NEW YORK RED BULLS vs. CHICAGO FIRE
GIANTS STADIUM, E. Rutherford, N.J.
May 25, 2008 | 3 p.m. ET (TeleFutura)
WEEK # 9 | GAME # 63
A showdown that could indicate where teams will settle into the Eastern Conference race is ahead on Sunday afternoon as the New York Red Bulls play host to the Chicago Fire. The Red Bulls have put together a five-game unbeaten streak, though still sitting in fifth place in the conference. The Fire saw their three-game winning streak come to an end last weekend, but still sit tied for second in the division. The game marks the first between the Fire, who were guided by Juan Carlos Osorio last season, and the Red Bulls, the club to which he moved in the offseason - but the New York boss will not be on the sideline after being sent off last weekend.
REFEREE: Ricardo Salazar. SAR (bench): Thomas Supple; JAR (opposite): Peter Balciunas; 4th: Joe Caroccio
MLS Career: 69 games; FC/gm: 30.4; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 17; pens: 24
INJURY REPORT: NEW YORK RED BULLS - OUT: MF David Roth (L knee surgery); DF Michael Palacio (L knee injury); QUESTIONABLE: FW Oscar Echeverry (R LCL sprain); MF Claudio Reyna (L calf strain); MF Seth Stammler (lower back injury); PROBABLE: DF Chris Leitch (L MCL sprain) ... CHICAGO FIRE - OUT: MF Stephen King (maxilla fracture); FW Patrick Nyarko (L hip strain); DOUBTFUL: MF John Thorrington (back spasms); QUESTIONABLE: DF C.J. Brown (L hip tendonitis); PROBABLE: MF Brian Plotkin (L hip tendonitis); DF Gonzalo Segares (eye laceration); MF Cuauhtémoc Blanco (R calf strain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: NY: Dave van den Bergh (through May 25); coach Juan Carlos Osorio (through May 25)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: none
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: NY: Sinisa Ubiparipovic
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (31 meetings): Red Bulls 10 wins, 39 goals ... Fire 15 wins, 47 goals ... Ties 6
AT NEW YORK: (16 meetings): Red Bulls 7 wins, 24 goals ... Fire 7 wins, 21 goals ... Ties 2
• This is the first of three meetings between the clubs this season, the only one to be played at the Meadowlands. The teams will twice at Toyota Park over the final two months of the season, on Sept. 6 and then in the final regular season MLS Primetime Thursday match of the year, Oct. 23.
LAST YEAR (MLS):
5/24: NY 3, CHI 0 (Altidore 1; Angel 3, 68)
9/1: NY 1, CHI 0 (Angel 75)
9/15: CHI 2, NY 2 (Blanco 54; Segares 70 - van den Bergh 10; Angel 69)
• The Red Bulls won the season series a year ago, winning both meetings in East Rutherford while coming away with a share of the points in the lone encounter in Bridgeview.
• The Fire haven't won in the last four meetings between the teams. Their last win came Sept. 3, 2006 at Toyota Park; the Red Bulls then won three games in a row, before the draw in the series finale last year.
• The Fire have lost just once at home to New York in the last five-plus seasons. Since a 1-0 MetroStars win on June 22, 2002, Chicago has won five times in the Heartland, with four draws and a MetroStars win at Soldier Field on May 14, 2005.
• New York has won the last three meetings at Giants Stadium, and hasn't lost at home to Chicago in five games, since a 1-0 Fire victory on April 22, 2005.
• Coaches record: Juan Carlos Osorio vs. CHI: first game ... Denis Hamlett v NY: first game
NEW YORK RED BULLS
The New York Red Bulls kept pace with the rest of the Eastern Conference, getting a late equalizer after going a man down in a 1-1 draw with the Kansas City Wizards last Saturday at Giants Stadium. The Red Bulls have 12 points from seven matches, still in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, four behind the second-place tie between the Chicago Fire and New England Revolution and seven off the pace of the league-leading Columbus Crew.
LAST MATCH
• The Red Bulls had quietly put together a four-game unbeaten run while the Wizards were playing the fourth of their six-game road swing, losers of two in a row.
