All-Stars: Tony Beltran, Nick Rimando
Year in Review
For the first time since 2007, Real Salt Lake failed to make the MLS postseason. With 8 losses in their final 12 matches, the perennial contenders fell below the red line and closed out the season with three straight losses during which they scored just one goal TOTAL. RSL's leading scorer from 2014, Joao Plata, never truly returned to the form he had before his injury and scored just 4 goals in 19 appearances. And while RSL remained ever dangerous on set pieces thanks to Javier Morales, the rest of the attack struggled mightily ranking 19th in goals out of 20 teams. Strikers Sebastián Jaime, Juan Manuel Martínez, Olmes García and Devon Sandoval combined to score just 12 goals, and all-time leading scorer Álvaro Saborío was traded away midseason to DC United for Luis Silva. Silva, who had 11 goals a year ago for DC United, had 0 goals and 0 assists in 530 minutes for RSL after the trade. Defensively, RSL struggled to overcome the offseason losses of veterans Nat Borchers, Chris Wingert and Ned Grabavoy, and then to add injury to insult, defender Chris Schuler was limited to just five games due to multiple injuries during the season. Despite all the issues, 2015 wasn't a total loss though. Youngsters Jordan Allen (20), Luis Gil (21), Justen Glad (18) and Elías Vásquez (23) all logged a good chunk of minutes, and despite their struggles in league play, Real Salt Lake still managed to advance to the quarterfinals of the Champions League. But ultimately, after a seven year run of postseason appearances including two MLS Cup appearances, 2015 feels like a failure.
What's Next?
Kyle Beckerman (33), Javier Morales (35), Jámison Olave (34), Demar Phillips (32) and Nick Rimando (36) don't have too many years left in them, but all five made at least 16 starts in 2015. While, some youngsters on the roster have begun to emerge as legitimate contributors, there is still a significant bridge to be gapped before torches can be passed. First and foremost, Real Salt Lake needs to address their attack. The lack of a big-time goal scorer hurt them down the stretch, and I'm not sure the answer is currently on their roster unless Plata bounces back in 2016. RSL has used all three of their designated player slots on Plata, Jaime and Martínez (who ironically are all strikers), and if all three are back next year, they MUST do better. Still, this team is better than their 9th place finish suggests, and now that they are equipped with a high draft pick, they should be able to turn things around relatively quickly.
Goals For: 38
Goals Against: 48
Team Leaders
Goals: Javier Morales - 8
Assists: Javier Morales - 12
Shutouts: Nick Rimando - 8
All-Stars: Tony Beltran, Nick Rimando
Year in Review
For the first time since 2007, Real Salt Lake failed to make the MLS postseason. With 8 losses in their final 12 matches, the perennial contenders fell below the red line and closed out the season with three straight losses during which they scored just one goal TOTAL. RSL's leading scorer from 2014, Joao Plata, never truly returned to the form he had before his injury and scored just 4 goals in 19 appearances. And while RSL remained ever dangerous on set pieces thanks to Javier Morales, the rest of the attack struggled mightily ranking 19th in goals out of 20 teams. Strikers Sebastián Jaime, Juan Manuel Martínez, Olmes García and Devon Sandoval combined to score just 12 goals, and all-time leading scorer Álvaro Saborío was traded away midseason to DC United for Luis Silva. Silva, who had 11 goals a year ago for DC United, had 0 goals and 0 assists in 530 minutes for RSL after the trade. Defensively, RSL struggled to overcome the offseason losses of veterans Nat Borchers, Chris Wingert and Ned Grabavoy, and then to add injury to insult, defender Chris Schuler was limited to just five games due to multiple injuries during the season. Despite all the issues, 2015 wasn't a total loss though. Youngsters Jordan Allen (20), Luis Gil (21), Justen Glad (18) and Elías Vásquez (23) all logged a good chunk of minutes, and despite their struggles in league play, Real Salt Lake still managed to advance to the quarterfinals of the Champions League. But ultimately, after a seven year run of postseason appearances including two MLS Cup appearances, 2015 feels like a failure.
