Percovich brings attitude, harmony

Fire assistant Leo Percovich -- Getty Images

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Chicago Fire assistant coach Leo Percovich can chew out someone in one moment and be the nicest guy in the next.

On one end of the spectrum, Percovich brings necessary energy to training, as well as a strong voice. That voice did land him a fine during the preseason's Carolina Challenge Cup, when he had a few choice things to say to the officials.

But on the other end of the spectrum, Percovich has gone out of his way to try to establish a sense of "harmony" within the club. During the preseason, Percovich purposely mixed and matched roommates from various countries so the Fire's heavily revamped lineup could get acclimated to one another before the season began.

"We have 11 or 12 nationalities on the team, different cultures, religions and habits," Percovich said. "You have to have the same character and same spirit on the team. That's very important for everybody to stay in the same habit. At the end of the preseason, we had a group where everybody knows everybody."

Read more at ESPNChicago.com.

Fire resume Open Cup on May 24

The Chicago Fire announced Wednesday that they will face the San Jose Earthquakes on May 24 in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play-in match at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. The game kicks off at 9:30 p.m. CT.

Read more at ESPNChicago.com.

Red Stars add 4 to 2011 WPSL roster

Vanessa DiBernardo

The Chicago Red Stars of the Women's Premier Soccer League announce four additions to its 2011 roster.

Joining the Red Stars roster are University of Illinois forward and Naperville, Ill., native Vanessa DiBernardo; University of Illinois forward and Homer Glen, Ill., native Shayla Mutz; Indiana University forward and Barrington, Ill., native Carly Samp; and University of Louisville goalkeeper and South Elgin, Ill., native Taylor Vancil.

DiBernardo made a big splash during her 2010 freshman campaign with the Illini. The Waubonsie Valley High School graduate led the Big Ten Conference in goals (11) and points (27), started in all 19 matches and garnered Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. Mutz, a Lockport Township High School graduate, started in all 19 matches for Illinois, ranked third on the team with four goals and tied for third with 10 points. Samp completed her junior season with Indiana, leading the club in goals (8) and points (19) in 2010. Vancil wrapped up her sophomore season with Louisville. The St. Charles North High School graduate played in all 19 matches for the Cardinals in 2010, posting a 10-9 record, five shutouts, 125 saves and a .796 save percentage.

Read more at WPSL.info.

Fire, Whitecaps muster draw

Daniel Paladini -- Getty Images

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Chicago Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos stands by his approach -- possession game, attractive soccer and offensive-minded soccer.

The Fire handled the possession aspect on Saturday against the expansion Vancouver Whitecaps. The clear problem was that Chicago had no final touch and played to a scoreless draw in front of 11,680 at Toyota Park.

The Fire (1-4-4) are winless in six straight games.

"I want to play football," De los Cobos said. "For me, it's very easy to put the ball forward with long balls, but I don't like it. I'm going to die with my idea, with my philosophy to play. It's possible to happen whenever. I believe in myself. I believe in my players."

The theme on Saturday was missed chances, but they were amplified by the fact that Chicago had plenty of space to work with and high-percentage scoring chances throughout the night. The Fire's productivity, however, resulted in only a 4-2 shots on goal advantage over the Whitecaps.

Read more at ESPNChicago.com.

Fire get 1st look at expansion 'Caps

Fire's Carlos de los Cobos -- Getty Images

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- This is not quite a do-or-die part of the MLS season, but the Chicago Fire have quickly dug themselves into a hole over a five-game winless streak.

May represents a critical month for the Fire, who are second-to-last in the Eastern Conference. With three of Chicago's four May matches against teams with losing records, it is the club's best situation to make up some ground.

One of those teams is expansion Vancouver Whitecaps FC, which the Fire hosts for the first time Saturday at Toyota Park. Vancouver's defense has allowed the second-most goals (14) among MLS clubs, but Chicago's offense has been in a little funk with only three goals in its past three games.

"We need to win -- it's very important for us to win Saturday," Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos said. "The guys are trying to finish, but that's part of the game. Sometimes it doesn't happen."

