One minute, what was once your dream season looks like it’s really going down the drain, the next, your back on top of the world. Such is life in the parody-ridden MLS.
After 90 minutes of complete superiority, the Chicago Fire still looked headed for another demoralizing tie – which would’ve been their sixth consecutive negative result – until John Thorrington’s stoppage time winner put the Chicago faithful into utter ecstasy, and very possibly changed the course of this year’s campaign.
On the one hand, three points is three points is three points no matter when or how they come. On the other hand, it really felt like the Fire needed last Saturday’s win more than ever, because after the way the last two months had played out, another bad result might’ve been too much to stomach.
Only a week after the Fire were lingering close to the bottom of the Eastern Conference, the side now holds the third best record in MLS and with a win Saturday can firmly plant itself back in the race for the Supporters Shield. More than that, the Fire still have one of the best teams in MLS and with this sudden change in momentum, once again look like one of the stronger candidates to hoist the MLS Cup this November.
The amazing thing is that without Justin Mapp’s blooped header or Thorrington’s right-place-right-time finish at the death, Saturday’s game would’ve gone down as just the latest edition to a long line of dropped points and missed opportunities. After completely dominating the entire match and leading for the majority- at home, and against another Eastern Conference playoff contender- sharing points after permitting another second half comeback would’ve been really hard for the Fire and its fans to take. Not only would the result have put the side lower in the standings, worse, it might’ve really damaged the side’s already vulnerable morale. Instead, thanks to Thorrington’s timely, albeit a bit fortunate, nutmeg, the Fire have ever reason to look positively on the rest of the season.
Sure the team still has its flaws, and the loss of Calen Carr for the season is a big hit, but Chicago is nevertheless one of the strongest all around teams in MLS. With a home win Saturday against Real Salt Lake, the Fire can move within a point of Columbus and within six of New England – with a game in hand on the Revs – which definitely puts the Fire in a position to compete for the Supporter’s Shield from here on out. It had appeared, with the Fire’s elimination from the U.S. Open Cup that the team would have to win MLS this season in order to secure a Champion’s League birth next fall. Now though, it’s definitely possible that the Fire could stamp its ticket to that competition by finishing with the best regular season record this October.
A few observations on the state of the Fire:
- Chris Rolfe’s absolute golazo 5 minutes into Saturday’s win was just further proof of the reality that he has to play forward for the Fire. Give the guy one half-chance and he usually buries it. I understand that playing him in a five man midfield gives Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Mapp, and Thorrington more freedom to create as they see fit, but football is about scoring goals – not creating chances – and nobody in MLS does it better than Rolfe.
I really think that if I were in charge I’d trot the guys out in a 4-4-2 and order Thorrington to spend more time on the right wing. Granted, the guy does a great job when he plays further inside, but I do think that the Fire’s lack of anyone playing the right side hurts Chicago at time. Thorrington should still have the freedom to be creative, but Rolfe needs to have the responsibility of a forward – not a midfielder - and to balance that change I think that Thorrington needs to be more responsible for the right side.
The way things are now, Thorrington, Rolfe, and Blanco all pop up on the right wing from time to time, but nobody has been playing like a true right midfielder. Maybe if Dasan Robinson, who likes to get forward, were available to play right back then things would be different. As things stand now, though, I think the Fire would be better off with Rolfe truly playing as a second forward rather than as a midfielder, and with Thorrington shouldering more of the responsibility on the right that he currently shares with Rolfe.
- The Fire and Toronto F.C. still haven’t worked out a deal to bring US National Team legend Brian McBride to Chicago. Reports have Toronto insisting on receiving either Justin Mapp or Chris Rolfe in any deal for McBride, and while McBride would be the premier forward in MLS, the Fire would be fools to give up either of their two best young stars. Furthermore, although the Fire have a lot of depth in the back, I think that giving up any of Gonzalo Segares, Bakary Soumare, or Wilman Conde would be a big mistake. It’s true that Conde could be headed to Europe in the off-season and that Segares’ deal with the Fire is up after next season, but all three players are young and among the absolute best defenders in MLS.
The fact is that McBride wants to come to Chicago and the Allocation order changes after this season. One way or another, McBride is going to wind up with the Fire, so it’s up to Toronto to decide whether or not they want to get anything for the Allocation they currently hold. I’m not saying that Chicago should fleece Toronto – other than the five players I just mentioned and Blanco, I’d give up any two other players on the team for McBride – but the Fire shouldn’t have to give up that much for a player who hasn’t signed with MLS and wants to Chicago.
Tomorrow’s game, with the MLS transfer window having re-opened July 15, marks the first game in which McBride could have played had a deal been worked out by now. Instead, he’s off to the Olympics with the US team – a competition he said he would’ve considered skipping if he had been able to join Chicago, which means even if a deal is worked out by the time the Olympic games end, he’ll only be available for eight games plus the playoffs this season. Granted I would love to see him and Chris Rolfe paired together when we face D.C. United and New England this offseason, but it’s not worth giving up one of our best players for someone that we can pickup in the off-season anyway.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber also conceded this week that it’s possible the league will intervene if neither side budges on its demands. This type of thing has actually happened numerous times in MLS history, such as when MLS arranged for DC United to be able to draft Freddy Adu and when MLS forced the Galaxy to trade Carlos Ruiz to FC Dallas so that Landon Donovan could come home to Los Angeles. My feeling is that if MLS intervenes it will probably be a good thing for the Fire. I wouldn’t want Chicago to have to give up anybody as good as Carlos Ruiz was at the time of the Landon Donovan incident, but at the same time the value of a 35 year-old McBride is much lower than that of a 22 year-old Donovan. What will probably happen if MLS intervenes is that Toronto will get less talent from Chicago than it’s demanding, but with the reassurance of the league that they’ll receive similar considerations in the future. Afterall, if Dwayne DeRosario or Julian D’Guzman stated a desire to play for Toronto FC, the Canadians would be pretty perturbed to see it not happen. So here’s hoping that something happens and soon – before the end of the Olympics. If no deal is reached, though, I’m pretty confident that McBride will still be sporting the Fire’s red jerseys before the start of next season.
- Cuauhtemoc Blanco was selected as one of the starting XI for this month’s MLS All-Star game, but Bakary Soumare, Gonzalo Segares, and Jon Busch all just missed the cut. In my opinion all three have been the best player at their position in MLS this season – that’s not even debatable in the case of Segares, so I’m disappointed for them that they didn’t make it. On the other hand, it is kind of nice for the Fire that those guys get a week rest and don’t have to risk injury. There are still end of season awards, and the occasional post-emptive All-Star nod, so as long as those players are recognized in some way later this season all will be forgiven. It was only two years ago, actually, that Justin Mapp didn’t make the All-Star game but was named MLS Best XI at season’s end.
Soumare and Segares did finish 4th and 5th in the league’s All-Star voting (only the top three make it as starters) which is actually really impressive at a position where reputation means everything, considering that neither player had much of a reputation around the league heading into this season. Revolution coach Steve Nicol and MLS commissioner Don Garber selected the seven bench players, however, and both overlooked the Fire’s two defenders. Busch finished second in the voting for goalkeepers but also wasn’t selected for the team – a surprise to some considering he’s been statistically the best keeper in the league this season.