What's Next?
Kyle Beckerman (33), Javier Morales (35), Jámison Olave (34), Demar Phillips (32) and Nick Rimando (36) don't have too many years left in them, but all five made at least 16 starts in 2015. While, some youngsters on the roster have begun to emerge as legitimate contributors, there is still a significant bridge to be gapped before torches can be passed. First and foremost, Real Salt Lake needs to address their attack. The lack of a big-time goal scorer hurt them down the stretch, and I'm not sure the answer is currently on their roster unless Plata bounces back in 2016. RSL has used all three of their designated player slots on Plata, Jaime and Martínez (who ironically are all strikers), and if all three are back next year, they MUST do better. Still, this team is better than their 9th place finish suggests, and now that they are equipped with a high draft pick, they should be able to turn things around relatively quickly.
Monday, November 2, 2015
Season in Review: Philadelphia Union
Record: 10-17-7, 37 pts, 9th Place Eastern Conference
Goals For: 42
Goals Against: 55
Team Leaders
Goals: C.J. Sapong - 9
Assists: Cristian Maidana - 15
Shutouts: Brian Sylvestre - 5
All-Stars: None
Year in Review
The Union won just once in their first 11 matches in 2015 (1-7-3) and were never able to recover from their slow start. Still, posting a nearly .500 record over the final 2/3 of the season (9-10-4) and advancing to the U.S. Open Cup Finals for a second consecutive season leaves fans reasons to be optimistic moving forward. Andre Blake emerged out of the wreckage that was Philadelphia's goalkeeping situation and the 24 year-old Jamaican will likely hold down the position for the Union for years to come. C.J. Sapong (26) resurrected his declining career with his best MLS season despite an early injury and gave the Union attack some youth as Conor Casey (34) and Sébastien Le Toux (31) were the club's top two scorers in 2014. Cristian Maidana was second in MLS with 15 assists and the addition of Swiss International Tranquillo Barnetta added stability to the midfield. But the defense lacked consistency and their -13 goal differential was the second worst in the league behind only the Chicago Fire. On offense, promising loanee Fernando Aristeguieta contributed only 14 starts and scored just twice after April 5th, and the Union never won more than two in a row at any point during the season.
What's Next?
Cristian Maidana definitely earned his designated player paycheck, but neither Maurice Edu nor Aristeguieta delivered memorable performances in 2015. Aristeguieta's loan is up and assuming he returns to Nantes (France), that will free up a designated player spot on the Union roster. The emergence of Blake finally solves Philadelphia's goalkeeping issues and allows them to focus their attention elsewhere going into 2016. The backline wouldn't be a bad place to start, but a strike partner for Sapong wouldn't be a bad thought either. The midfield with Maidana and Barnetta is surrounded with young talent in Andrew Wenger (24), Eric Ayuk (18), Zach Pfeffer (20), and if Edu can somehow get pushed out of central defense, he'll shore that group up even further. If the Union play like the team that ended the season instead of the one that started it, they should be in the mix in the East next year, but they'll need better performances than they got from a lot of the supporting cast this year.
Goals For: 42
Goals Against: 55
Team Leaders
Goals: C.J. Sapong - 9
Assists: Cristian Maidana - 15
Shutouts: Brian Sylvestre - 5
All-Stars: None
Year in Review
The Union won just once in their first 11 matches in 2015 (1-7-3) and were never able to recover from their slow start. Still, posting a nearly .500 record over the final 2/3 of the season (9-10-4) and advancing to the U.S. Open Cup Finals for a second consecutive season leaves fans reasons to be optimistic moving forward. Andre Blake emerged out of the wreckage that was Philadelphia's goalkeeping situation and the 24 year-old Jamaican will likely hold down the position for the Union for years to come. C.J. Sapong (26) resurrected his declining career with his best MLS season despite an early injury and gave the Union attack some youth as Conor Casey (34) and Sébastien Le Toux (31) were the club's top two scorers in 2014. Cristian Maidana was second in MLS with 15 assists and the addition of Swiss International Tranquillo Barnetta added stability to the midfield. But the defense lacked consistency and their -13 goal differential was the second worst in the league behind only the Chicago Fire. On offense, promising loanee Fernando Aristeguieta contributed only 14 starts and scored just twice after April 5th, and the Union never won more than two in a row at any point during the season.
