Some good, some “just OK” from Chicago Fire preseason

Pretty soon we’ll be all done-and-dusted with this preseason business, with attempting to cull knowledge from matches of lesser meaning, always a tricky exercise.

But, it is what it is for now.

So watch the Chicago Fire-Vancouver Whitecaps highlights, and then meet be below for some thoughts. (Oh, and pay special attention to the sweet pass from Jalil Anibaba, Chicago’s right back, at the 1:04 mark of the video.)

The highlights are from Chicago’s 1-1 draw with Vancouver in the Carolina Challenge Cup. Chicago won the preseason tournament based on most points.

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• Anibaba has all kinds of competition for that right back spot, including Logan Pause’s move out of midfield and highly experienced trialist Pascal Chimbonda. Meaningful moments like that one could go a long way. He started 32 games last year, but Fire coach Frank Klopas clearly wants a little more from that right back spot.
• On the other hand … at the end of that pass, striker Sherjill MacDonald fails to convert on a wonderful scoring chance. Chicago’s midfield is improved and the back line looks strong. Plus, there’s Chris Rolfe (pictured above right) and everything he brings to the attack (and the counter attack, at which Rolfe is especially proficient.) But if MacDonald cannot improve on his average finishing, Chicago will struggle to score in sufficient quantities. Four goals in 14 games last year was OK … but surely the Fire is looking for better than “OK” from its Dutch forward.
• Klopas liked a lot that he saw in preseason contests, but says his team’s defensive mentality still needs work. (About the 1:35 mark of the linked video clip.) As he says, it’s mostly about “want-to,” about the desire to get into the right spots as soon as the ball is lost. True that.