I also feel as though Justin Mapp is one of the eighteen most deserving players so far in MLS, but I never really expected him to get the All-Star nod. My pick’s for the most deserving players to make the All-Star game (players who didn’t make it in bold):
Jon Busch
Frankie Hejduk
Bakary Soumare
Gonzalo Segares
Steve Ralston
Guillermo Barros Schelloto
Cuauhtemoc Blanco
David Beckham
Robbie Rogers
Kenny Cooper
Landon Donovan
Bench:
Matt Reis
Justin Mapp
Edson Buddle
Luciano Emilio
Michael Parkhurst
Jimmy Conrad
Dwayne DeRosario
- Calen Carr’s season ending knee injury is really a disappointment considering that, in my estimation, he was in his all-time best form and becoming a very important player for the Fire. I wrote last week that I thought Carr was our best option on the right wing, and his absence means that Chicago now has even fewer options on the right flank. I do think that Thorrington can do an adequate job if he’s given the responsibility of truly playing as a right mid, but recently we’ve seen him and Rolfe all over the field with nobody truly playing as a right midfielder. I still think that Thorrington can do the job, but I also wouldn’t mind seeing someone like Patrick Nyarko – a forward with pace who actually reminds me a bit of Carr – given a chance. The Fire are also said to be pursing a (Guatemalan?) midfielder capable of playing on the right, so that could be another option for Chicago down the road.
- With Bakary Soumare suspended last weekend, Daniel Woolard got his first MLS start against Toronto and did very well I thought. The guy made me nervous at times with all his dribbling out of the back, but he clearly has great feet and good composure on the ball – two traits that are rare amongst MLS defenders. It looks as though the rookie should have a bright future with the Fire.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
A season on the brink: Fire desperate heading into home tie with Toronto
Two months, no wins, one elimination from the Cup. Suffice to say that what once looked like the most promising season in the history of the Chicago Fire hasn’t gone according to plan as of late.
For anyone who hasn’t been paying attention this season, the Fire’s campaign up until now has been more or less a dichotomy in which the side opportunistically parlayed a string of relatively un-noteworthy performances into the best statistical start in the history of the club; then after two and a half actually great performances, commenced it’s current string of five games without a win. At the present time, the team that once looked like favorites to win both of this summer’s major competitions has fallen out of the race for the Supporter’s Shield and exited this year’s U.S. Open Cup.
And our last win came on May 10 when we thrashed the Red Bulls 5-1.
So what’s changed? What’s caused the team that dominated New York and D.C. to slide so badly over the course of two months?
Here are a few factors, in my opinion:
1. Luck.
I hate to say it, but I really think that a mere change in fortune has had a lot to do with the Fire’s current slide, just as I felt that the Fire weren’t as good as their record showed heading into the month of May.
Granted, the Fire were extremely deserving of their victories at D.C. United and New York at the start of that month, but in the games that preceded those wins, the Fire did little more than hit their chances and consistently grind out results from matches in which they didn’t really outplay their opponents. The Fire did do a workmanlike job in that part of the campaign, but as the saying goes, it’s better to be lucky than good, and I felt that they were luckier than they were good.
Since the Fire’s last win in May, they haven’t played consistently well, but they’ve also been, at times, the victims of poor fortune. Missed chances at inopportune times, poor refereeing decisions, and the consistent concession of late goals have plagued the Fire more over the last two months than has an inability to compete. Luck tends to even out over the course of a season, and so far it more or less has. So here’s hoping that we’re still saving some of our best luck for October and November.
2. Tactics.
I like Dennis Hamlett; I’m not blown away by the guy, but I think he’s done a solid job so far. The guys work hard, team chemistry seems pretty good, and let’s be honest, how many MLS coaches are really that impressive? The jury is obviously still out on Chicago’s first-time gaffer, but so far he’s done relatively well. With all that said, however, there are a lot of decisions that I’d be making differently. After all, I think we all feel as though we have one of the three or four best rosters in MLS, so to be lingering in the middle of the table this far into the season isn’t perfect.
A few things I’d do differently:
- Chris Rolfe has to play closer to goal. In general, the 4-5-1 with Chad Barrett or Calen Carr as a lone striker has allowed us to take the game to opponents at times, but even when that’s happened, we haven’t been able to consistently capitalize on our chances.
I don’t think that those guys are bad finishers, and I am actually very impressed with the way both of them have played this season. Barrett is a hard worker who contributes to the team in numerous ways. He makes great runs, he works hard, his composure on the ball has improved astronomically from last season, and he’s pretty good at getting in dangerous spots.
Carr, likewise, is a valuable infusion of energy whenever he’s in the squad and his pace and work rate seems to bother opponents.
Still, it makes absolutely no sense for the arguably best finishing forward in MLS to be playing nothing but midfield. Anyone who’s seen the catalog of goals that Rolfe has put together in a relatively small amount of starts at forward the past two seasons can easily recognize his immense quality. The guy is an out and out gamer and a fantastic forward, but as a midfielder he’s merely one cut above average.
I understand the philosophy of finding a strategy that lets you use your eleven best players, but at some point Hamlett needs to just let his best forward actually play forward and watch what happens.
After all, it’s goal-scorers who win games, and the fact that our only true goals-scorer isn’t playing a forward is absolutely killing us. It’s nothing against Chad Barrett, but in this year’s playoffs when were playing against Taylor Twellman or Luciano Emilio, it has to be Rolfe’s responsibility to take care of our business. It’s time for Hamlett to facilitate the best players on the team.
- A different midfield. Once again, I feel like Hamlett is trying too hard to run out his best eleven guys, and not hard enough to employ a strategy that will actually works. Of late we’ve been almost exclusively using a 4-5-1 with Justin Mapp on the left, Cuauhtemoc Blanco in attack, either Logan Pause or Diego Gutierrez in behind, and both Rolfe and John Thorrington more or less responsible for the right side.
The problem is that Rolfe is a striker and Thorrington is a center mid, and neither of them ever end up staying out wide. As a result we never have any width on that side of our midfield, a problem compounded by the fact that our right back, Brandon Prideaux, doesn’t venture forward often – or with much affect.
If I were in charge, I would probably play Calen Carr on the right side of midfield – a position that I feel suits him better than striker anyway. The guys has loads of pace, but neither touch or finishing are really his forte, so why he’s always been primarily a striker is beyond me.
He actually has done really well, though, in his few appearances on the right flank, normally giving opposing defenses fits with his pace and energy. Furthermore, I feel like his better suited for playing facing goal, like normally is when employed on the right, than for playing with his back to it like he normally has to when used as a striker.
Perhaps the Fire’s most impressive half this season, for me, was the first half of our 2-1 loss to Houston Dyamo – a game that we dominated for long stretches but lost due to a crazy deflection and a last minute goal. In that contest, Carr started the match on the right wing, and with Mapp and Gonzalo Segares dominating from our left side as always, we used the entire width of the field to great affect for one of the only times all season.
I think that if we were to try a 4-4-2 with Rolfe and either Barrett, Andy Herron, or Tomas Frankowski up top, Carr on the right, Mapp on the left, and Blanco partnered with someone more defensive for cover, we’d find ourselves winning a lot more games. Depending on the opponent, I’d probably use Logan Pause behind Blanco against teams – such as San Jose - who try to impose a cramped style on the game, and against more attacking teams like D.C. United, employ a more physical defender like Diego Gutierrez, Lider Marmol, or Wilman Conde. Pause, in my opinion, is an excellent facilitator of our more creative players and a composed player on the ball, but in a midfield that includes no other above average defenders (and Blanco), I do think it’s necessary at times to use someone more adept at winning the ball back from our opponents.
Anyway, I have so much more to say, but it’s less than a half hour until kickoff of tonight’s match against Toronto which I have to go to the bar to watch, so I guess I’m gonna half to wrap this blog session up. The good news is that I do like our chances of finally turning things around in tonight’s match, and I think that once we get this one win to put ourselves back on track, things are going to be fine. Plus, there’s still the possibility we’ll be signing Brian McBride, an acquisition that I feel would probably make us favorites to win the MLS Cup – depending on what we have to give up to get him.