What's Next?
Cristian Maidana definitely earned his designated player paycheck, but neither Maurice Edu nor Aristeguieta delivered memorable performances in 2015. Aristeguieta's loan is up and assuming he returns to Nantes (France), that will free up a designated player spot on the Union roster. The emergence of Blake finally solves Philadelphia's goalkeeping issues and allows them to focus their attention elsewhere going into 2016. The backline wouldn't be a bad place to start, but a strike partner for Sapong wouldn't be a bad thought either. The midfield with Maidana and Barnetta is surrounded with young talent in Andrew Wenger (24), Eric Ayuk (18), Zach Pfeffer (20), and if Edu can somehow get pushed out of central defense, he'll shore that group up even further. If the Union play like the team that ended the season instead of the one that started it, they should be in the mix in the East next year, but they'll need better performances than they got from a lot of the supporting cast this year.
Friday, October 30, 2015
Season in Review: Colorado Rapids
Record: 9-15-10, 37 pts, 10th Place Western Conference
Goals For: 33
Goals Against: 43
Team Leaders
Goals: Kevin Doyle - 5
Assists: Dillon Powers - 6
Shutouts: Clint Irwin - 8
All-Stars: Drew Moor, Sam Cronin, Clint Irwin
Year in Review
No team scored fewer goals than the Rapids in 2015 and ultimately their attack would be their undoing as they missed the playoffs for the third time in four years. Struggling to find a lineup that could bring results, the Rapids did not have a single field player with more than 25 starts. Youngster Shane O'Neill, who represented the U.S. during the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup, only made four appearances before being transferred to Apollon Limassol in Cyprus. Dillon Serna was on the U.S. U-23 squad that finished third in CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying this month, but only made eight starts for the Rapids this year. Jamaican striker Deshorn Brown scored 10 goals for the Rapids in both 2013 and 2014, but was sold to Vålerenga (Norway) in March, and the Rapids never did figure out a way to replace him. Irish International Kevin Doyle failed to duplicate Robbie Keane's MLS success scoring just five goals in 20 appearances, but that was still enough to lead the team. In total the Rapids were shutout 11 times in 2015 and scored just one goal in 16 other matches. Still, Colorado offered glimpses of promise with a pair of three game winning streaks before going 1-6-1 over their final eight games. SuperDraftees Dominique Badji, Joseph Greenspan, and Axel Sjöberg all stuck around over the course of the season, and the Rapids brought in some young talent in Lucas Pittinari (23) and designated player Juan Ramírez (22) this year. Ultimately though, if not for Clint Irwin's heroics in net, the season could have played out substantially worse.
What's Next?
The Rapids have an open Designated Player spot on their roster so I would expect them to go after someone, either a striker or central midfielder, who could dramatically boost their attack. As the lowest scoring team in the league, they need to do something to generate more chances. The other thing they need to figure out is if they can contend right now, or if they're building for a year or two from now. The Rapids boast a number of players on the wrong side of 30 on their roster: Marc Burch (31), Bobby Burling (31), Kevin Doyle (32), Maynor Figueroa (32), Nick LaBrocca (30), Drew Moor (31), James Riley (33), Vicente Sánchez (35), Marcelo Sarvas (34) and Sean St. Ledger (30). While there is certainly value in having veteran leadership and experience on your roster, I think the Rapids went too far in that direction and have somewhat stifled the development of some of their younger talent. I would expect a lot of the older guys to be gone next year, and see Colorado embrace the youth movement while building for a big-time run in 2017.
