He may have just linked up with his new teammates for the first time, but Brazilian striker Gilberto is ready to make an immediate impression with the Chicago Fire.
The former Toronto FC Designated Player was introduced to his Fire colleagues in Portland on Wednesday, and he immediately insisted he was ready to go for Friday night’s game against the Timbers (11 pm ET; UniMas).
“I’m in very good shape,” he told reporters on a conference call Thursday. “I’ve been practicing. I’ve been training. I’ve only been away from training for a couple weeks, but I feel I’m good to go for the next game already. Hopefully I can get in and contribute and help the team get a win.”
The 26-year-old joins the Men in Red following a loan spell in his native Brazil with Vasco da Gama, where he scored nine goals since February, including seven en route to the Guanabara Cup.
And with seven goals and five assists during his debut MLS season at Toronto in 2014, the Brazilian is anxious to hit the ground running and ensure the Fire finish the season strongly.
“The ultimate goal is just to help Chicago Fire, and that’s the most important thing,” he said.
Chicago is a city that has long been in the fore of Gilberto’s thoughts, stemming from the days he idolized Michael Jordan as he led the Chicago Bulls to several NBA titles during the 1990s. It was a key factor in his decision to return to MLS with the Fire.
"Growing up following the Bulls, I’m a big Michael Jordan fan,” he said. “I’ve always known that the city is a great city. When I learned that the Fire was interested in me, I didn’t have any doubts that I wanted to go there. The team is a very successful team. It’s had a great past. The fans are amazing. I had no doubts that I wanted to go to Chicago and be a part of the Chicago Fire.”
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The Fire are still without an away win this season and travel to Portland with renewed optimism following their 2-0 victory over Western Conference leaders FC Dallas last weekend. The Fire also face a US Open Cup semifinal at the Philadelphia Union next Wednesday, but head coach Frank Yallop will not be tempted to rest players with vital playoff points at stake and the Fire sitting second from bottom in the Eastern Conference.
“We’re not looking past Portland, it’s an important game for us in the league,” Yallop said. “We’ve just had a great win at home, three points, and now we need to get another win at Portland or get something out of the game. But we’re not getting ahead of ourselves even though next Wednesday is a massive game for us.”
