Roundtable: Let’s play ‘Who’s the Heartthrob?’ on the Chicago Fire

James Bridget Gordon: To start things off: we're less than three weeks away from opening day. Do the Fire have everything they need to start the season? If not, what?

I'm talking mostly about the squad but feel free to interpret that more broadly ...

John Carollo III: We need a right back. I've already voiced my displeasure about Harrington many times in the past, but I will say it again: HARRINGTON DOESN'T EVEN DESERVE TO BE ON THE BENCH!

I know that I've gotten backlash for suggesting it, but Kap would make a great RB. His attacking instincts seem way too good for a CB. The issue would be getting another great CB.

The simple way to solve the issue is just getting another RB, but there isn't much room available for an international and there isn't much in the ways of domestic players.

Other than RB, we're good squad-wise.

Sean Spence: I’d say right back is the one spot where we clearly have a starter-shaped hole, yes.

James Bridget Gordon: I'm inclined to agree with Jigs. The Fire have done a lot of heavy lifting to improve the squad but if they don't plug that hole they'll be …

( •_•)

( •_•)>⌐■-■

... right back where they started.

(⌐■_■)

YYYYYYYEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH

Brian Bottei: I still think we are all scapegoating Michael Harrington, a guy who has been a starting right back on a playoff team this decade, a little bit too much.

Not to say that he is Dani Alves, but given the cap constraints, yeah, he will be fine.

I think the Fire are about as prepared as one could reasonably expect them to be for the season in the roster construction department.

John Carollo III: I agree with you on that last part, knowing that you are wrong about Harrington (but I forgive you). Plus finding good players is hard (even though we passed up on Spector and Beasley)

We should get Freddy Adu for right back (foreshadowing a feature here!)

Brian Bottei: Is he probably the Fire's weak link? Yes.

He's also been a pro soccer player for as long as I've been into MLS. He isn't incompetent.

John Carollo III: There's a difference between competence and playing for an MLS team...

Brian Bottei: That's talking like we are still in days of football lined fields.

John Carollo III: That's where he's from.

Just taking a quick look over the Allocation List (if we can trade our way up it), there are only two natural RBs on the list: DeAndre Yedlin and Andy Najar. Either would be a huge upgrade but neither are coming here. And Najar would take up an international slot.

No one on the official MLS Free Agent list.

Brian Bottei: My last Harrington comment... we are going to be asking the fullbacks to do a LOT less than last year. That should be positive for him AND BV.

James Bridget Gordon: Thoughts on the #cf97 Soccergrams?

John Carollo III: If the Fire were a boy band, I would say De Leuuw is "the cute one". Not by looks but by simply looking at the pictures provided.

Because everyone knows that Calistri is the most beautiful man on the roster.

James Bridget Gordon: Solignac is definitely the Bad Boy

Dax is the leader

John Carollo III: I forgot, what are the official boy band tropes?

Also, I think Polster has bad boy on point.

James Bridget Gordon: Pretty decent summary here.

John Carollo III: Okay, here we go (using the TV Tropes definitions):

Heartthrob: Michel De Leuuw

Bad Boy: Matt Polster

Cute One: Joey Calistri

Older Brother (Leader): Dax McCarty

Shy One: Johan Kappelhoff

James Bridget Gordon: I'm not sure I'm down with Polster as the bad boy

(Also not really onboard with Calistri as the cute one but I'm trying to be better about picking my battles)

For Bad Boy I would go with Solignac, Accam, or Juninho

We need a PoC squad member in this anyway

Sean Spence: My wife’s immediate reaction? “NO WAY that Matt Polster is the bad boy - he’s the clean-cut All-American kid.” I tend to agree.

John Carollo III: Accam would work better than Solignac

James Bridget Gordon: I'm inclined to agree