MLS Coaching Carousel

MLS coaching openings are still hot topics of debate in Chicago, DC United and New York.

New York seems to be close to the vest with their search.

With Akron's Caleb Porter given a contract extension with the Zips, Curt Onalfo appears to be the chief candidate for DC.

In Chicago, rumors have their search down to two candidates - Tom Soehn and Jesse March - although, according to ESPN Chicago's Charlie Corr, there are other candidates just as worthy.

Soccer America reported Wednesday that the Chicago Fire's head coach opening is down to two finalists: Chivas USA midfielder Jesse Marsch and former D.C. United head coach Tom Soehn.

However, a source with knowledge of the Fire's coaching search refuted the report and stated to ESPNChicago.com that the search still is in full swing, with multiple candidates in the mix and candidates who have yet to speak with the organization.

Marsch and Soehn were a part of the Fire's 1998 MLS Cup team and share strong ties to the Chicago area. Marsch is a native of Racine, Wis., and spent eight seasons with Chicago. Soehn, a native of Chicago, played for the Fire from 1998 to 2000 and was an assistant coach for the Fire from 2001 to 2003.

The report does bring into question whether they would be the right fit for technical director Frank Klopas' attacking/tactical plan. Marsch has never been a coach -- head or assistant. Soehn is a former defender whose 2008 and 2009 D.C. United teams missed the playoffs both seasons, and United gave up more goals than they scored in both campaigns.

In terms of executing Klopas' vision, I think these three possibilities are more suited to bring the attacking mind-set to fruition:

1. John Spencer: He is a former striker with Premiership playing experience, several successful seasons with the Colorado Rapids, and most recently an assistant coach for one of MLS's most consistent and successful franchises -- the Houston Dynamo, under Dominic Kinnear. He's a shade under 40 and doesn't have any head coaching experience, aside from handling Dynamo Reserve duties. But Spencer would be a fresh look with an attacking mind-set. There are several MLS assistants out there who have been working under some intelligent soccer minds, and Spencer should be considered at the top of this list of men who could provide a positive impact in their first major head coaching job. Maybe this should have been the proper move by the Fire a couple years ago.

2. Colin Clarke: This name has not been floating about, but I think the Northern Ireland native did not get a fair shot in MLS. And if the Fire want to improve in the offensive third, Clarke is a hard-nosed coach who can get some scoring results. Clarke currently is coaching the United Soccer Leagues First Division's Puerto Rico Islanders. Before, he spent four seasons with the Dallas Burn/FC Dallas, taking FC Dallas to the playoffs in 2005 and 2006. But he was fired following the '06 season despite the team scoring the second-most goals during regular-season play and dominating at home with a league-best 12-3-1 record. The Fire wish they had a small taste of that type of mark at Toyota Park this year. We tend to look beyond USL-1, but Clarke deserves another chance in MLS.

3. Thomas Rongen: He is a former defender and defensive midfielder, but if you look at the body of his coaching work, Rongen seems to find a nice blend on both sides of the ball. He led the reigns of some talented squads, too -- 1999 D.C. United, for example. When it comes to the technical side, Rongen is a good fit and he understands the league quite well. There are certainly some areas where the Fire could have improved this past season, and two of the more glaring spots include player management and identifying strengths and weaknesses in personnel. Those probably are two of Rongen's best attributes.

Honorable mention: Peter Nowak -- Would it be too selfish if the Fire pried Nowak away from the 2010 expansion Philadelphia Union?