Who is the weakest link on the Chicago Fire?

In regards to the starting lineup, it’s a two party race between RB Michael Harrington and GK Jorge Bava, and no one else is close. The fact that no one other starters are involved in this conversation is promising.

The main reason for that promise is Nelson Rodriguez. Rodriguez, entering his second full season as General Manager of the club, has been able to quickly redesign the on-field product, especially during the latest transfer window.

Rodriguez’s current apprehension to address the right back position seems to stem from the desire to attract a better talent. That would make Harrington a placeholder, which suits me perfectly.

Case 1: Michael Harrington

The following tweet reflects the majority of fans’ sentiments, but it certainly doesn’t relate the whole story on Michael Harrington.

Harrington should never be in #cf97 starting XI again. From his man marking to fitness he is atrocious. — Brian Oleary (@olearyscowfc) April 1, 2017

He is a hard worker, diligent in getting forward to help open up the attack on the right flank. In fact, he’s able to put in some decently dangerous crosses. But that’s where the praise ends.

His short passing ability and vision haven’t been sharp this year. When he goes to challenge a player with the ball, his tackling has been clumsy, tending to foul. Lacking the pace to offset his sometimes questionable defensive positioning, Harrington does himself no favors when he cedes too much space to the attacker or loses his mark during critical moments.

While he has performed adequately in early parts of games, his position quickly becomes the focal point of the opponent’s attack. Usually its only a matter of time before he gets exposed. Despite his weakness in defense Harrington does serve a purpose on this squad going forward, as a backup. I’m not too sure the same can be said about Bava, who looks to be out of depth in MLS 3.0.