Rookie Jalil Anibaba has quickly become a mainstay in the Fire back line.
The speedy first-round draft pick has played every minute of his team’s first five games and is likely to start again Saturday as the Fire host the Houston Dynamo in a Major League Soccer match at 7:30 p.m. at Toyota Park.
“He’s a young player and he’s learning and sometimes it’s not easy,” Fire coach Carlos de los Cobos said following Friday’s practice. “But he’s working very hard.
“The most important thing is that he’s a very smart guy and he’s always very focused. He wants to learn.”
Anibaba, a 22-year-old defender out of North Carolina, picked up his first career assist Sunday in the Fire’s 2-1 loss to the Galaxy.
“I tried to come into camp with an open mind and be ready for anything,” Anibaba said. “You can never take things for granted at this level. You have to learn what it takes to improve and what it takes to perform and a high level and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
The Fire and other MLS scouts got a hint of Anibaba’s potential earlier this year when he was named most valuable player at a predraft gathering of top prospects in early January.
A few days later, Anibaba became the Fire’s first-round selection, ninth overall, in the MLS SuperDraft.
The Fire, who have lost three straight, want to avoid their first four-game losing streak since 2007.
“It’s a very good chance for us to win and add three points,” de los Cobos said. “The mentality is strong, but we need to (improve) the confidence.”
