BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. – Chicago Fire head coach Frank Yallop knew upon the conclusion of the 2014 season that his backline was in desperate need of improvement.
And he set out to work on that immediately, declining options on Gonzalo Segares and Bakary Soumare at season's end and beginning the search for someone to play alongside center back and captain Jeff Larentowicz.
Improving on their 51 goals allowed was the goal. That improvement seems to have arrived in the form of Brazilian defender Adailton, signed Dec. 30 of last year.
After missing the season opener against reigning MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy due to a preseason concussion, Adailton has shown why Yallop so quickly put his faith in the defender and a renewed backline. In their last two games, Chicago's defense has allowed only four shots on goal in the run of play, including a clean sheet in a 1-0 victory Sunday over the Philadelphia Union.
“When you watch him, he's a solid defender, and that's what we needed,” Yallop said during this week's media conference call. “He's very experienced, and he's started to settle in.”
Acquired from Brazilian Serie A side Esporte Clube Bahia, the 6-foot-3 center back is someone Yallop knew would add a veteran presence to the backline right away. That’s only been augmented by the veteran leadership of Larentowicz.
“He never tries to do too much,” Larentowicz said. “Being an experienced guy, he knows what his limitations are, which is good. He's not the fastest guy, but he's intelligent and composed. When we're under pressure defensively his decisions are good. That's what comes with experience.”
Adailton has spent time in numerous top-flight leagues, both in South America and Europe. While some foreign players have struggled in making the transition to a new country and new culture, Adailton's move to MLS has seen few of those issues.
“I've played all around the world, but I always wanted to play here,” Adailton told MLSsoccer.com after training on Wednesday. “It was something I always wanted to experience. My family has just arrived, so it's been fantastic.”
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The partnership with Larentowicz is something Yallop is continuing to watch, but just four games into the season he already likes what he sees.
“They're going to get beat once in a while, but it's going to be a good play that beats them,” Yallop said. “Once they get more understanding, it'll be second nature for them to move around and get a real understanding, but I've seen signs of this being a very good partnership.”
Adailton echoed those sentiments.
“Jeff is such an intelligent player,” he said. “I'm learning a lot playing with him, and I think we're communicating better and better each game.”
