Fire attacker Jairo Torres eager for fresh start

Last season, attacker Jairo Torres never showed why the Fire signed him as a young designated player.

He’s eager not to repeat that in 2023 after health problems marred his 2022 season.

“This season, it’s very different,” Torres said through a translator. “I come with a completely different mentality. I hope to prepare myself very well so that I don’t have any injuries.”

The Fire signed Torres from Liga MX club Atlas last February, acquiring him for a hefty $6 million fee. Torres debuted May 14 but already was struggling with injuries; he last played for the Fire in late August. A challenging season was capped off Sept. 30 when Torres underwent surgery to stabilize a stress fracture in his left tibia.

When he played, Torres’ impact was minimal. With the Fire needing an attacking wing opposite Chris Mueller, Torres mustered one assist in 684 minutes and started just six times.

“It was really frustrating not being able to show who you are,” Torres said.

To his credit, Torres tried to play hurt last season well before the stress fracture. Torres worked through the pain after the injury for three games before it was too much to handle.

After the Fire’s loss to CF Montreal on Aug. 27, he told the coaching and medical staff what he was dealing with and was diagnosed with the fracture.

Now, Torres is healthy and isn’t concerned the problem will plague him for the rest of his career. But the mental recovery process is still ongoing after his first major injury.

“I feel really good. I feel very strong,” Torres said. “My leg feels much better. I don’t feel too confident when I plant my leg, but that’s going to come. That confidence is going to come with time.”

Clearly, Torres isn’t worried about the confidence issue. And if Torres is fit and in form, it would take care of some separate issues for a Fire team that will need him to reach another level in 2023.

If Torres is the kind of player the Fire envisioned, it would give them another threat on the wing and round out a reputable corps of attacking midfield options alongside Mueller, Xherdan Shaqiri and Brian Gutierrez. Torres also said he’s comfortable playing deeper in the middle of the formation, something that could allow coach Ezra Hendrickson the opportunity to use him, Mueller, Shaqiri and Gutierrez at the same time.

Regardless of where he lines up, Torres staying healthy and producing would be a much-needed positive for the Fire.

“He knows he is a big part of the team, and we need his production,” Hendrickson said last week. “Injuries happen in this sport, and it is something we have to deal with. But he is mentally strong, and from what I have seen in the past few days at training, he has recovered well from his injury, and that is a plus for us.”