BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. – Versatile midfielder Michael Stephens is keen to reignite his maiden season with the Chicago Fire after missing the last three games through injury and seeing the battle for places intensify.
The 26-year-old Chicago native started four of the Fire’s first five games after returning to the United States after a season with Norway’s Stabaek, and he impressed with his energy, creativity and composure on the ball before an ankle injury saw him replaced by Chris Ritter in the eighth minute of their 3-2 win over Toronto FC on April 4.
Rookie Matt Polster has surprisingly cemented his place in the center of the park and has been joined by one of Ritter, Matt Watson, Razvan Cocis and Stephens as head coach Frank Yallop has had to shuffle his pack because of injuries and suspension. Meanwhile, Victor Perez, who arrived to much fanfare with almost 100 La Liga appearances for Real Valladolid and Levante, has only managed two minutes on the field since landing in Chicago almost two months ago, highlighting the high level of competition for midfield places.
“That’s what we want as players, I think in every position we have depth,” Stephens told MLSsoccer.com Wednesday. “It’s like anything, when you get in there you need to take the opportunity and there’ll be chances for everybody to play, so when you get those chances you just have to take them.”
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Stephens took his chance when it came to him, impressing when introduced as a 56th-minute substitute for Watson in the Fire's opening-day defeat at the LA Galaxy and becoming a mainstay in the team until being sidelined with the ankle injury.
“It sucks when you’re sitting on the sidelines watching, especially when we’re losing,” Stephens said of the Fire’s two-game losing streak that has seen them move to 3-5-0. “It was unfortunate timing because I was starting to get into good rhythm there, as far as that Toronto game I felt like I was really improving.
"But these things happen, there’s nothing you can do about it, so right now I’m just working to get my fitness back, concentrate on what I can concentrate on as far as proving myself in training and when my opportunity comes I need to take it."
Stephens, who insists he's 100-percent healthy and avaialble, is eyeing the Fire's road matchup Friday with New York City FC (6 pm CT; UDN) for a possible return. As for returning to MLS after a season abroad following a four-year stint with the LA Galaxy, the former Fire youth player said he's more than happy playing for his hometown team.
"As far as coming back, I think if it was another opportunity, a different MLS team, I wouldn’t have pushed to get out of there," said Stephens. "But to move to Chicago is something I wanted to do. I haven’t lived here in a long time, and I wanted to get back here.”
Shane Murray covers the Chicago Fire for MLSsoccer.com.
