CHICAGO FIRE vs. D.C. UNITED
TOYOTA PARK, Bridgeview, Ill.
June 7, 2008 | 7:30 p.m. CT (FSC/FSE)
WEEK # 11 | GAME # 73
With a week off following yet another lopsided victory, the Chicago Fire return to action to face a D.C. United that also came off an "open" date. The Fire defeated the New York Red Bulls 5-1 in their last match, their sixth win in nine games on the season. United were supposed to have played the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday, but the game was abandoned after 16 minutes because of weather and field conditions. The teams met little less than a month ago, the Fire coming away from RFK Stadium with a 2-0 victory.
REFEREE: Baldomero Toledo. SAR (bench): Fabio Tovar; JAR (opposite): Claudio Badea; 4th: Jasen Anno MLS Career: 51 games; FC/gm: 27.5; Y/gm: 4.0; R: 18; pens: 19
INJURY REPORT: CHICAGO FIRE - OUT: DF Lider Marmol (R knee meniscus tear); DOUBTFUL: MF Kai Kasiguran (R hip tendonitis); DF Daniel Woolard (R thigh strain); QUESTIONABLE: FW Patrick Nyarko (R hip strain); PROBABLE: MF John Thorrington (back spasms) ... D.C. UNITED - OUT: MF Ben Olsen (ankle surgery); MF Jeff Carroll (toe surgery)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: DC: Francis Doe (Liberia; World Cup qualifying)
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: DC: Santino Quaranta
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: DC: Marc Burch; Rod Dyachenko
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (32 meetings): Fire 13 wins, 49 goals ... United 12 wins, 48 goals ... Ties 7
• AT CHICAGO (15 meetings): Fire 8 wins, 28 goals ... United 3 wins, 19 goals ... Ties 4
• This is the second of three meetings between the teams this season, the first of two at Toyota Park. They will conclude their season series against each other on Aug. 16 in Bridgeview.
• D.C. United won the season series last year, winning the first meeting between the clubs, at RFK Stadium, before the teams played to a pair of draws, one at each ground.
• Then the teams met in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, but the fourth-seeded Fire knocked out the Supporters' Shield winners, winning 1-0 at Toyota Park (Rolfe 14) before the clubs played to a 2-2 draw at RFK Stadium (Simms 69; Gomez 74 - Barrett 31, Rolfe 33)
• The teams have met in four seasons in the MLS Cup Playoffs - and United have never defeated the Fire in a postseason match. In seven games in the playoffs, the Fire have won five with two draws, outscoring United 13-2. In addition, United has yet to defeat in any cup competition - Chicago winning in their lone encounter in the U.S. Open Cup, while the teams played to a draw in a meeting in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup.
• D.C. United have never won at Toyota Park. In the three meetings all-time in Bridgeview, the Fire have won one with two draws, with the Fire also winning in the playoffs last year. United's last victory in Chicago came Aug. 6, 2005, the last league game in the series played at Soldier Field.
• Coaches record: Denis Hamlett v DC: P1 W1 L0 D0 ... Tom Soehn vs. CHI: P4 W1 L1 D2
LAST MEETING (MLS):
5/8: DC 0, CHI 2 (Mapp 38; Blanco 62)
• The Fire came away from RFK Stadium with a 2-0 victory on May 8 in the first meeting between the clubs.
• After weathering some early threats, the Fire took the lead in the 38th minute. Chris Rolfe swung in a high cross from the right, Chad Barrett headed it down into the heart of the box and Justin Mapp swept in to curl home a shot inside the left-hand post for his first goal on the year.
• The Fire then put the game away through a stroke of brilliance from Cuauhtemoc Blanco. Racing forward up the center of the park, Blanco let fly from some 25 yards out from goal, the rasping drive flying over Zach Wells and into the upper right corner of the goal, his third on the season (62).
• Here's Soehn's team (3-4-1-2): Zach Wells - Bryan Namoff, Gonzalo Martinez, Gonzalo Peralta - Santino Quaranta (Francis Doe 66), Rod Dyachenko (Quavas Kirk 92+), Clyde Simms, Marc Burch - Jaime Moreno - Franco Niell, Luciano Emilio (Dan Stratford 83). Substitutes Not Used: Jose Carvallo, Ryan Cordeiro, Pat Carroll, Mike Zaher
• Here's Hamlett's team (4-3-2-1): Jon Busch - Brandon Prideaux, Diego Gutierrez, Bakary Soumare, Gonzalo Segares - John Thorrington, Logan Pause, Justin Mapp (Daniel Woolard 71) - Chris Rolfe (Stephen King 85), Cuauhtemoc Blanco - Chad Barrett (Andy Herron 66). Substitutes Not Used: Calen Carr, Tomasz Frankowski, Nick Noble, Dasan Robinson
CHICAGO FIRE
The Chicago Fire return to action for the first time in two weeks, since going to Giants Stadium and coming away with a stunning 5-1 victory against the New York Red Bulls. The Fire sit in second place in the Eastern Conference entering the week, with 19 points from nine matches, level with the Columbus Crew a point in arrears of the New England Revolution.