Goals For: 33
Goals Against: 43
Team Leaders
Goals: Kevin Doyle - 5
Assists: Dillon Powers - 6
Shutouts: Clint Irwin - 8
All-Stars: Drew Moor, Sam Cronin, Clint Irwin
Year in Review
No team scored fewer goals than the Rapids in 2015 and ultimately their attack would be their undoing as they missed the playoffs for the third time in four years. Struggling to find a lineup that could bring results, the Rapids did not have a single field player with more than 25 starts. Youngster Shane O'Neill, who represented the U.S. during the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup, only made four appearances before being transferred to Apollon Limassol in Cyprus. Dillon Serna was on the U.S. U-23 squad that finished third in CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying this month, but only made eight starts for the Rapids this year. Jamaican striker Deshorn Brown scored 10 goals for the Rapids in both 2013 and 2014, but was sold to Vålerenga (Norway) in March, and the Rapids never did figure out a way to replace him. Irish International Kevin Doyle failed to duplicate Robbie Keane's MLS success scoring just five goals in 20 appearances, but that was still enough to lead the team. In total the Rapids were shutout 11 times in 2015 and scored just one goal in 16 other matches. Still, Colorado offered glimpses of promise with a pair of three game winning streaks before going 1-6-1 over their final eight games. SuperDraftees Dominique Badji, Joseph Greenspan, and Axel Sjöberg all stuck around over the course of the season, and the Rapids brought in some young talent in Lucas Pittinari (23) and designated player Juan Ramírez (22) this year. Ultimately though, if not for Clint Irwin's heroics in net, the season could have played out substantially worse.
What's Next?
The Rapids have an open Designated Player spot on their roster so I would expect them to go after someone, either a striker or central midfielder, who could dramatically boost their attack. As the lowest scoring team in the league, they need to do something to generate more chances. The other thing they need to figure out is if they can contend right now, or if they're building for a year or two from now. The Rapids boast a number of players on the wrong side of 30 on their roster: Marc Burch (31), Bobby Burling (31), Kevin Doyle (32), Maynor Figueroa (32), Nick LaBrocca (30), Drew Moor (31), James Riley (33), Vicente Sánchez (35), Marcelo Sarvas (34) and Sean St. Ledger (30). While there is certainly value in having veteran leadership and experience on your roster, I think the Rapids went too far in that direction and have somewhat stifled the development of some of their younger talent. I would expect a lot of the older guys to be gone next year, and see Colorado embrace the youth movement while building for a big-time run in 2017.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Season in Review: Chicago Fire
Record: 8-20-6, 30 pts, 10th Place Eastern Conference
Goals For: 43
Goals Against: 58
Team Leaders
Goals: David Accam - 10
Assists: Harry Shipp - 8
Shutouts: Sean Johnson - 4
All-Stars: None
Year in Review
Chicago made a lot of noise this past offseason bringing in players like David Accam, Kennedy Igboananike, Adaílton, Guly Do Prado, Jon Busch, Michael Stephens, Joevin Jones and Shaun Maloney. Unfortunately, most of the moves didn't pay off. Do Prado parted on mutual terms in early August after fifteen scoreless appearances while Maloney, the Scottish International, was transferred to Hull City a few weeks later after scoring just 3 goals in 14 appearances. Big Brazilian center back Adaílton failed to provide stability along a back line that surrendered a league worst 58 goals, and overall the club just never really got into a groove peaking with a three game winning streak that ended in early April; in Chicago's final eight matches, they lost seven times. Several midseason moves fell flat for the Fire as well including their trade of Quincy Amarikwa to the Quakes for defender Ty Harden. The Fire then watched Amarikwa - who went scoreless in 14 games for the Fire this season - finish as the Quakes second leading scorer with six goals and third on the club in assists with four. Harden, meanwhile, made just three starts for Chicago. The Fire also had to endure winning the rights to Didier Drogba only basically having to trade him to Montreal instead. And you all know how that Drogba guy ended up doing up north. Finally, Mike Magee - who scored 21 goals in 2013 - never fully recovered from last season's injury and was limited to just 3 starts while being held scoreless. It wasn't all bad though despite the club record 20 losses. Accam finished the season with ten goals and Igboananike added seven more of his own. Harry Shipp showed his rookie season wasn't a fluke with a solid second season including eight assists, SuperDraftee Matt Polster garnered USMNT U-23 attention with his performance, and Joevin Jones showed tremendous versatility playing all over the field while making 28 appearances. Finally, Gilberto, although a consolation prize following the loss of Drogba, finally gave the attack some consistency and credibility as his five goals were the fourth most on the team despite his appearing in just ten matches.
