Red hot Fire burn DC 2-0

Another game against D.C. United, another win for the Chicago Fire. Chicago knocked off the defending Supporter’s Shield winners 2-0 at DC’s RFK Stadium Thursday night to temporarily take over first place in MLS. In what has been one of MLS’ most heated rivalries over the past few seasons, the Fire have now dropped just one of their last eight games against United meaning that this rivalry has also become perhaps the league’s most one-sided grudge-match.

The Fire, with the win, are now off to their best start in club history, having taken 16 points from seven games.

In what turned out to be a truly comprehensive performance by the Fire, Justin Mapp opened the scoring for Chicago with a classy, composed finish. The left-footed midfielder was unmarked in the center of the penalty area when Chad Barrett’s superb header fell for him to confidently side-foot past Zach Wells in the 38th minute. The goal was Mapp’s first since the 2006 playoffs, and was probably a fair reward for the 23 year-old’s most vigorous performance in recent memory. Mapp showed more pace, athleticism, and fitness Thursday night than we have seen from the winger all season, and his excellent second half through ball to Gonzalo Segares should have led to an insurance goal for the Fire. It looks as though Mapp’s form is slowly improving to where it was prior to last season’s injury, and if the Mississippi native can eventually regain the form he showed late in 2006, he’ll once again be worthy of the title best left midfielder in MLS.

Cuautemoc Blanco contributed perhaps his best performance of the 2008 season and scored a brilliant insurance goal for Chicago on 62 minutes when he powered a blistering left-footed drive into the upper corner from long range. While some, including myself, consider Blanco to be the most gifted player in MLS, the Fire’s playmaker had gone 4 games without registering a goal or an assist. It’s true that Blanco had still contributed to a number of Chicago goals within that time span without being credited for an assist, but seeing the Mexican legend seize the spotlight in the way he did against DC must have been reassuring to fans who expected more concrete production from Chicago’s offensive leader. It’s safe to say that Blanco’s golazo will win this week’s Sierra Mist Goal of the Week award, and I’d put the blast among the early contenders for Goal of the Year.

The win was Chicago’s third in a row, and was perhaps the Fire’s most impressive so far this season. The Fire completely dominated the proceedings – limiting DC to just two shots on target in the entire match – and numerous members of the squad deserve credit for putting in first rate performances.

Bakary Soumare provided perhaps his best performance in a Fire uniform – closing down numerous DC attacks and physically dominating United’s forwards in the air all night. The match, in typical DC-Chicago fashion, turned out to be a rugged, physical occasion which included 5 bookings (2 to Chicago) and one colossal let-off for United’s Rod Dyachenko who should’ve been sent marching after his malicious tackle on Logan Pause late in the match. The game's rough style of play perhaps suited Chicago’s brawny center back Soumare, but the former #2 overall draft-pick deserves as much credit for his fine positioning, composure, and the vast amount of ground he covered, as he does for being able to knock around his opponents.

In fact, while Soumare’s best showing yet probably came against DC, it’s becoming evident that the athletic, energetic center back is perhaps the perfect partner to 35 year-old Diego Gutierrez, who makes up what he lacks in physical attributes with his experience and positioning. The Fire still have numerous options in defense, but Soumare and Gutierrez are showing great chemistry in the center of Chicago’s defense, and so far the results speak for themselves.

Barrett, Chris Rolfe, goalkeeper Jon Busch, and Segares were for more players who showed very well for the Fire. Segares has terrorized opposing defenses all season long with the overlapping runs he makes from his left-back spot, and the ability he has to get up the wing has allowed Mapp to get into the type of central positions that allow him to become a better distributor of the ball and a more likely goal-scorer. Segares should’ve done better when he was sent in on goal by Mapp early in the second half, but sending his shot just to the wrong side of Wells’ left post was perhaps the only mistake the Costa Rican made all match.

Barrett, too was guilty of wasting two golden chances to score before Blanco’s stunner, but he was unlucky to be thwarted by a pair of excellent close-range saves by Wells. While Barrett has missed more than his fair share of chances over the last few seasons, on this occasion his finishing was still better than normal, and in light of the Fires’s win, Barrett’s overall quality play, and his class assist of Mapp’s goal, I’d say that the two misses can be excused this one time. We’ll save the complaining for a less splendid occasion.

There will be more to talk about from this week’s match, but for now the Fire sit in second place, still two points behind Columbus.

Scoring Summary:
CHI -- Justin Mapp 1 (Chad Barrett 3, Chris Rolfe 2) 38
CHI -- Cuauhtemoc Blanco 3 (unassisted) 62

Misconduct Summary:
DC -- Marc Burch (caution; Reckless Foul) 30
DC -- Rod Dyachenko (caution; Reckless Foul) 40
DC -- Bryan Namoff (caution; Reckless Foul) 73
CHI -- Brandon Prideaux (caution; Game Disrepute) 77
CHI -- John Thorrington (caution; Game Disrepute) 92

referee: Terry Vaughn
Referee's Assistants: Greg Barkey; Bill Dittmar
4th official: Jeff Gontarek
time of game: 1:51
attendance: 18,605
weather: Cloudy -and- 70 degrees