The Chicago Fire have enjoyed a resurgent season in 2017, as they currently sit in second place in the Eastern Conference thanks in part to the acquisitions of Bastian Schweinsteiger, Dax McCarty and MLS Golden Boot leader Nemanja Nikolic.
One other move they made this offseason was landing Uruguayan goalkeeper Jorge Bava. Bava joined the club prior to the season to replace the departing Sean Johnson, who had been the Fire's No. 1 'keeper since the middle of the 2010 season.
Bava started the first eight games of the season for Veljko Paunovic's team, securing a 3-3-2 record while conceding 12 goals. His 57.14 save percentage from inside the box is 14th in MLS among goalkeepers who have played in at least six games.
Unfortunately for Bava, he suffered an injury after starting the first eight matches, forcing him out of the lineup. In his place stepped Matt Lampson, a former Columbus Crew SC Homegrown who started 11 times for the Fire in 2016.
Lampson has not lost a game since entering the starting lineup, going 4-0-2, and has conceded just four goals. He has retained the starting role even after Bava's return to health. One of the keys for Lampson is that he hasn't had to extend himself too much thanks to Chicago's back line, as he has made just eight saves.
When taking a look at the Audi Player Index averages, both players fall below the league average.
This is largely due to the fact that goalkeepers largely accrue their points with saves, and the Fire's 29 are tied for the fewest in MLS this year. That's certainly a good sign for a team looking to make a run to the MLS Cup Playoffs.