• The visitors took the lead after 20 minutes. Carlos Marinelli swung in a corner kick from the left and Jimmy Conrad flashed forward before sending a glancing header from the near post back inside the far upright for his third goal on the season.
• The Wizards then looked to be home and dry 13 minutes from the end when Red Bulls midfielder Dave van den Bergh was sent off after throwing an elbow toward the head of Kansas City's Davy Arnaud as the two battled for the ball in midfield.
• But the Red Bulls hit for the equalizer four minutes later. Jozy Altidore found Juan Pablo Angel at the top of the area, and he turned and slipped the ball to Danleigh Borman, who raced in and stabbed home his second goal in as many matches.
• Red Bulls head coach Juan Carlos Osorio made one change to the team that defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1 on the road the previous weekend, though once again giving his team an entirely new tactical look. Andrew Boyens made his Red Bulls debut, coming into a back three as Danleigh Borman went to the substitutes' bench.
• Here's Osorio's team (3-3-1-3): Jon Conway - Andrew Boyens, Jeff Parke, Kevin Goldthwaite - Hunter Freeman, Luke Sassano, Dave van den Bergh - Mike Magee (Danleigh Borman 46) - Dane Richards, Juan Pablo Angel, Jozy Altidore. Substitutes Not Used: Chris Leitch, Chris Megaloudis, Carlos Mendes, Zach Thornton, Sinisa Ubiparipovic, John Wolyniec
• "I think that was a great response in the second half. In the first half, we couldn't get a hold of the game," Osorio said. "It was however, a game that they (Kansas City) only one chance all game and it was from a set play that we conceded. I am very disappointed with that considering the height and the time that we dedicated to defensive plays during the training. But, give credit to the boys. They responded very well in the second half."
TEAM NEWS
• After the disputatious departure of Osorio from Chicago and his signing with the Red Bulls in the offseason, his dismissal late in the Kansas City match will mean he will not be allowed on the touchline for the first meeting against his former club. However, Osorio said the opponent does not matter.
• "The Chicago match is like any other important match and I am disappointed that I won't be with my team on the sideline when we face them next Sunday," Osorio said.
• A key to the Red Bulls' resurgence after the break came with the introduction of Danleigh Borman, as Osorio changed to a 4-4-2 scheme.
• "We gained width by introducing Danleigh (Borman). Not only his goal, but he had another chance and I think we had like three good chances before that," Osorio said. "Personally, I can only be very pleased with Danleigh. I remember we discovered him in January in the combine in Florida. At the time, I thought he was probably a good player with good potential and I think he's developing very well at the moment and he is contributing a great deal to our recent results."
• After scoring just seven goals in his collegiate career at the University of Rhode Island, Borman has now scored in back-to-back weeks at the highest level in the USA.
• "He just said I needed to come in and be effective and try to make a difference in the game, to do what I do and take on players from my position, give it to Juan Pablo (Angel) and put crosses in," Borman said of his instructions from Osorio.
• After trying out a number of defenders since the start of the campaign, it was the Red Bulls debut for Andrew Boyens, signed just a week before. Boyens, a New Zealand international, played for Toronto FC in 2007 but was released early on this season.
• "I think he did very well. He's not the quickest but I think he's a clever guy, intelligent, and generally, I don't think they got him behind too many times," Osorio said. "I think that we defend that high line very well and I think that he will gain confidence and get better and better."
• While the Red Bulls have yet to put together back-to-back victories this season, Osorio has been pleased with the performance of his club through the first quarter of the campaign.
• "This is five games unbeaten and the guys get more confidence every game and I think for me personally, I will be very frustrated because I think we probably deserve a little bit more. If I am realistic, they only created chances from set plays and that's something that we have to work on and keep improving," Osorio said. "As far as open play, I think it was another solid performance from our back four, back five. So, I am glad for the point for the guys."
CHICAGO FIRE
The Chicago Fire saw their three-game winning streak come to an abrupt end, the Houston Dynamo getting a late winner for a 2-1 victory at Toyota Park last Saturday evening. The Fire now sit tied for second place in the Eastern Conference with 16 points from eight matches, level with the New England Revolution, two points in back of the Columbus Crew.
