Nemanja Nikolic makes himself at home in Chicago
Nemanja Nikolic expected that coming to America meant he'd have an adjustment period.
The Hungarian international was unsure of how he'd get along with his new Chicago Fire teammates or how long it would take to feel comfortable with Major League Soccer.
But just six months after his arrival in the Windy City, Nikolic is fitting right in with the Fire. And he's scoring lots of goals, too.
The 29-year-old striker known as Niko has scored 16 goals in 19 appearances. He leads the league in goals, four ahead of the next-highest scorers, NYCFC's David Villa and Houston's Erick Torres. He also leads the league with four multi-goal games and 37 total shots on goal.
Most significantly, he's on pace to break the MLS record for goals in a single season.
''I felt that everybody here in the club, the players, the staff, all the people who work for the Fire, they believed in me and my performance from the start,'' he said. ''They gave me power to be myself and to try to do my best, and that's to score goals.''
Roy Lassiter set the single-season record of 27 in 1996 for the now-defunct Tampa Bay Mutiny. Chris Wondolowski matched it in 2012 with the Earthquakes and Bradley Wright-Phillips reached the mark in 2014 with the Red Bulls.
Nikolic is matter-of-fact about his scoring pace at this point.
''They brought me here to score goals and get us where we are now,'' Nikolic said. ''And that's what I have tried to do.''
Nikolic is leading a Fire surge that seemed improbable after the team's dismal finish last season. Chicago ranked last in the league with just 31 points, winning just seven games.
Midway through this season as the league takes a break for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the Fire (11-3-5) sit atop the Eastern Conference standings with Toronto at 38 points. Chicago holds an advantage with more goals.
Chicago is currently riding a stunning 11-game unbeaten streak. The Fire have won nine games in that span and they've given up just 11 goals.
''Everyone is driven by the goal that we have this year, which is playoffs. I think the team has an even higher ceiling. Once we get to the playoffs, we have to set another goal, but we will talk once we are in the playoffs,'' Fire coach Veljko Paunovic said.
Nikolic was signed by the Fire in December to a three-year deal worth a reported $1.9 million annually. Chicago also paid a hefty transfer fee to Legia Warsaw for the 29-year-old designated player.
Born in Serbia, Nikolic's mom is Hungarian. He first grabbed attention as a young striker in the Hungarian League, and with Videoton in the 2014-15 season he scored in 12 straight games, a league record.
From there he went to Legia Warsaw in the top Polish league, scoring the league's most goals in the 2015-16 season with 28.
In some ways, Nikolic's MLS arrival in January got overshadowed when Chicago also added German World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger in March. But Chicago's moves - the team also added Dax McCarty and Brazilian midfielder Juninho in the offseason - have formed a cohesive unit.
It was on display Wednesday night when the Fire played to a 2-2 draw with the Timbers on the road, keeping the unbeaten streak alive. Afterward, players were all smiles and music blared from the locker room.
''If you're happy outside the field, you're happy on the field, and I think that's the case right now,'' said Chicago's Arturo Alvarez, who had a first-half goal.
Fans have certainly taken to the amiable Nikolic, and on Friday it was announced that he had made the All-Star team. Schweinsteiger was voted in as well. The All-Star game against Real Madrid will be played Aug. 2 at Chicago's Soldier Field.
If the Fire can stay atop the table the rest of the way, they'll return to the playoffs for the first time since 2012. And if Nikolic can keep scoring at the current pace, he'll become the first player in franchise history with more than 20 goals.
During the course of a conversation, Nikolic will often mention that scoring is his job. But he's not all business: He said he's having a blast doing it.
''Yeah, exactly. I am. I think, this game, we need to enjoy it,'' he said. ''We need to thank God that we do something in our life that we enjoy most.''
