BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. – What do Toronto FC’s Warren Creavalle and New York City FC duo of Andrew Jacobson and R.J. Allen have in common?
Well, they’ve all succumbed to the speed and trickery of Chicago Fire’s “electric” winger, David Accam – and all been shown red cards for their efforts.
The 24-year-old Ghanaian livewire, signed this offseason from Swedish side Helsingborgs, has illuminated the Fire’s opening third of the season with some mesmerizing performances on the wing, his combination of pace, power and direct running wreaking all sorts of havoc on opposing defenses.
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It’s led directly to those three red cards, and the Fire have picked up seven of their 10 points in those games, showing how pivotal Accam’s impact has been in what head coach Frank Yallop has described as a “topsy-turvy” season.
“He is electric and fun to watch, as a fan, and obviously he’s good to work with,” Yallop told reporters at Toyota Park after training Wednesday. “He’s already used to the league, feels comfortable, and I told him, ‘There’s nothing that can stop you if you really want to do it,’ and he’s determined to do that.”
Accam’s return of just one goal from 17 shots (nine on target), however, is a familiar tale of woe for the Fire, with center back Jeff Larentowicz the club’s top scorer with three goals and six others with a solitary strike to their name.
That was the story Friday in Chicago’s 2-2 draw with New York City FC, when Chicago fired off 23 shots but only received one goal from the run of the play. The other came on a Larentowicz penalty kick. Chicago outshot Real Salt Lake the previous week, 14-5, but lost 2-1.
Despite his Designated Player status with the Fire and regular place in the Ghanaian national team squad, Accam came to MLS as a relative unknown after three productive seasons in Sweden with Ostersund and Helsingborgs. However, it did not take long for opposing teams to identify him as a pivotal weapon in the Chicago arsenal.
“Now most people know about me, most defenders know about me,” Accam told MLSsoccer.com Wednesday. “I wouldn’t say it’s more difficult playing against them now, but they know what I’m trying to do. They know I’m really quick, so they have strategies now to stop me. But this is normal.”
One aspect of MLS that Accam has had to adjust to is the physical nature of the attention he has received from markers, who are often left with no alternative but to take him down after a quick turn of pace or change of direction has left them flat-footed.
“From the opening games that I have played, I think there have been three red cards and lots of yellow cards, but I’m not too surprised by that,” he said. “Some of the tackles have been really hard, but it’s normal for an attacking player to be fouled.”
Despite failing to open his own scoring account, Quincy Amarikwa is one of the Fire strikers to benefit from the added attention given to Accam and the distraction he prompts in opposing defenders.
“He has speed that’s unmatched in the league, or he’s at least one of the top three or four guys in the league in terms of speed,” Amarikwa told MLSsoccer.com on Wednesday. “When you have something like that, I think, defensively, you always have to be mindful of that, and because of that, I think defenders tend to find themselves in compromising positions, which creates space for other guys to get goals.
“I think having a weapon like that just opens up space for everyone on the team.”
Yallop has called on Accam to start turning some of the chances he creates into goals and hopes it is only a matter of time before the Ghanaian and the rest of Chicago’s attack click into gear.
“His impact has been good, but now he’s got to turn it into goals,” Yallop said. “He could have scored six goals, and I’m being conservative. He’s had really good chances, good looks, three at home here against Toronto, but he’s had some good looks at the goal.”
One player who is looking forward to capitalizing on the added space and creativity Accam brings to the table is Mike Magee, the 2013 MLS MVP who is close to a return to action following hip surgery last September.
“You look at the New York game, and the chances created was off the charts,” Magee said when asked about the prospect of feeding off the likes of Accam. “We only scored two, but we could have had five or six. As someone who likes to get around the goal, seeing the ball around the goal is a plus. I’m as excited as I’ve been since I’ve been with this team to get in with this group.”
Shane Murray covers the Chicago Fire for MLSsoccer.com.