Anyway, Fire Til I Die, and in the shorter term, I’m also Fire until the next blog entry. I’m thinking Rolfe, Mapp, and Blanco for a 3-0 win tonight.
*Note: The internet sucks in Mexico and I couldn't get this piece actually posted before Saturday's game. Still a good read though, hopefully, for anyone interested.
Anyway fantastic win Saturday, and I hopefully will have another post up shortly.
For anyone who hasn’t been paying attention this season, the Fire’s campaign up until now has been more or less a dichotomy in which the side opportunistically parlayed a string of relatively un-noteworthy performances into the best statistical start in the history of the club; then after two and a half actually great performances, commenced it’s current string of five games without a win. At the present time, the team that once looked like favorites to win both of this summer’s major competitions has fallen out of the race for the Supporter’s Shield and exited this year’s U.S. Open Cup.
And our last win came on May 10 when we thrashed the Red Bulls 5-1.
So what’s changed? What’s caused the team that dominated New York and D.C. to slide so badly over the course of two months?
Here are a few factors, in my opinion:
1. Luck.
I hate to say it, but I really think that a mere change in fortune has had a lot to do with the Fire’s current slide, just as I felt that the Fire weren’t as good as their record showed heading into the month of May.
Granted, the Fire were extremely deserving of their victories at D.C. United and New York at the start of that month, but in the games that preceded those wins, the Fire did little more than hit their chances and consistently grind out results from matches in which they didn’t really outplay their opponents. The Fire did do a workmanlike job in that part of the campaign, but as the saying goes, it’s better to be lucky than good, and I felt that they were luckier than they were good.
Since the Fire’s last win in May, they haven’t played consistently well, but they’ve also been, at times, the victims of poor fortune. Missed chances at inopportune times, poor refereeing decisions, and the consistent concession of late goals have plagued the Fire more over the last two months than has an inability to compete. Luck tends to even out over the course of a season, and so far it more or less has. So here’s hoping that we’re still saving some of our best luck for October and November.
2. Tactics.
I like Dennis Hamlett; I’m not blown away by the guy, but I think he’s done a solid job so far. The guys work hard, team chemistry seems pretty good, and let’s be honest, how many MLS coaches are really that impressive? The jury is obviously still out on Chicago’s first-time gaffer, but so far he’s done relatively well. With all that said, however, there are a lot of decisions that I’d be making differently. After all, I think we all feel as though we have one of the three or four best rosters in MLS, so to be lingering in the middle of the table this far into the season isn’t perfect.
A few things I’d do differently:
- Chris Rolfe has to play closer to goal. In general, the 4-5-1 with Chad Barrett or Calen Carr as a lone striker has allowed us to take the game to opponents at times, but even when that’s happened, we haven’t been able to consistently capitalize on our chances.
I don’t think that those guys are bad finishers, and I am actually very impressed with the way both of them have played this season. Barrett is a hard worker who contributes to the team in numerous ways. He makes great runs, he works hard, his composure on the ball has improved astronomically from last season, and he’s pretty good at getting in dangerous spots.
Carr, likewise, is a valuable infusion of energy whenever he’s in the squad and his pace and work rate seems to bother opponents.
Still, it makes absolutely no sense for the arguably best finishing forward in MLS to be playing nothing but midfield. Anyone who’s seen the catalog of goals that Rolfe has put together in a relatively small amount of starts at forward the past two seasons can easily recognize his immense quality. The guy is an out and out gamer and a fantastic forward, but as a midfielder he’s merely one cut above average.
I understand the philosophy of finding a strategy that lets you use your eleven best players, but at some point Hamlett needs to just let his best forward actually play forward and watch what happens.
After all, it’s goal-scorers who win games, and the fact that our only true goals-scorer isn’t playing a forward is absolutely killing us. It’s nothing against Chad Barrett, but in this year’s playoffs when were playing against Taylor Twellman or Luciano Emilio, it has to be Rolfe’s responsibility to take care of our business. It’s time for Hamlett to facilitate the best players on the team.
- A different midfield. Once again, I feel like Hamlett is trying too hard to run out his best eleven guys, and not hard enough to employ a strategy that will actually works. Of late we’ve been almost exclusively using a 4-5-1 with Justin Mapp on the left, Cuauhtemoc Blanco in attack, either Logan Pause or Diego Gutierrez in behind, and both Rolfe and John Thorrington more or less responsible for the right side.
The problem is that Rolfe is a striker and Thorrington is a center mid, and neither of them ever end up staying out wide. As a result we never have any width on that side of our midfield, a problem compounded by the fact that our right back, Brandon Prideaux, doesn’t venture forward often – or with much affect.
If I were in charge, I would probably play Calen Carr on the right side of midfield – a position that I feel suits him better than striker anyway. The guys has loads of pace, but neither touch or finishing are really his forte, so why he’s always been primarily a striker is beyond me.
He actually has done really well, though, in his few appearances on the right flank, normally giving opposing defenses fits with his pace and energy. Furthermore, I feel like his better suited for playing facing goal, like normally is when employed on the right, than for playing with his back to it like he normally has to when used as a striker.
Perhaps the Fire’s most impressive half this season, for me, was the first half of our 2-1 loss to Houston Dyamo – a game that we dominated for long stretches but lost due to a crazy deflection and a last minute goal. In that contest, Carr started the match on the right wing, and with Mapp and Gonzalo Segares dominating from our left side as always, we used the entire width of the field to great affect for one of the only times all season.
I think that if we were to try a 4-4-2 with Rolfe and either Barrett, Andy Herron, or Tomas Frankowski up top, Carr on the right, Mapp on the left, and Blanco partnered with someone more defensive for cover, we’d find ourselves winning a lot more games. Depending on the opponent, I’d probably use Logan Pause behind Blanco against teams – such as San Jose - who try to impose a cramped style on the game, and against more attacking teams like D.C. United, employ a more physical defender like Diego Gutierrez, Lider Marmol, or Wilman Conde. Pause, in my opinion, is an excellent facilitator of our more creative players and a composed player on the ball, but in a midfield that includes no other above average defenders (and Blanco), I do think it’s necessary at times to use someone more adept at winning the ball back from our opponents.
Anyway, I have so much more to say, but it’s less than a half hour until kickoff of tonight’s match against Toronto which I have to go to the bar to watch, so I guess I’m gonna half to wrap this blog session up. The good news is that I do like our chances of finally turning things around in tonight’s match, and I think that once we get this one win to put ourselves back on track, things are going to be fine. Plus, there’s still the possibility we’ll be signing Brian McBride, an acquisition that I feel would probably make us favorites to win the MLS Cup – depending on what we have to give up to get him.
Anyway, Fire Til I Die, and in the shorter term, I’m also Fire until the next blog entry. I’m thinking Rolfe, Mapp, and Blanco for a 3-0 win tonight.
*Note: The internet sucks in Mexico and I couldn't get this piece actually posted before Saturday's game. Still a good read though, hopefully, for anyone interested.
Anyway fantastic win Saturday, and I hopefully will have another post up shortly.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Gameday: Chicago Fire vs. Houson Dynamo, other notes
It’s been a while now since the Fire’s 2-0 thrashing of D.C. United, but the passage of time hasn’t made that victory any less impressive. As a said in the immediate aftermath of the match, this was the Fire’s most complete performance of the season, and even against a bottom-dwelling side, the Fire deserve a lot of credit for thoroughly dismantling a team that does possess a lot of quality.
