Whether it's been in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Eastern Conference Championship or the U.S. Open Cup, the Chicago Fire has clashed with the New England Revolution on many previous occasions.
So when the two sides meet on Thursday for the right to play in MLS Cup 2007, it will be more of the same.
"It just seems like so many times we meet ... and the games have been close," Fire captain Chris Armas said on a conference call on Wednesday. "It's a healthy competition. It's a mutual respect from the players to the coaches on both sides."
For this meeting, however, the Fire will bring a different element than it has had in any of the previous five MLS playoff meetings. The Fire is still in many ways learning to play as a cohesive unit after a midseason coaching change and key player acquisitions.
All coach Juan Carlos Osorio asks is that his team plays the way envisions them playing.
"Everybody trained as always and prepared as always," Osorio said. "Hopefully if they perform to their potential, not only will they contribute to a very good game, hopefully the result will make everybody happy in this club."
The Fire and the Revolution have met in the MLS Cup Playoffs in five different seasons. Twice the Fire knocked off the Revs on their way to MLS Cup but the Revs have beaten Chicago every season they've reached the MLS Cup Final. Curiously, none of the clubs followed up series wins over their rivals with MLS Cup wins.
Facing a known commodity is beneficial to the Fire, though the task figures to be challenging.
"We know them very well. There are no secrets on their end," Armas said. "We have a lot of respect for their club. It's going to make for a difficult match, especially at their place."
The Fire will come into the match riding a 10-game unbeaten streak. After capping off a strong late-season charge with a 1-0 win against Los Angeles on the final day of the regular season, the Fire knocked out Supporters' Shield champs D.C. United by a 3-2 aggregate score in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Success has only made the Fire more battle tested and not necessarily satisfied.
"We're coming off a tough series and we've played a lot of tough matches lately and we've done well," Armas said. "But... no complacency here. Back to work and really try to pay attention to details and prepare ourselves to try and move on to the championship match."
While New England has faced many of Chicago's former talented greats, from Ante Razov and Hristo Stoitchkov to DaMarcus Beasley and Damani Ralph, New England has really faced this particular Fire club once before. New England lost to the Fire 2-1 on Oct. 6 in the only one of their three meetings this year that featured key players Cuauthemoc Blanco and Wilman Conde on the field. Osorio was in attendance but had been sent off the week prior and was unable to take notes from the sidelines.
Like his predecessors, Blanco brings big-game experience to the Fire's playoff push. A finalist for the league's Most Valuable Player award, Blanco's significance seems even greater on the grandest stage.
"It's another guy you can look over to," Armas said. "He's been there before. We listen to him. We rally behind him. He's even better when the pressure is on."
With Blanco in tow, the Fire lost only two league matches.
"He's one of those guys who makes the people around him better," Armas said. "He filled a void that we had in the middle of the field: a pure attacker, great ideas, always wanting the ball. ... He's always that link, always seems to find gaps on the field. He's very smart. We haven't had that for a while."
Still, it's been Chris Rolfe who has gotten the individual glory in the postseason. Rolfe scored two goals in the series against D.C. and has been a key part of the Fire's late-season playoff push.
A talented player who can create something out of nothing, Osorio said Rolfe's stock on the team has been rising.
"The most important thing is his knack for a goal. He has become one of our main players, a very influential player," Osorio said. "I can only give Chris Rolfe credit for his improvement and his willingness to learn every day and to do everything for the benefit of this club. He's a team player. He's definitely a great guy and I definitely think the future is bright for him."
Still, Osorio needs for more than just Blanco and Rolfe to play at their best on Thursday in Gillette Stadium. But if the last several months have been any indication, a thorough team effort is what Osorio will get.
"We have been in many tough matches the last two months and it has helped especially our young players to become more mature and more capable of dealing with those huge games and playing in those games that really mean a lot," he said. "Players are a lot more comfortable with those tough games and hopefully we can show that Thursday night."
Luis Bueno is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