LAST MATCH
• The two stoutest defenses in MLS were on display. The Fire had seen a three-game winning streak come to an end the week before, but had still allowed a league-low five goals, while the Red Bulls were riding a five-game winning streak.
• But it took the Fire just eight minutes to prise open the New York defense. Cuauhtemoc Blanco sent a long ball over the top from midfield, and Chad Barrett held off a defender before slotting home from inside the box.
• After the break, the visitors exploded. Freed by a long ball out of the back from Bakary Soumare, Blanco flighted a cross from the right flank and Chris Rolfe nodded it home to double the lead (48).
• Justin Mapp was tripped up as he burst into the area, and Blanco converted from the spot in the 55th minute to make it 3-0. Then Barrett hit for his second on the day, Mapp swinging in a bouncing cross from the left that Barrett stooped to head under a prone Jon Conway (60).
• The Fire completed the rout two minutes when Wilman Conde's header from a corner came back off the woodwork, but Gonzalo Segares lashed home the rebound. The Red Bulls scored a consolation goal 16 minutes from the end when Jozy Altidore flashed in at the near post to head home a corner.
• Fire head coach Denis Hamlett made one change to the team that lost 2-1 to the Houston Dynamo at home the previous weekend. Wilman Conde made his first start since April 12, coming into the midfield as Calen Carr returned to the substitutes' bench.
• Here's Hamlett's team (4-2-3-1): Jon Busch - Brandon Prideaux, Diego Gutierrez, Bakary Soumare, Gonzalo Segares - Wilman Conde, Logan Pause - Chris Rolfe (Stephen King 66), Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Justin Mapp (Tomasz Frankowski 71) - Chad Barrett (Daniel Woolard 78). Substitutes Not Used: Calen Carr, Andy Herron, Nick Noble, Dasan Robinson
• "It was a good day for us," said Hamlett. "Our guys came in with the right mentality. It's always good when you can go on the road and score five goals. We wanted to play our game. The best way to do that is right from the start. We tried to set the tone early and impose our will on them. It doesn't matter if you are home or away, you want to get them on their heels. Getting that first goal is always key."
TEAM NEWS
• In the final game in the month of May, Cuauhtémoc Blanco was involved in all five of the goals against New York. He ended the month named as the MLS Player of the Month.
• "In big games, big players step up and he's been doing that all this season and last season. He knows what the stage is about and he's not afraid to step on it and our guys know that. You get him the ball and then move and he'll find you," Hamlett said. "(Against New York) he had some plays with pinpoint passing and you salivate at that because he'll get you the ball."
• Hamlett gave a start to Wilman Conde in a holding midfield role, choosing to maintain the same back four he has regularly run out. Against the team to which the Colombian had requested a trade, Conde made just his second start of the season.
• "Wilman played an unbelievable game," said Hamlett. "He was able to step in and win a lot of balls, and he played solid balls out of the back, too, bypassing the midfield to our forwards. It's important from the standpoint that he wants to show our coaches that he wants to be on the field. As far as all the other, outside issues that took place, I think we've moved on from that. He's committed to this team, wants to be here, and wants to be on the field. Tonight he made a big statement."
• The offensive explosion was yet another impressive for the Fire this season, who defeated the New England Revolution 4-0 in their second game of the year, and also came away from their first meeting with D.C. United with a 3-0 victory.
• "I mean, the first home game was 4-0, so if you do the math, it's four goals, and we won by four goals today. In my 10 years, I would have to really think about scoring like this," Hamlett said. "It was just a good performance from the beginning. The mindset was good, guys competed, and it just an overall good performance."
• Each time the Fire have failed to come away with the full three points this season, they've reeled off a winning streak. A season-opening draw was followed by two wins, then the first loss of the season was followed by a three-game winning run.
• "It's a great response to last week's game, as it's a disappointment to lose at home, against the defending champions though, they are a good team," said Chad Barrett. "Though you shouldn't lose games at home, and to come here and have an answer like this is making a statement that last week was just a little slip up and we are the same team. We showed that, and everyone was playing with each other and backing everyone up. It was just a great team effort."
D.C. UNITED
D.C. United once again weren't able to follow a win with another victory, as the New England Revolution came back to claim a 2-2 draw on MLS Primetime Thursday at Gillette Stadium. United have 10 points from 11 matches and still sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, one behind the Kansas City Wizards and two behind the New York Red Bulls to begin the week.