While every man in the squad deserves credit for Chicago’s best ever start to a league season, nobody is more deserving of plaudits than head coach Denis Hamlett. I would still argue that he has yet to prove himself from a tactical standpoint - some of his lineup decisions have really left me scratching my head. Nevertheless but the coach has managed to keep his players motivated and playing at a very high level over the season’s first seven games – a combination teams often struggle to achieve early on in an MLS season. The Fire have also displayed wonderful organization on the pitch all season long, thanks mainly to Hamlett, along with veterans like Cuautemoc Blanco and Diego Gutierrez. Furthermore, the Fire have even drawn attention from the national media for having perhaps the best team spirit in MLS – a characteristic of the team that I agree on and that I think really bodes well for Chicago’s prospects this season.
To be frank, the Fire have been playing some of their best football in recent memory and it looks like team chemistry may be at an all-time high. The Fire’s combination of talented young players like Chris Rolfe, Bakary Soumare, Justin Mapp, Chad Barrett, and Gonzalo Segares, and experienced veterans like Blanco, Gutierrez, and Jon Busch has been a revelation. Additionally, the Fire still have a number of potentially key contributors who haven’t made much of an impact this season waiting in the wings, in the form of defenders Wilman Conde, Dasan Robinson, and C.J. Brown, and forwards Patrick Nyarko and Andy Herron. The way things have gone for Chicago in recent weeks, somebody new has come up with a big contribution right on cue whenever the Fire need it, and a string of wins has been the result. Chicago has been as impressive as anyone in MLS so far this season and are without question contenders for the Supporters Shield and MLS Cup.
With all that said, though, it is too early in the season for fan’s to make an awful lot of Chicago’s torrid start. It’s understandable that Chicago have been the darlings of the national media all week, after all they have to write something, but it’s easy to forget that we’re still only a quarter of the way through the season. Remember, last year’s MLS Cup Champion (and today’s Fire opponent) Houston Dynamo got off to a rather slow start in 2007, and let’s not forget that the Fire were in last place in the Eastern Conference midway through the season before eventually making it to the conference finals. Chicago looks great right now, but the playoffs are still 23 games away and every roster in the league will look different by summer’s end. The Fire will surely endure injuries, goal droughts, and harsh refereeing decisions within that time. It’s great that the Fire have a head start on everyone except Columbus towards winning the Supporter’s Shield and making the playoffs, but whether or not this season goes down as a historic one for the Fire will be decided in October and November. Just saying.
A few notes:
- Pedro Gomez reported during the Fire’s win over DC that Wilman Conde is once again unhappy in Chicago, this time due to the fact that he hasn’t played. Conde has drawn the criticism of numerous fans for airing his dirty laundry in public, but in this case I sympathize with the Colombian defender. As he has pointed out, if he’s really so good that the Fire won’t trade him, why has he only appeared in one match? I can understand that Hamlett wants to keep in tact a backline that has only allowed three goals so far this season, but Conde needs to play and there are other ways to get him on the pitch. I would love to see Conde come in for Mapp at left-mid when the American is inevitably subbed out at around 70 minutes of any match the Fire are leading. Conde actually played occasionally on the left wing under then coach Juan Carlos Osorio last season, and bringing in a quality player with an excellent defensive prowess would make a lot of sense while the Fire are trying to hold on to a lead. Another option would be for Conde to come on as a defensive midfielder either as a partner for Logan Pause, or as a late replacement from the holding midfielder. The point is, it’s a huge waste for the Fire to spend the amount of money they are on Conde on somebody who doesn’t play, and I think the defender has a lot to offer the team. Here’s hoping that he gets in today against Houston.
- Stephen King and John Thorrington will both be unavailable for today’s match, which means the Fire will have to find a new player to use on the right wing. I’m expecting Hamlett to move Chris Rolfe back to that position and insert Tomasz Frankowski as a second forward along side Chad Barrett meaning that the Fire will be using the same 4-4-2 formation that they did over the first 5 games of the season. My hope, though, is that Hamlett will simply insert Calen Carr into last week’s lineup as a right midfielder, which would allow Chicago to stick with the same 4-5-1 that has worked so well over the last two weeks. In that formation, Chris Rolfe is asked to cover a lot of ground as the forward most midfielder on offense, and a defender behind Blanco and Barrett when Chicago does not have the ball. Rolfe has fulfilled this role very well, however, scoring against New England and performing well in both matches. We’ve already seen Calen Carr perform adequately on the right wing at times, he started in that position during Chicago’s playoff series against DC last season, so I think using him at right mid is Chicago’s best option. If the Fire revert to a 4-4-2, however, I feel as though the squad is weakened offensively and defensively.
On defense, the Fire are worse off in a 4-4-2 because Blanco is asked to defend behind Barrett and Frankowski, meaning that the Fire basically have a really weak defender in the center of midfield. Let’s not forget the way that teams like San Jose penetrated into Chicago’s attacking third seemingly at will earlier this season when the Fire used this lineup.
In addition to being weaker defensively, however, I feel as though the Fire’s 4-4-2 lineup, with Rolfe on the right wing, doesn’t meet its potentially offensively. This is due to the fact that Rolfe, who is easily the team’s best goal-scorer, can’t get forward enough to make himself much of a goal scoring threat, because he has to cover defensively for the likes of Barrett, Frankowski, and Blanco.
Here’s hoping we don’t see Frankowski in the starting lineup tonight.
- Cuautemoc Blanco’s goal won Sierra Mist Goal of the Week this week, as expected. All-star voting has opened on mlsnet.com, so now is a good time to log on start voting for your favorite Fire stars to participate in this year’s event in Toronto. In my opinion, Blanco, Soumare, and Segares all deserve strong consideration for their play so far this season, while guys like Rolfe and Mapp still have a shot if their production picks up over the next month or so.
- The tables have turned considerably since Chicago and Houston last met in Chicago, when the Dynamo thrashed the Fire 4-0 at Toyota Park. At the time, Blanco had yet to join the Chicago outfit which was near the bottom of MLS, and the Dynamo’s new signings Nate Jaqua and Joseph Ngwenya were helping Houston kick start the run that would end in their winning the MLS Cup.
Now, however, the Fire sit in second place in MLS, while Houston, without the players I just mentioned, only got its first win of the season last week. Still, there’s no denying that the Dynamo possess more quality in their team than their results this season would indicate, and Fire fans should hope that tonight’s match doesn’t turn out to be a breakout game for player’s like Dwayne DeRosario, Brian Ching, and Brad Davis. I’m expecting a hard fought match, with the Fire hopefully managing to pull out the win. Whether or not Rolfe is given enough freedom in attack will likely determine tonight’s outcome.
While every man in the squad deserves credit for Chicago’s best ever start to a league season, nobody is more deserving of plaudits than head coach Denis Hamlett. I would still argue that he has yet to prove himself from a tactical standpoint - some of his lineup decisions have really left me scratching my head. Nevertheless but the coach has managed to keep his players motivated and playing at a very high level over the season’s first seven games – a combination teams often struggle to achieve early on in an MLS season. The Fire have also displayed wonderful organization on the pitch all season long, thanks mainly to Hamlett, along with veterans like Cuautemoc Blanco and Diego Gutierrez. Furthermore, the Fire have even drawn attention from the national media for having perhaps the best team spirit in MLS – a characteristic of the team that I agree on and that I think really bodes well for Chicago’s prospects this season.