LAST MATCH
• The Fire had won three games in a row and five of their last six, entertaining a Dynamo team that finally put an end to their six-game winless run to start defense of their title the weekend before.
• The Dynamo took the lead after 17 minutes. Ricardo Clark let fly from outside the area; his shot deflected off the boot of Fire midfielder Chris Rolfe and Dwayne De Rosario instinctively poked out his head to divert it again, Jon Busch left completely helpless as the ball flew into the goal.
• But the Fire levelled the score in the 28th minute. Cuauhtemoc Blanco swung in a free kick from the right corner and Calen Carr rose up to powerfully head down, the bounce taking the ball past Pat Onstad and over the clearing attempt of Wade Barrett.
• In the second half, the rain began lashing down in Bridgeview and the Dynamo scored the winner eight minutes from the end. Richard Mulrooney hooked in a quick free kick from the right flank and Bobby Boswell got up to nod home a looping header for his first goal since joining the Orange.
• Fire head coach Denis Hamlett made one change to the team that defeated D.C. United 2-0 nine days earlier at RFK Stadium. With John Thorrington injured, Calen Carr came into partner Chad Barrett in attack as Chris Rolfe returned to a wide right role in midfield.
• Here's Hamlett's team (4-3-1-2): Jon Busch - Brandon Prideaux, Diego Gutierrez, Bakary Soumare, Gonzalo Segares - Chris Rolfe (Wilman Conde 67), Logan Pause, Justin Mapp (Tomasz Frankowski 80) - Cuauhtemoc Blanco - Calen Carr, Chad Barrett (Andy Herron 73). Substitutes Not Used: Mike Banner, Nick Noble, Dasan Robinson, Daniel Woolard
• "The first half we took it to them and we created some good chances and didn't finish," Hamlett said. "The second half we stopped playing, stopped moving. It was an even game until the end."
TEAM NEWS
• The Dynamo had five shots on goal in the second half to just one for the Fire. "At home, when you don't come away with points, it is a missed opportunity," Calen Carr said. "I have a lot of respect for that team. They are an honest, hardworking team. We knew we were in for a rough game and they gave it to us."
• The Fire's only second-half shot on goal came in the final seconds of stoppage time, as Blanco lined up a long shot and let it fly, only to have Dynamo goalkeeper Pat Onstad make the game's last save.
• "We stopped playing," Busch said. "Credit to them, they are a good team and showed why they are defending champions. But the second half, we stopped playing and did a lot of defending. If you don't take care of the ball when you have it good teams are going to punish you."
• The Fire came into the game having allowed just three goals on the season - and one of those through an own goal. They nearly matched that total in the one game against the Dynamo.
• "We started really well," Fire defender Brandon Prideaux said. "We were really unlucky to give up that first goal. It was really against the run of play. They get the first goal and we're down, kind of chasing the game, spending a lot of energy trying to even it up. The second half we just got away from passing, moving and just didn't keep the ball enough."
• Carr was given the start in attack after coming on as a substitute in the Fire's first five games, then not seeing the field at all in the last two. But as others have done for the Men in Red this season when thrust into the starting lineup, Carr popped up to score his first goal of the season.
• "That play is something Cuauhtémoc [Blanco] and I have been working on in practice. It felt really good to get that goal, but obviously we didn't get the result that we wanted out of the game," he said.
• Thorrington was out of the lineup after suffering a back injury. Hamlett said he suffered the injury at training on Thursday. ''It happened this week,'' Hamlett said. ''He should be back next game. He has a bulging disc in his back.''
• On Wednesday, the Fire played to a scoreless draw against Polish side Wisla Krakow at Toyota Park. Fire boss Denis Hamlett took the opportunity to play a team filled with many reserves; Wisla played the final 35 minutes a man down after Junior Diaz was sent off, but the Fire could not take advantage.
• Here's Hamlett's team: Nick Noble - Dasan Robinson, Daniel Woolard, Wilman Conde, Austin Washington - Mike Banner (C.J. Brown 64), Calen Carr (Kai Kasiguran 70), Logan Pause (Brian Plotkin 46), Peter Lowry - Andy Herron, Tomasz Frankowski
