This isn’t a normal offseason for the Chicago Fire; It’s perhaps the most important one in club history. Joe Mansueto’s purchase of controlling interest in the club from Andrew Hauptman last month and the move from suburban Bridgeview back downtown to Soldier Field next season are both massive opportunities. The club — which was last in MLS in attendance this season — has a renewed chance to capture the attention of a city that has never paid it much mind. In order to capitalize, they need to put an exciting, winning product on the field. And they need to do it quickly.



Chicago was far from exciting in 2019, nor were they winning. Instead it was another disappointing season in a decade full of them, ending in an eighth-place finish in the Eastern Conference to miss the playoffs for the sixth time in the last seven years.



Thankfully for the club, they have the flexibility to remake their roster this winter. They have zero...