To be frank, the Fire have been playing some of their best football in recent memory and it looks like team chemistry may be at an all-time high. The Fire’s combination of talented young players like Chris Rolfe, Bakary Soumare, Justin Mapp, Chad Barrett, and Gonzalo Segares, and experienced veterans like Blanco, Gutierrez, and Jon Busch has been a revelation. Additionally, the Fire still have a number of potentially key contributors who haven’t made much of an impact this season waiting in the wings, in the form of defenders Wilman Conde, Dasan Robinson, and C.J. Brown, and forwards Patrick Nyarko and Andy Herron. The way things have gone for Chicago in recent weeks, somebody new has come up with a big contribution right on cue whenever the Fire need it, and a string of wins has been the result. Chicago has been as impressive as anyone in MLS so far this season and are without question contenders for the Supporters Shield and MLS Cup.
With all that said, though, it is too early in the season for fan’s to make an awful lot of Chicago’s torrid start. It’s understandable that Chicago have been the darlings of the national media all week, after all they have to write something, but it’s easy to forget that we’re still only a quarter of the way through the season. Remember, last year’s MLS Cup Champion (and today’s Fire opponent) Houston Dynamo got off to a rather slow start in 2007, and let’s not forget that the Fire were in last place in the Eastern Conference midway through the season before eventually making it to the conference finals. Chicago looks great right now, but the playoffs are still 23 games away and every roster in the league will look different by summer’s end. The Fire will surely endure injuries, goal droughts, and harsh refereeing decisions within that time. It’s great that the Fire have a head start on everyone except Columbus towards winning the Supporter’s Shield and making the playoffs, but whether or not this season goes down as a historic one for the Fire will be decided in October and November. Just saying.
A few notes:
- Pedro Gomez reported during the Fire’s win over DC that Wilman Conde is once again unhappy in Chicago, this time due to the fact that he hasn’t played. Conde has drawn the criticism of numerous fans for airing his dirty laundry in public, but in this case I sympathize with the Colombian defender. As he has pointed out, if he’s really so good that the Fire won’t trade him, why has he only appeared in one match? I can understand that Hamlett wants to keep in tact a backline that has only allowed three goals so far this season, but Conde needs to play and there are other ways to get him on the pitch. I would love to see Conde come in for Mapp at left-mid when the American is inevitably subbed out at around 70 minutes of any match the Fire are leading. Conde actually played occasionally on the left wing under then coach Juan Carlos Osorio last season, and bringing in a quality player with an excellent defensive prowess would make a lot of sense while the Fire are trying to hold on to a lead. Another option would be for Conde to come on as a defensive midfielder either as a partner for Logan Pause, or as a late replacement from the holding midfielder. The point is, it’s a huge waste for the Fire to spend the amount of money they are on Conde on somebody who doesn’t play, and I think the defender has a lot to offer the team. Here’s hoping that he gets in today against Houston.
- Stephen King and John Thorrington will both be unavailable for today’s match, which means the Fire will have to find a new player to use on the right wing. I’m expecting Hamlett to move Chris Rolfe back to that position and insert Tomasz Frankowski as a second forward along side Chad Barrett meaning that the Fire will be using the same 4-4-2 formation that they did over the first 5 games of the season. My hope, though, is that Hamlett will simply insert Calen Carr into last week’s lineup as a right midfielder, which would allow Chicago to stick with the same 4-5-1 that has worked so well over the last two weeks. In that formation, Chris Rolfe is asked to cover a lot of ground as the forward most midfielder on offense, and a defender behind Blanco and Barrett when Chicago does not have the ball. Rolfe has fulfilled this role very well, however, scoring against New England and performing well in both matches. We’ve already seen Calen Carr perform adequately on the right wing at times, he started in that position during Chicago’s playoff series against DC last season, so I think using him at right mid is Chicago’s best option. If the Fire revert to a 4-4-2, however, I feel as though the squad is weakened offensively and defensively.
On defense, the Fire are worse off in a 4-4-2 because Blanco is asked to defend behind Barrett and Frankowski, meaning that the Fire basically have a really weak defender in the center of midfield. Let’s not forget the way that teams like San Jose penetrated into Chicago’s attacking third seemingly at will earlier this season when the Fire used this lineup.
In addition to being weaker defensively, however, I feel as though the Fire’s 4-4-2 lineup, with Rolfe on the right wing, doesn’t meet its potentially offensively. This is due to the fact that Rolfe, who is easily the team’s best goal-scorer, can’t get forward enough to make himself much of a goal scoring threat, because he has to cover defensively for the likes of Barrett, Frankowski, and Blanco.
Here’s hoping we don’t see Frankowski in the starting lineup tonight.
- Cuautemoc Blanco’s goal won Sierra Mist Goal of the Week this week, as expected. All-star voting has opened on mlsnet.com, so now is a good time to log on start voting for your favorite Fire stars to participate in this year’s event in Toronto. In my opinion, Blanco, Soumare, and Segares all deserve strong consideration for their play so far this season, while guys like Rolfe and Mapp still have a shot if their production picks up over the next month or so.
- The tables have turned considerably since Chicago and Houston last met in Chicago, when the Dynamo thrashed the Fire 4-0 at Toyota Park. At the time, Blanco had yet to join the Chicago outfit which was near the bottom of MLS, and the Dynamo’s new signings Nate Jaqua and Joseph Ngwenya were helping Houston kick start the run that would end in their winning the MLS Cup.
Now, however, the Fire sit in second place in MLS, while Houston, without the players I just mentioned, only got its first win of the season last week. Still, there’s no denying that the Dynamo possess more quality in their team than their results this season would indicate, and Fire fans should hope that tonight’s match doesn’t turn out to be a breakout game for player’s like Dwayne DeRosario, Brian Ching, and Brad Davis. I’m expecting a hard fought match, with the Fire hopefully managing to pull out the win. Whether or not Rolfe is given enough freedom in attack will likely determine tonight’s outcome.
Monday, May 12, 2008
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
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
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Gameday: Chicago Fire at D.C. United
The Fire visit D.C. United tonight in a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference semifinal, won 3-2 by Chicago. Tonight’s contest also features a match-up of Chicago’s league leading defense (3 goals conceded in 2008) versus DC’s potent offense (at least on paper).
The Fire have been in excellent form of late, most recently knocking off New England 3-0 Saturday night. Chicago has not been spectacular so far this season, but the side has been extremely steady and has 13 points from six games to show for it.
I think tonight’s match will likely be decided, however, by the play of United – probably the most up and down team in MLS so far this season. DC, in just six games, has tallied two 4-1 decisions, but also dropped their other four matches by a combined ten goals to one. If the Fire can strike early and shake DC’s confidence, there’s a good chance tonight’s match will be smooth sailing for Chicago.
The Fire have, however, permitted a truckload more chances than you’d expect of the top defensive team in the league, and if United’s Luciano Emilio can find his form tonight, DC could easily be on the victory trail. I definitely think that there are at least a couple of goals in tonight’s contest, so whoever strikes first will probably decide the outcome of the match.
A few notes:
- Given the contributions of Chris Rolfe and John Thorrington to last Saturday’s victory, it seems like a given that head coach Denis Hamlett will trot out the same eleven for opening kickoff tonight. Tomasz Frankowski should be back from the ankle knock that kept him out of Saturday’s match though, so I’m still nervous that Hamlett will move Rolfe to right mid and start Frankowski next to Chad Barrett up top. I understand the whole putting your best eleven guys on the field philosophy, but with the way Thorrington has played the last two weeks it would seem that Thorrington and Rolfe both belong in that group. Besides, Rolfe now has one goal from the one game he started at forward, whereas Barrett and Frankowski have two apiece from 6 and 5 starts respectively. The decision seems like a no-brainer, but here’s hoping Hamlett does stick with Saturday’s lineup.
- William Conde may be available after recovering from the stomach illness that kept him out of Saturday’s match. I fully expect Hamlett to start the same back four as against New England, but I’d love to get a look at Conde in a defensive midfield role at some point in tonight’s match.
