BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. – It’s a journey that has been more than 10 years in the making, but Brazilian veteran Adailton is finally realizing his American dream in his debut season in MLS with the Chicago Fire.
The well-traveled center back (pictured above, left) has made a comfortable transition to life in MLS following his offseason switch from his native Bahia, forging an impressive partnership with Jeff Larentowicz in a new-look defensive unit under head coach Frank Yallop.
The 32-year-old, who has also seen playing time in France, Uruguay, Switzerland and China, has brought an assured and composed approach to the Fire defense. Although the Men in Red have conceded 10 goals in eight games, Adailton has been one of the standout figures thus far this season, and will get another chance to make an impression when the Fire face New York City FC in a Friday night road game (7 pm ET, UDN, deportes.univision.com).
“I always wanted to come here,” Adailton told MLSsoccer.com on Wednesday. “In fact it’s funny, but in 2005 I was in France and I was talking to one player called Alain Rochat who played also here in MLS [from 2011-13 with Vancouver and D.C.] and we said ‘one day I would like to play in the USA.’
“Two years ago I could have come to another team, last year I could have come to another team, too, but when the possibility to come to Chicago came up I didn’t think twice,” he added. “I left my hometown where I was playing in the first division in Brazil, but I came straight because I really felt very good energy coming here and it was a new challenge that I always wanted and I am very happy about the decision that I made.”
Adailton missed the season opener at the LA Galaxy because of a concussion picked up in preseason, but he has been one of the first names on Yallop’s team sheet ever since, starting all seven games alongside Larentowicz.
And while far from satisfied with his team’s overall results thus far (3-5-0, 9 pts), Yallop admitted to being happy with what he has seen from the Brazilian and his fledgling partnership with the Fire captain.
“It takes a while, like we always say, you can’t just click your fingers and it works,” Yallop said. “They’ve got to trust each other and work with each other and enjoy playing with each other, and I think they do. I look at both of them and think solid, good players. Obviously the team has conceded goals, but I look at all of the goals and they’ve looked solid on a lot of the plays we’ve had, and you can’t really fault them for what they’ve done this season. I think they’ve been really good.”
Despite that, Adailton believes he can improve on his early promise and help the club in their goal to make the playoffs for the second time in six years, and first since 2012.
“I’m asking myself every day to do better,” he said, speaking with the same similar deliberate and controlled assertion that he shows on the field. “I don’t think I’ve given everything I can give. I’m looking in the mirror and asking what is missing, but the team is getting better and better.
“Unfortunately, the last two games we didn’t show what we are able to do, but I’m very confident that me and my teammates are going to improve during the season, starting from the next game against New York, and I’m sure we’ll be in the top six at least at the end of this first phase of the championship.”
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Having fellow Brazilian Guly do Prado also with the Fire has helped with the settling in process, while he has opted away from hustle and bustle of city life by moving his family to the city’s western suburbs, from where he commutes to and from Toyota Park with local rising star Collin Fernandez.
“For me it’s been amazing,” he said of the move to MLS. “I’m enjoying it a lot. It’s been such a different league in terms of organization, in terms of competition. I’ve been enjoying it a lot, and I hope my career will have more and more years here in the USA.”
One factor that has surprised Adailton is the competitive nature of the league, with relatively unfancied teams capable of rising to the top and challenging the big boys, unlike leagues elsewhere.
“I could say that it’s the most competitive of every league that I’ve played in. Even in France, you have very big teams, but you know that only three of them can be champion. But here every game you have chances to win, and every game you also have chances to lose.”