The Fire (1-3-3) have yet to earn a league victory since their 3-2 home opener over Sporting Kansas City on March 26.

Read more at ESPNChicago.com.

Ex-Fire PDL's DeMerit defies odds

Jay DeMerit -- Getty Images

Soccer players have their unique paths to get to the professional ranks, but Vancouver Whitecaps FC defender Jay DeMerit's is as rare as they come.

The former University of Illinois-Chicago standout and one-time Chicago Fire Reserves player has seen it all, and paved his way when the elements did not look so favorable.

DeMerit was not a part of U.S. Soccer's youth system. He joined UIC on a partial scholarship, which took some doing to even get that. He played for the Fire's development team, but was not picked up by a Major League Soccer club. And the most defying stunt was heading to Europe with less than $2,000 in his pocket and hoping to launch a playing career.

Anyone who has remotely followed the Green Bay, Wis., native's journey knows that DeMerit eventually reached greener pastures, spending seven seasons with England's Watford FC, and highlighted by his playoff goal against Leeds to thrust Watford into the Premier League in 2006.

"My path is very rare. I never even tried out for a national team," DeMerit said of his youth playing days. "I was one of the rare ones that just always played sports. At UIC, they have a good soccer community and good soccer structure. I never tried to branch out to ODP (Olympic Development Program). I was just working hard and concentrating on other things in life. I had very limited soccer experience as a 23-year-old grad, getting offers to A-League teams, the Milwaukee Rampage, without any experience."

Read more at ESPNChicago.com.

Colombian forward Nazarit joins Fire

Fire signing Cristian Nazarit -- Getty Images

The Chicago Fire brought in 20-year-old Colombian Cristian Nazarit on Wednesday -- a 6-foot-1 target forward who recently was playing for Colombian Primera A side Independiente Santa Fe.

In the Fire's grand plan, the club clearly hopes that Nazarit or some other striker will provide scoring power to complement Diego Chaves, who leads Chicago with four goals. Chaves has been a workhorse for the Fire, and for much of the season he has been Chicago's only go-to guy on the scoring front.

Chaves also has noticeably lost some steam in the closing minutes of Chicago's recent games, so adding an offensive weapon -- provided the Nazarit plan comes to fruition -- is a welcome addition for the Fire.

But Nazarit's signing also does not address the Fire's most immediate needs, the biggest of which is an established central midfielder. Even through seven games, the Fire have yet to finalize the look of their middle formation.

The Fire's 10 goals in seven games is pretty much on par with the rest of the league's offenses. Heading into this week, before Wednesday's slate of games, there were four other MLS clubs with that exact goals-to-games ratio, including the Eastern Conference-leading New York Red Bulls.

The major difference between New York and Chicago is that the Red Bulls (4-1-2) have allowed only two goals this season, while the Fire (1-3-3) have given up a whopping 13.

Read more at ESPNChicago.com.

Fire adapt to formation change

Daniel Paladini (right) -- Getty Images

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- When Chicago Fire captain and defensive midfielder Logan Pause injured his hamstring on Wednesday of last week, it caused head coach Carlos de los Cobos to rethink his strategy heading into their game against the defending MLS champion Colorado Rapids.

Initially the Fire were training to play a standard 4-4-2, with Pause naturally in the mix. But when Pause was out of the picture, De los Cobos adjusted with a 4-1-4-1.

Chicago posted a 1-1 draw on the road, and the formation switch could stay in place, especially if Pause and midfielder Mike Videira (concussion) are unable to go this Saturday when Chicago hosts the expansion Vancouver Whitecaps at Toyota Park.

Last week's match in Commerce City, Colo., opened the door for Fire midfielders Daniel Paladini and Corben Bone, who made their first starts and appearances this season. Uruguayan forward Gaston Puerari dropped back in the midfield, as well, leaving fellow countryman Diego Chaves as the team's lone attacker.

"We came out and played our system, and went attacking with four, five guys," Paladini said. "We're losing maybe a forward, but gaining an extra guy in the middle. We didn't go to Colorado to back up and play defense."

Read more at ESPNChicago.com.