- Chris Rolfe’s game winner against New England was named Sierra Mist Goal of the Week yesterday, surprisingly topping both of the long range strikes David Beckham scored against Real Salt Lake. To be honest, my vote was for Beckham’s bending first goal that found the top corner in a similar manner to Cuautemoc Blanco’s stunner against RSL last year. Congrats to Rolfe on the award though!
- Coverage of tonight’s game starts in about 45 minutes on espn2, at 7:30 ET.
The Fire have been in excellent form of late, most recently knocking off New England 3-0 Saturday night. Chicago has not been spectacular so far this season, but the side has been extremely steady and has 13 points from six games to show for it.
I think tonight’s match will likely be decided, however, by the play of United – probably the most up and down team in MLS so far this season. DC, in just six games, has tallied two 4-1 decisions, but also dropped their other four matches by a combined ten goals to one. If the Fire can strike early and shake DC’s confidence, there’s a good chance tonight’s match will be smooth sailing for Chicago.
The Fire have, however, permitted a truckload more chances than you’d expect of the top defensive team in the league, and if United’s Luciano Emilio can find his form tonight, DC could easily be on the victory trail. I definitely think that there are at least a couple of goals in tonight’s contest, so whoever strikes first will probably decide the outcome of the match.
A few notes:
- Given the contributions of Chris Rolfe and John Thorrington to last Saturday’s victory, it seems like a given that head coach Denis Hamlett will trot out the same eleven for opening kickoff tonight. Tomasz Frankowski should be back from the ankle knock that kept him out of Saturday’s match though, so I’m still nervous that Hamlett will move Rolfe to right mid and start Frankowski next to Chad Barrett up top. I understand the whole putting your best eleven guys on the field philosophy, but with the way Thorrington has played the last two weeks it would seem that Thorrington and Rolfe both belong in that group. Besides, Rolfe now has one goal from the one game he started at forward, whereas Barrett and Frankowski have two apiece from 6 and 5 starts respectively. The decision seems like a no-brainer, but here’s hoping Hamlett does stick with Saturday’s lineup.
- William Conde may be available after recovering from the stomach illness that kept him out of Saturday’s match. I fully expect Hamlett to start the same back four as against New England, but I’d love to get a look at Conde in a defensive midfield role at some point in tonight’s match.
- Chris Rolfe’s game winner against New England was named Sierra Mist Goal of the Week yesterday, surprisingly topping both of the long range strikes David Beckham scored against Real Salt Lake. To be honest, my vote was for Beckham’s bending first goal that found the top corner in a similar manner to Cuautemoc Blanco’s stunner against RSL last year. Congrats to Rolfe on the award though!
- Coverage of tonight’s game starts in about 45 minutes on espn2, at 7:30 ET.
Rolfe, Thorrington push Fire past Revs
It’s not often that a team like the New England Revolution, who is the defending Eastern Conference Champion after all, gets drubbed by a few goals. In fact, the Revolution lost by more than two goals just twice last season.
After Saturday’s 3-0 loss to the Chicago Fire, though, the Fire have already outscored the Revs 7-0 in two meetings this season and, within the first 6 weeks of the MLS season handed New England two losses as bad or worse than their two worse defeats of 2007.
The score line may have flattered Chicago, in fact New England had more of the game before Chris Rolfe’s clinical finish on 29 minutes staked Chicago to a one-nil lead. For the second week in a row, it was right midfielder John Thorrington playing the role of a difference maker on offense. His precision ball split four defenders to find Rolfe unmarked just inside the penalty area, and after a cool first touch, Rolfe expertly drove his shot low and to the right of Matt Reis.
The Revolution, playing without their two best attackers Taylor Twellman and Steve Ralston still put the Fire under pressure, especially over the later part of the first half. Goalkeeper Jon Busch was up to the task though, and a number of fine saves kept the score at a goal to nil heading into half time.
Early in the second half, John Thorrington again proved to be the danger man for the Fire, effectively putting the score out of reach with a sublime goal in the 50th minute. Chicago had already put together its most impressive offensive move of the night to work into the New England end, and when Chad Barrett laid off to Thorrington just outside the eighteen yard line, the midfielder did exceptionally well to steer his precision attempt to the bottom right corner for a 2-0 lead.
Stephen King added a late goal for the Fire, netting his first goal as a professional on 76 minutes after Barrett’s close range try was stuffed by Reis.
A few thoughts on the match:
- Another week, another delightful performance by John Thorrington. The right midfielder who was once on the books for Manchester United played a huge role in the Fire’s victory for a second week in a row; setting up Rolfe’s opener and then burying his only half-chance of the match on 50 minutes.
When Thorrington got his first start of the season three weeks ago, Chicago fans were merely hoping that the man could fill in adequately at right midfield while Rolfe was out hurt. Now, Thorrington has played a big part in putting together four of the side’s last five goals and looks to be one of the Fire’s most important players. Let’s hope this scintillating run of form continues.
- Chris Rolfe finally got to start at his natural position Saturday, and he rewarded head coach Denis Hamlett by burying an early chance that wasn’t all that straight-forward. The goal completely changed the proceedings, allowing Chicago to go on and win three-nil.
I really think this only goes to show that Rolfe belongs up top whenever he’s available to play. He’s proven himself to be an impeccable finisher – one of the two best in MLS in my opinion – over the last few years and Saturday’s tally was a perfect example of the way Rolfe can steal a match through his superb quality in front of goal.
- Chad Barrett’s performance wasn’t brilliant Saturday night, but he gave a workmanlike effort that directly led to the Fire’s impressive win. It was his intelligent run that created the space for Rolfe’s opener, and Barrett assisted Thorrington’s score before providing a Damani Ralph assist to Stephen King late. Furthermore, Barrett managed to go 83 minutes without squandering any easy chances. More of the same from him could be enough to help Chicago to more victories as long as Rolfe is in the lineup.
- The Fire, once again, managed a result that flattered them by winning a match that was essentially even between the penalty areas 3-0. Luck, all too often plays a role in the outcome of soccer matches, but in the Fire’s recent triumph’s it has to be said that Chicago has made its own luck. The Fire only outplayed New England by a fraction, if at all, but matches are won by goals and if the Fire continue to finish the way they did on Saturday they should have a really successful season. As potent of a finisher as Chris Rolfe is, I feel as though if he continues to start up top, I like his chances in any match of putting a goal away before the opposition does.
- The Fire now stand 4-1-1 through six weeks, which puts them on 13 points and in second place in all of MLS.(and with a game on hand on two of the three teams immediately trailing with 10 points). The only side that has been more successful than the Fire so far has been Columbus, which pushed its record to 5-1 with a 2-1 win over Kansas City, Saturday night.
Unfortunately, while the Crew are located closer to Chicago than any opponent in the league, the Fire and Crew don’t square off until a July 5th meeting at Crew Stadium in Columbus. If both teams continue their winning ways, though, that match-up could be one to remember.
Scoring Summary:
CHI -- Chris Rolfe 1 (John Thorrington 1) 29
CHI -- John Thorrington 3 (Chad Barrett 2, Chris Rolfe 1) 50
CHI -- Stephen King 1 (unassisted) 76
Misconduct Summary:
none
referee: Jair Marrufo
Referee's Assistants: George Gansner; Nate Clement
4th official: Alex Prus
time of game: 1:50
attendance: 10,858
weather: Cloudy -and- 44 degrees
After Saturday’s 3-0 loss to the Chicago Fire, though, the Fire have already outscored the Revs 7-0 in two meetings this season and, within the first 6 weeks of the MLS season handed New England two losses as bad or worse than their two worse defeats of 2007.
