“It’s almost like two separate competitions.” Raphael Wicky on the Chicago Fire’s goals for Orlando

Álvaro Medrán Chicago Fire FC There are less than two and a half weeks until the MLS is Back tournament kicks off in Orlando. The Fire will leave for Florida in somewhere around ten days, and Head Coach Raphael Wicky has said when it comes to training, all the heavy lifting needs to be done before the team travels south.

The team begins its second week of full training Monday. Not everyone will get to make the trip to Orlando, so fringe players are busy fighting to prove they deserve a chance, and the top players are looking to show they deserve a spot in Wicky’s starting XI.

For Wicky, it’s about making a statement from the start.

“It’s always important that opening game,” Wicky told…