Like most people involved in the early years of Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire, former assistant coach and Charlotte Independence head coach Mike Jeffries has his share of fond memories.
The Fire debuted in the best possible fashion, earning the infamous “double” during their inaugural season – the 1998 MLS Cup, followed by the 1998 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup crown. Jeffries was an assistant then under Bob Bradley, and now his Independence will go head-to-head against Chicago on Tuesday in the Round of 16 during this year’s U.S. Open Cup (8:30 p.m. ET kickoff at Toyota Park).
“It’ll be nice to come back and see some familiar people, and hopefully I won’t walk into the wrong locker room,” Jeffries said. “I’m excited about it.”
As Jeffries heads the Independence during their inaugural USL season, the gravitation toward the Fire’s inaugural MLS campaign proved to be an eye-opening experience for his coaching tenure.
“That year was a whirlwind for me,” Jeffries said. “It was my first year in MLS, as an assistant, and having the opportunity work with Bob and put a new group of guys together on the field was great. We had some of the ups and downs that a first-year club goes through during the season – started with a couple decent results, some not so good, then posted 11 straight wins. We were building a team and watching it come together, and that was an unbelievable experience.”
While this season’s Fire are struggling in MLS play, it is a given each year that Chicago takes the Open Cup seriously. The Fire have won four Open Cup titles over the years, so Jeffries is anticipating a hard-fought match Tuesday.
“From the early days, the Open Cup was an important tournament for us, for Bob Bradley, [former President and GM] Peter Wilt and the whole organization,” Jeffries said. “It’s something the Fire take pride in, year in and year out. I expect nothing less from Chicago in this game, and to some degree you throw out how their season is going. The Open Cup is a one-off tournament and doesn’t necessarily correlate with the regular season. Look at D.C. United when they won it (as a last place team in 2013). I expect the Fire will be very prepared.”
The Independence are the lone USL representative remaining in this year’s tournament, coming off a 1-0 victory against MLS side the New England Revolution in the fourth round.
As the tournament and the USL season have progressed, so too has the caliber of play from Charlotte’s personnel.
“I feel good about this team and the group of players here,” Jeffries said. “It’s a solid group, guys with good experience who bring a lot to the table. There’s a lot of character in the group, and they put everything into training and preparation to push themselves. Some have had a cup of water in MLS and would love to get back, so they are motivated.”
Charlotte has not missed a beat despite the heavy schedule. Jeffries strategically reworked his lineup after the Revolution match and the team mustered a 2-1 victory against the Charleston Battery to post its second consecutive league win, followed by a weather-shortened scoreless draw against a tough Richmond Kickers side.
“We’ve gotten some results recently, and I think we have a solid nucleus of players who understand the way of playing that works well for us,” Jeffries said. “With it being a new group, we knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Soccer is a game where you have to know your teammates and how they think, play quickly and be able to help each other defensively. That all takes time. We’ve made a few mistakes here and there, but I knew the building blocks were always good.”
Jeffries credits fitness coach John Lytton with playing a big role in helping the Independence maintain a high level of play while trudging through a demanding schedule in regular-season and Open Cup action.
“He has kept a good eye on us physically, and that’s been a big plus,” Jeffries said. “This group competes every day, and with utilizing different guys in our lineup, they have shown no hesitation that they can do the job that needs to get done.”
All eyes are on Charlotte’s performance from the USL fan base, and once again the Independence are embracing the underdog role when they face the Fire.
“I guess we have that Rocky/underdog element going for us a little bit, so it’s a nice spot for us to be in,” Jeffries said. “Every game is a higher level and we’re putting our best foot forward. As the underdog, some things have to go right, and it takes some big plays to make the difference, such as Jorge Herrera’s last goal against New England. We’ve got some confidence in how we’re playing, and we don’t feel any additional pressure.”
Tied to Fire in PDL: The Independence roster includes a pair of defenders who represented the Chicago Fire U-23s during the 2011 PDL season. Andrew Ribeiro and Chris Estridge both played a role in helping the Fire U-23s take second place in the Great Lakes Division that season. Ribeiro scored a goal in nine games and Estridge scored seven goals in 14 games.
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