Ahead of Saturday's first preseason look at outside competition, Veljko Paunovic cited fitness, competitiveness and style of play as points of emphasis when his Chicago Fire lined up against collegiate hosts Florida Gulf Coast University.
Looking back on the favorable 1-0 outcome, Paunovic saw building blocks of all three.
“This is the first game of preseason and after a week of hard work here in Florida, I’m happy with the performance," he said Saturday night. "We had very good chances in both halves, we could have increased the score but guys had a very good approach, very good attitudes.