As the spine of one of Major League Soccer’s best teams thus far in 2017, the Chicago Fire’s All-Star quartet -- striker Nemanja Nikolic, central midfielders Bastian Schweinsteiger and Dax McCarty, and centerback Johan Kappelhof -- also were in the middle of the action throughout an entertaining 2017 MLS All-Star Game in their home city.
Each put in a 45-minute shift in a star-studded clash with Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid side, one that ended in a 1-1 draw before the Spanish superclub walked away with a penalty kick shootout.
All four Fire representatives had opportunities to display the elements of their game that landed them on the roster, perhaps none more so than McCarty.