The score line may have flattered Chicago, in fact New England had more of the game before Chris Rolfe’s clinical finish on 29 minutes staked Chicago to a one-nil lead. For the second week in a row, it was right midfielder John Thorrington playing the role of a difference maker on offense. His precision ball split four defenders to find Rolfe unmarked just inside the penalty area, and after a cool first touch, Rolfe expertly drove his shot low and to the right of Matt Reis.
The Revolution, playing without their two best attackers Taylor Twellman and Steve Ralston still put the Fire under pressure, especially over the later part of the first half. Goalkeeper Jon Busch was up to the task though, and a number of fine saves kept the score at a goal to nil heading into half time.
Early in the second half, John Thorrington again proved to be the danger man for the Fire, effectively putting the score out of reach with a sublime goal in the 50th minute. Chicago had already put together its most impressive offensive move of the night to work into the New England end, and when Chad Barrett laid off to Thorrington just outside the eighteen yard line, the midfielder did exceptionally well to steer his precision attempt to the bottom right corner for a 2-0 lead.
Stephen King added a late goal for the Fire, netting his first goal as a professional on 76 minutes after Barrett’s close range try was stuffed by Reis.
A few thoughts on the match:
- Another week, another delightful performance by John Thorrington. The right midfielder who was once on the books for Manchester United played a huge role in the Fire’s victory for a second week in a row; setting up Rolfe’s opener and then burying his only half-chance of the match on 50 minutes.
When Thorrington got his first start of the season three weeks ago, Chicago fans were merely hoping that the man could fill in adequately at right midfield while Rolfe was out hurt. Now, Thorrington has played a big part in putting together four of the side’s last five goals and looks to be one of the Fire’s most important players. Let’s hope this scintillating run of form continues.
- Chris Rolfe finally got to start at his natural position Saturday, and he rewarded head coach Denis Hamlett by burying an early chance that wasn’t all that straight-forward. The goal completely changed the proceedings, allowing Chicago to go on and win three-nil.
I really think this only goes to show that Rolfe belongs up top whenever he’s available to play. He’s proven himself to be an impeccable finisher – one of the two best in MLS in my opinion – over the last few years and Saturday’s tally was a perfect example of the way Rolfe can steal a match through his superb quality in front of goal.
- Chad Barrett’s performance wasn’t brilliant Saturday night, but he gave a workmanlike effort that directly led to the Fire’s impressive win. It was his intelligent run that created the space for Rolfe’s opener, and Barrett assisted Thorrington’s score before providing a Damani Ralph assist to Stephen King late. Furthermore, Barrett managed to go 83 minutes without squandering any easy chances. More of the same from him could be enough to help Chicago to more victories as long as Rolfe is in the lineup.
- The Fire, once again, managed a result that flattered them by winning a match that was essentially even between the penalty areas 3-0. Luck, all too often plays a role in the outcome of soccer matches, but in the Fire’s recent triumph’s it has to be said that Chicago has made its own luck. The Fire only outplayed New England by a fraction, if at all, but matches are won by goals and if the Fire continue to finish the way they did on Saturday they should have a really successful season. As potent of a finisher as Chris Rolfe is, I feel as though if he continues to start up top, I like his chances in any match of putting a goal away before the opposition does.
- The Fire now stand 4-1-1 through six weeks, which puts them on 13 points and in second place in all of MLS.(and with a game on hand on two of the three teams immediately trailing with 10 points). The only side that has been more successful than the Fire so far has been Columbus, which pushed its record to 5-1 with a 2-1 win over Kansas City, Saturday night.
Unfortunately, while the Crew are located closer to Chicago than any opponent in the league, the Fire and Crew don’t square off until a July 5th meeting at Crew Stadium in Columbus. If both teams continue their winning ways, though, that match-up could be one to remember.
Scoring Summary:
CHI -- Chris Rolfe 1 (John Thorrington 1) 29
CHI -- John Thorrington 3 (Chad Barrett 2, Chris Rolfe 1) 50
CHI -- Stephen King 1 (unassisted) 76
Misconduct Summary:
none
referee: Jair Marrufo
Referee's Assistants: George Gansner; Nate Clement
4th official: Alex Prus
time of game: 1:50
attendance: 10,858
weather: Cloudy -and- 44 degrees
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Gameday: Chicago Fire at New England Revolution
The Fire square off against the New England Revolution this evening for the second time this season. Five weeks after dismantling a ten-man Revs side 4-0 at Toyota Park, the Fire visit Gillette stadium to play their third road match of the 2008 MLS season.
Both sides appear healthier than they were for their last meeting, so tonight’s contest could feature better and more even play between the two teams. The Fire once again are without captain C.J. Brown, however reserve midfielder Brian Plotkin is the only other red affected by injury. Star forward Taylor Twellman is unlikely to play for the Revs, but key contributors Chris Albright, Michael Parkhurst, Jeff Larentowicz, and Steve Ralston could all be available for the defending Eastern Conference champions.
Here are a few storylines to consider when viewing tonight’s match:
- Chicago’s forwards: Who will play? How will they perform?
How the Fire’s attackers play tonight will go a long ways towards determining what Chicago gets out of tonight’s match. That goes without saying. Still, I’m particularly intrigued to see who head coach Denis Hamlett goes with tonight and how they play, because I think both of those questions are much more up in the air than normal.
John Thorrington, having scored both goals in the Fire’s 2-1 win over Colorado last week, seems poised to start at right mid for the third week in a row. If that indeed happens, then with Chris Rolfe finally healthy, tonight marks the first time all season that Hamlett truly has all of his options to pick from to fill two forward spots.
The top candidates to start would appear to be Tomasz Frankowski and Chad Barrett, who have started at forward in every match for Chicago this season, and Rolfe who is almost certainly the team’s best striker but up until today has only appeared at right midfield. Two more forwards who could see time for Chicago are Andy Herron, the team’s MVP in 2006, and Calen Carr.
Barrett and Frankowski, of course, were fantastic in the Fire’s 4-0 win over New England a few weeks back, scoring 3 of the 4 goals in that contest. Aside from in that game, however, the two players have struggled mightily to finish any chances. In fact Barrett and Frankowski have scored just one goal combined in the Fire’s other four games this season.
Hamlett has continued to start Frankowski and Barrett in spite of the pair’s inability to produce goals, citing an unwillingness to change a lineup that had been winning matches. That doesn’t change the fact, though, that had Thorrington established himself as the answer at right midfield by week one, Rolfe would’ve probably started the season playing striker. Now, with Thorrington performing ably in that role and Barrett and Frankowski having done little with ample opportunities to impress, tonight could be the night that Rolfe starts up top for the Fire.
Either way, the way that Chicago’s forwards perform tonight will probably decide the match. Chicago’s midfield, led by Cuautemoc Blanco and Justin Mapp, has shown the ability to consistently provide service to the team’s forwards. If Rolfe is in the lineup tonight, it will be important that he shakes off the rust from not playing forward this season and perform like the clinical poacher we’re used to seeing. If Herron gets the nod, Chicago fans will be hoping to see, for the first time all season, the same forward who made aggressive runs, beat defenders with the dribble, and scored goals in bunches along the way to being team MVP in 2006. If Barrett and/or Frankowski start up top for Chicago, whether they play the way they did in the first Fire-Revs game this year, or in the Fire’s other four games so far this season will go a long ways towards determining the outcome of the contest. Oh, and if for some reason Calen Carr starts up top for the Fire, fans will just be hoping that Blanco atleast buries one of the free kicks that he draws.