LAST MATCH
• The Revolution came into MLS Primetime Thursday riding a three-game winning streak, while D.C. United had put an end to a four-game losing streak the weekend before with a home win against Toronto FC.
• United looked to have continued their turnaround with a rampant opening 45 minutes, but had only one goal to show for it. Clyde Simms came to drive a short clearance back goalward, facing a good reaction save from Matt Reis, but Luciano Emilio dove to head home the rebound for his second goal in as many games.
• Still, United doubled their lead eight minutes after the second-half restart. A blocked shot was corralled by Jaime Moreno, whose shot was then saved by Reis. But Fred popped up outside the left post to thump the rebound back home.
• Yet the Revs responded six minutes later to halve the deficit. Mauricio Castro's cross from the left wasn't cleared and the ball deflected to Kheli Dube, who slid a pass into Adam Cristman and watched as the substitute slid the ball past Zach Wells.
• And the Revolution pulled level in the 72nd minute. Steve Ralston flighted in a free kick from the right flank, Jeff Larentowicz got up at the back post to nod it back across the face of goal, and Dube swept in to head it home from point-blank range for an unlikely share of the points.
• United head coach Tom Soehn made one change to the team that defeated Toronto FC the Saturday before. With Gonzalo Peralta remaining in Washington to attend to his pregnant wife, Domenic Mediate came into his place in central defense.
• Here's Soehn's team (4-3-1-2): Zach Wells - Bryan Namoff, Devon McTavish, Domenic Mediate, Gonzalo Martinez - Santino Quaranta, Clyde Simms, Fred (Marc Burch 88) - Marcelo Gallardo - Jaime Moreno (Rod Dyachenko 78), Luciano Emilio. Substitutes Not Used: Jose Carvallo, Ryan Cordeiro, Quavas Kirk, Franco Niell, Dan Stratford
• "I thought we outplayed them (in the first half). We created so many quality opportunities. But like I said, you have to finish even more of those. We could have been up two, three at the half - you have to put those chances away," Soehn said. "The good part is that we're creating those quality chances right now and every game I'm seeing it get better and better."
TEAM NEWS
• After losing five consecutive away games and being outscored 12-1, United finally got a result on the road - and scored two goals.
• "We were up 2-0 and obviously we all wanted to win, so we're all disappointed we didn't get three points. We have to settle for one, but we're still taking it one step at a time," Soehn said. "Overall, I thought we deserved more, but we didn't take our chances to put the game away."
• After scoring in the second game of the season, Luciano Emilio went seven games without a goal. The 2007 MLS Golden Boot winner, with 20 goals last year, now has scored in each of the last two games.
• "He was a handful today. He's causing a lot of havoc. He's very opportunist on the goal he scored. It's unfortunately he didn't get more today," Soehn said.
• Even though United hit rock-bottom in the loss to Toronto on May 21, Soehn did not change his team for the second leg of their home-and-home series. And had not Gonzalo Peralta remained in the nation's capital in anticipation of the birth of his second child, Soehn likely would have maintained the same team for the third match running in New England. Peralta's wife gave birth to son Mateo last Friday, and was available for the abandoned Houston match.
• "You know another thing that was good, Tommy stayed with the same lineup," said Santino Quaranta after the Toronto match. "I think it would've been easy for him to make changes early on in the second half, change the formation. But I think we all learned a lesson in staying patient in that game, so it worked out."
• Still, it was the second time in four games United let a lead slip away on the road, over the final stages of the match. Ahead 1-0 at Chivas USA, the home side scored three goals in a 10-minute span beginning in the 73rd minute to claim victory on May 17.
• "Obviously, we're protecting a two-goal lead and they're pushing everything they can to get it back. It's more of a situation where no matter what you get when you're up two goals, you're having a defensive mentality and they're throwing everything they can to get a goal," Soehn said.
• On Wednesday night, D.C. United and the Houston Dynamo were supposed to play at RFK Stadium. Violent thunderstorms had rolled through the area and left the field waterlogged, and then a heavy downpour early on left it unplayable after 16 minutes of play. After a wait of nearly 90 minutes, the match was abandoned. It is believed to be the second time in MLS history a game was started, then stopped and rescheduled.
• In the 16 minutes that were played, United had the best chances, with Dynamo goalkeeper Pat Onstad twice punching out long-range screamers from Marcelo Gallardo, one from a free kick. Here's Soehn's team: Zach Wells - Bryan Namoff, Devon McTavish, Gonzalo Peralta, Gonzalo Martinez - Santino Quaranta, Clyde Simms, Fred - Marcelo Gallardo - Jaime Moreno, Luciano Emilio
