Michael de Leeuw has proven to be a bit of a poacher in his two-plus months with the Chicago Fire.

He has five goals in 14 games, including the goal he scored in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal, for the Fire and has scored in each of the past three matches. All five of de Leeuw’s goals came with the goalkeeper out of the play. Three of the goals happened after a deflection pulled defenders and the goalkeeper out of position.

When asked how he has this knack for being in the right spot at the right time, de Leeuw didn’t have a clear answer himself.

“I don’t know, I just read the position, read the play,” de Leeuw said. “I always run for the rebound. Forty-nine times out of 50 the keeper will take the ball, but that one time that keeper won’t like against D.C.”

The goal against D.C. that de Leeuw mentioned was a big rebound let up by goalkeeper Bill Hamid. Matt Polster had launched a shot from outside the box and de Leeuw ran towards the goal as soon as the shot was taken. When Hamid couldn’t cleanly hold onto the shot, de Leeuw was able to finish it off from eight yards out.





That goal was the only goal the 29-year-old Dutchman has scored from outside the 6-yard box.

His first goal for the Fire, which came on July 13 against Sporting Kansas City, was an easy tap-in from four yards out after Razvan Cocis got to the end line and centered the ball. De Leeuw scored into an open net.





A week later in the Open Cup against Ft. Lauderdale, David Accam did all the dirty work by dribbling into the box and drawing three defenders and the goalkeeper with him. Accam centered the ball and de Leeuw, who was all alone at the back post, slid to tap the ball into an open net.





“You try to do the things that you have to do in the game, like your runs when you go to the first post or the second post,” de Leeuw said. “When it’s a loose ball you try to be in the best position to score the goals.”

After converting the rebound at D.C., de Leeuw scored another rebound the next week against Philadelphia. Luis Solignac got into the box on a counterattack. His shot was saved by John McCarthy, but the ball stayed in play. De Leeuw never stopped running and was able to head the ball into yet another open net from six yards out.





This past Saturday against Toronto John Goossens was smothered in the box after receiving a feed from Accam. Goossens initially lost the ball, but recovered to send a short chipped cross to de Leeuw, who had posted up in the 6-yard box. De Leeuw maintained inside position and headed in the goal with goalkeeper Alex Bono closing in on Goossens.





“When we did scouting and we analyzed his style of play and his talent we saw very quickly that he’s very good moving in the box, moving off the ball and of course with converting opportunities,” coach Veljko Paunovic said. “Actually that’s why we believe he is going to be a great fit for our team, which he confirms with great motivation and great attitude in every single game.”

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De Leeuw said his desire to score goals, something he said he already had when he was a young player, is what drives him to always make that hopeless run in the chance that it results in a goal.

“I think I’m just horny for scoring goals,” de Leeuw said with a laugh. “You want to score the goal every time, every moment and that’s something I always have.

“It’s something that’s in me. It’s not like I do it. For me it’s normal, making those runs, those extra yards because if the keeper will let the ball loose then it’s my ball.”