As the first quarter of the 2019 MLS season has concluded, the Fire have many things they need to fix and improve on. Fans are certainly not pleased, as they currently sit at 8th place in the eastern conference, with a record of 2-3-4 (W-D-L).

Coming off 2 straight away losses, the Fire are set to travel to Los Angeles this Saturday night to face off against LAFC, who currently sit atop every team in the league and is off to a historic start to their 2019 MLS season.

#1: A Team Identity

Identity is something the Fire have struggled finding for many years. If they want to make a strong push to secure a playoff spot, they’re going to need to establish “who they are”. In other terms, they’re going to need to find a way to play, which makes it difficult for their opponent to break them down and defend against them. As you look at the top teams in the MLS, and all over the world, they all have ways they like to play and are successful at doing so. With the all of the Fire’s offensive talent, perhaps Paunovic could try to implement a style of play that’s focused a lot more on going forward and getting at the opponent, rather than possession or sitting back with the ball. If the Fire want a chance at qualifying for the playoffs, this is something Paunovic and the coaching staff needs to implement and improve on in training.

#2: Finishing Their Chances, and Being More Clinical in Front of Goal

Looking at all the teams in the eastern conference, you could make a case that the Fire have the strongest offensive side on paper. However, the stats show otherwise. Currently, the Fire sit at 6th in the league for shots on goal but are only 12th in goals scored. The best teams often score the most goals, as we see with LAFC. They currently sit atop every other team in the MLS and have scored the most goals with 26 in total. The Fire are coming into their match against them this Saturday night goalless in 2 straight games. With this offensive firepower, the goals need to be scored and fans are certainly going to be demand more.

#3: Positive Results at Home

Playing a home game always gives you that extra 1-up on your opponent, whether or not its the top team in the league, or the worst team in the league. However, the Fire played 4 out of their first 6 games at home, and only managed 1 win in those 4. During the Fire’s successful 2017 season, where they clinched playoffs, they managed to go on a 12 game unbeaten run at home, which eventually pushed them into the #1 spot in the Supporters Shield race.

If the Fire want to make sure they are going to secure a spot in the playoffs, they’re going to have to start getting more wins and fewer losses when they play at home.

Featured Image: Chicago-Fire.com