The Chicago Fire manager Frank Klopas has said that Jeff Larentowicz is a natural leader. Chicago Fire will be without the likes of Arne Friedrich and Logan Pause the first two matches of the season. However, the manager Klopas reckons that the presence of Larentowicz will help him tide over this crisis. Larentowicz wore the captain’s armband in the match against LA Galaxy. He is once again expected to lead the team when they take on New England Revolution on Saturday. Klopas feels that the 29-year-old is a natural born leader, and he has recalled how he has been a captain for different teams in the past.
Klopas brought in the former Colorado Rapids player in the MLS SuperDraft. He has been playing in the MLS for the last nine seasons, and he even captain his former team when Pablo Mastroeni was not available for Colorado Rapids. However, Larentowicz was not able to taste success in his first match as the captain of Chicago Fire as the team were defeated 4-0 by a very strong LA Galaxy team. Larentowicz said after the match that he is extremely happy to be leading the team, but he would want to use the experiences from this match in order to avoid defeats.
“I felt he’s got natural leadership abilities and qualities. He’s a guy that’s been a captain on different teams, he’s a veteran guy. … That’s one of the reasons we brought him in. Not for him to be the captain, but for those qualities as a leader,” said the Chicago Fire manager. “I’m honored that the coaches and the players have that faith in me. If I do wear it again, we’re going to have this game in mind and get the lead and create better opportunities as a team,” said Larentowicz.