Fire forward Chris Rolfe seeks to prove his subpar 2013 was merely a departure from the norm.
And his biggest backer is a new coach who knows Rolfe’s value and wants him to succeed.
“There’s a lot that can come out of Chris,” Fire coach Frank Yallop said in a conference call Friday. “… We want to make sure he gets back to where he’s very good.”
Rolfe was in the starting 11 and played 68 minutes in Saturday’s exhibition finale as the Fire beat CD Guadalajara 2-0 to win the Desert Diamond Cup championship. He was replaced in the 69th minute by forward Mike Magee, making his preseason debut.
Juan Luis Anangono gave the Fire a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute on a feed from Patrick Nyarko and just missed a second with a header hit the crossbar in the 45th minute. Magee helped set up the second goal in the 89th minute as Quincy Amarikwa collected an insurance tally.
Rolfe, 31, said he’s happy with his preseason as well as the team’s, which also is seeking redemption after missing the 2013 MLS playoffs.
“Personally I feel healthy and my fitness is in a good spot right now,” Rolfe said. “In terms of team, it has been a good time to jell and it’s exciting with a new staff. It has been great.”
While supportive, Yallop also has placed demands on the 10-year veteran.
“He challenged me in certain ways and that’s what I need,” Rolfe said. “I’m also going to get that from the young guys that we have. They’re very talented.”
Rolfe sees himself as among the pieces of a flexible Fire offense that features league MVP and top scorer Mike Magee.
“I’ll be fitting in somewhere in the front five,” Rolfe said. “It doesn’t necessarily mean I’m wide all the time or up front all the time or in the middle.”
Drafted out of Dayton in 2005, Rolfe scored 36 goals over the next five years before departing for a three-season run in Denmark.
A fan favorite, Rolfe rejoined the Fire as a free agent in April 2012 and collected a team-high eight goals — the second most of his career — in 22 appearances.
He struggled to score in 2013 despite starting 26 of 31 games. Rolfe had the team’s second most shots (69), was third in shots on goal (19) but just had four scores and none in the season’s final three months.
Rolfe and the Fire are to practice Monday at the Bridgeview Sports Dome. They will participate in an annual charity kickoff luncheon Tuesday before departing for Los Angeles for Sunday’s MLS opener at Chivas USA.