What's Next?
The Fire have an open Designated Player spot on their roster so they could go out this offseason and make a splashy signing to go along with Accam and Gilberto. It will be interesting to see how they use that though as their biggest needs aren't necessarily in flashy positions. There's no question that Chicago will need to address the issues along their back line going forward. Offensively, despite their shortcomings in 2015, this group has the playmakers to be competitive in the East, but adding depth to their attack certainly wouldn't hurt them. Goalkeeper becomes a bit of a question mark as well with ongoing rumors about Sean Johnson's departure overseas, but even if he leaves, they do have veteran Jon Busch, as well as Alec Kann who made six saves in the season finale on the roster. The Fire last made the postseason in 2012, and they have their work cut out for them, but they at least appear to have some pieces in place to begin to turn things around.
Goals For: 43
Goals Against: 58
Team Leaders
Goals: David Accam - 10
Assists: Harry Shipp - 8
Shutouts: Sean Johnson - 4
All-Stars: None
Year in Review
Chicago made a lot of noise this past offseason bringing in players like David Accam, Kennedy Igboananike, Adaílton, Guly Do Prado, Jon Busch, Michael Stephens, Joevin Jones and Shaun Maloney. Unfortunately, most of the moves didn't pay off. Do Prado parted on mutual terms in early August after fifteen scoreless appearances while Maloney, the Scottish International, was transferred to Hull City a few weeks later after scoring just 3 goals in 14 appearances. Big Brazilian center back Adaílton failed to provide stability along a back line that surrendered a league worst 58 goals, and overall the club just never really got into a groove peaking with a three game winning streak that ended in early April; in Chicago's final eight matches, they lost seven times. Several midseason moves fell flat for the Fire as well including their trade of Quincy Amarikwa to the Quakes for defender Ty Harden. The Fire then watched Amarikwa - who went scoreless in 14 games for the Fire this season - finish as the Quakes second leading scorer with six goals and third on the club in assists with four. Harden, meanwhile, made just three starts for Chicago. The Fire also had to endure winning the rights to Didier Drogba only basically having to trade him to Montreal instead. And you all know how that Drogba guy ended up doing up north. Finally, Mike Magee - who scored 21 goals in 2013 - never fully recovered from last season's injury and was limited to just 3 starts while being held scoreless. It wasn't all bad though despite the club record 20 losses. Accam finished the season with ten goals and Igboananike added seven more of his own. Harry Shipp showed his rookie season wasn't a fluke with a solid second season including eight assists, SuperDraftee Matt Polster garnered USMNT U-23 attention with his performance, and Joevin Jones showed tremendous versatility playing all over the field while making 28 appearances. Finally, Gilberto, although a consolation prize following the loss of Drogba, finally gave the attack some consistency and credibility as his five goals were the fourth most on the team despite his appearing in just ten matches.
What's Next?
The Fire have an open Designated Player spot on their roster so they could go out this offseason and make a splashy signing to go along with Accam and Gilberto. It will be interesting to see how they use that though as their biggest needs aren't necessarily in flashy positions. There's no question that Chicago will need to address the issues along their back line going forward. Offensively, despite their shortcomings in 2015, this group has the playmakers to be competitive in the East, but adding depth to their attack certainly wouldn't hurt them. Goalkeeper becomes a bit of a question mark as well with ongoing rumors about Sean Johnson's departure overseas, but even if he leaves, they do have veteran Jon Busch, as well as Alec Kann who made six saves in the season finale on the roster. The Fire last made the postseason in 2012, and they have their work cut out for them, but they at least appear to have some pieces in place to begin to turn things around.
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