- Cuautemoc Blanco: I’ve heard fans say before that as ‘Temo goes, so go the Chicago Fire. I would argue that that’s not really true however. After all, we’ve all seen at least a few games where Blanco played great and the Fire still lost. With that said, he’s certainly the best player on the team and if he doesn’t have a good game, it’s pretty difficult for the Fire to beat anyone.
In the Fire’s win over New England back in March, a dominant Blanco helped set up three Fire goals and scored the other from the penalty spot. Blanco, playing against an undermanned Revolution team after Jeff Larentowicz’s sending off, enjoyed incredible time and space and non-existent defensive responsibility in that match, and pretty much pulled apart the New England back over the course of the night. With the Fire dominating the game from a field position and possession standpoint, the Revs were run ragged and were never able to even challenge Blanco in the middle of the field.
Tonight should be different though. The Revs, barring another sending off, will be at even strength, and Shalrie Joseph, one of the best and most physical defensive midfielders in MLS, will probably be entrusted with the responsibility of trying to shut down Blanco. After enjoying what amounted to a stroll in the park in his last outing against the Revs, Blanco likely faces his toughest scenario so far this season in squaring off against Joseph tonight. Whether or not he manages to impact the match will be key.
- Fire coverage on the flanks: With athletic wingers Khano Smith and Sainey Nyassi playing a big part in the Revs’ attack so far this season, a large part of the team’s offense has come on forays down either sideline. With those two players, plus former US national team winger Steve Ralston likely in the lineup for New England tonight, the Fire will need to be especially wary of how it defends on both wings.
Justin Mapp and John Thorrington seem the likely starters for Chicago tonight at left and right mid, respectively, meaning that they will shoulder much of the responsibility of containing New England’s wing players. Neither member of the Fire is known for his defensive pedigree, though, a worrisome reality heading into tonight’s match. While Thorrington is the player who joined the team as a forward, it has actually been Mapp, in particular, who has looked like a defensive liability at times so far in 2008.
Containing the likes of Nyassi, Smith, and Ralston will be critical for the Fire tonight, however, so how Thorrington and Mapp perform their defensive responsibilities will be a huge factor in how the match plays out. Of course the type of support those two players get from the fullbacks behind them will also play a role.
In the case of Mapp that news should be somewhat encouraging – left back Gonzalo Segares shut down Nyassi numerous times in the teams’ firs meeting this season.
Both sides appear healthier than they were for their last meeting, so tonight’s contest could feature better and more even play between the two teams. The Fire once again are without captain C.J. Brown, however reserve midfielder Brian Plotkin is the only other red affected by injury. Star forward Taylor Twellman is unlikely to play for the Revs, but key contributors Chris Albright, Michael Parkhurst, Jeff Larentowicz, and Steve Ralston could all be available for the defending Eastern Conference champions.
Here are a few storylines to consider when viewing tonight’s match:
- Chicago’s forwards: Who will play? How will they perform?
How the Fire’s attackers play tonight will go a long ways towards determining what Chicago gets out of tonight’s match. That goes without saying. Still, I’m particularly intrigued to see who head coach Denis Hamlett goes with tonight and how they play, because I think both of those questions are much more up in the air than normal.
John Thorrington, having scored both goals in the Fire’s 2-1 win over Colorado last week, seems poised to start at right mid for the third week in a row. If that indeed happens, then with Chris Rolfe finally healthy, tonight marks the first time all season that Hamlett truly has all of his options to pick from to fill two forward spots.
The top candidates to start would appear to be Tomasz Frankowski and Chad Barrett, who have started at forward in every match for Chicago this season, and Rolfe who is almost certainly the team’s best striker but up until today has only appeared at right midfield. Two more forwards who could see time for Chicago are Andy Herron, the team’s MVP in 2006, and Calen Carr.
Barrett and Frankowski, of course, were fantastic in the Fire’s 4-0 win over New England a few weeks back, scoring 3 of the 4 goals in that contest. Aside from in that game, however, the two players have struggled mightily to finish any chances. In fact Barrett and Frankowski have scored just one goal combined in the Fire’s other four games this season.
Hamlett has continued to start Frankowski and Barrett in spite of the pair’s inability to produce goals, citing an unwillingness to change a lineup that had been winning matches. That doesn’t change the fact, though, that had Thorrington established himself as the answer at right midfield by week one, Rolfe would’ve probably started the season playing striker. Now, with Thorrington performing ably in that role and Barrett and Frankowski having done little with ample opportunities to impress, tonight could be the night that Rolfe starts up top for the Fire.
Either way, the way that Chicago’s forwards perform tonight will probably decide the match. Chicago’s midfield, led by Cuautemoc Blanco and Justin Mapp, has shown the ability to consistently provide service to the team’s forwards. If Rolfe is in the lineup tonight, it will be important that he shakes off the rust from not playing forward this season and perform like the clinical poacher we’re used to seeing. If Herron gets the nod, Chicago fans will be hoping to see, for the first time all season, the same forward who made aggressive runs, beat defenders with the dribble, and scored goals in bunches along the way to being team MVP in 2006. If Barrett and/or Frankowski start up top for Chicago, whether they play the way they did in the first Fire-Revs game this year, or in the Fire’s other four games so far this season will go a long ways towards determining the outcome of the contest. Oh, and if for some reason Calen Carr starts up top for the Fire, fans will just be hoping that Blanco atleast buries one of the free kicks that he draws.
- Cuautemoc Blanco: I’ve heard fans say before that as ‘Temo goes, so go the Chicago Fire. I would argue that that’s not really true however. After all, we’ve all seen at least a few games where Blanco played great and the Fire still lost. With that said, he’s certainly the best player on the team and if he doesn’t have a good game, it’s pretty difficult for the Fire to beat anyone.
In the Fire’s win over New England back in March, a dominant Blanco helped set up three Fire goals and scored the other from the penalty spot. Blanco, playing against an undermanned Revolution team after Jeff Larentowicz’s sending off, enjoyed incredible time and space and non-existent defensive responsibility in that match, and pretty much pulled apart the New England back over the course of the night. With the Fire dominating the game from a field position and possession standpoint, the Revs were run ragged and were never able to even challenge Blanco in the middle of the field.
Tonight should be different though. The Revs, barring another sending off, will be at even strength, and Shalrie Joseph, one of the best and most physical defensive midfielders in MLS, will probably be entrusted with the responsibility of trying to shut down Blanco. After enjoying what amounted to a stroll in the park in his last outing against the Revs, Blanco likely faces his toughest scenario so far this season in squaring off against Joseph tonight. Whether or not he manages to impact the match will be key.
- Fire coverage on the flanks: With athletic wingers Khano Smith and Sainey Nyassi playing a big part in the Revs’ attack so far this season, a large part of the team’s offense has come on forays down either sideline. With those two players, plus former US national team winger Steve Ralston likely in the lineup for New England tonight, the Fire will need to be especially wary of how it defends on both wings.
Justin Mapp and John Thorrington seem the likely starters for Chicago tonight at left and right mid, respectively, meaning that they will shoulder much of the responsibility of containing New England’s wing players. Neither member of the Fire is known for his defensive pedigree, though, a worrisome reality heading into tonight’s match. While Thorrington is the player who joined the team as a forward, it has actually been Mapp, in particular, who has looked like a defensive liability at times so far in 2008.
Containing the likes of Nyassi, Smith, and Ralston will be critical for the Fire tonight, however, so how Thorrington and Mapp perform their defensive responsibilities will be a huge factor in how the match plays out. Of course the type of support those two players get from the fullbacks behind them will also play a role.
In the case of Mapp that news should be somewhat encouraging – left back Gonzalo Segares shut down Nyassi numerous times in the teams’ firs meeting this season.
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