CHICAGO FIRE v HOUSTON DYNAMO
TOYOTA PARK, Bridgeview, Ill.
8 p.m. CT (ESPN2)
July 12, 2007 (WEEK 15) / MLS Game #98
It's the head coaching debut for Juan Carlos Osorio in charge of the Chicago Fire and it couldn't come against a hotter team, as Houston Dynamo travel to Toyota Park for MLS Primetime Thursday. The Fire have won just once in their last 11 games as Osorio takes the reins of the club, just the third head coach the team has known. Dynamo haven't lost in their last eight league games as they've raced into a tie for the lead in the Western Conference and the MLS overall table, though their long unbeaten run came to an end Tuesday night in the U.S. Open Cup.
REFEREE: Alex Prus. SAR (bench): George Vergara; JAR (opposite): Anthony Vasoli; 4th: Abbey Okulaja
MLS Career: 113 games; FC/gm: 30.3; Y/gm: 3.4; R: 25; pens: 38
Games involving Fire: P18 W8 L7 T3; FC/gm: 31.1; Y/gm: 3.8; R: 4; pens: 7
Games involving Dynamo: P3 W1 L1 T1; FC/gm: 36.0; Y/gm: 2.7; R: 2; pens: 1
INJURY REPORT: CHICAGO FIRE - OUT: DF Osei Telesford (L groin strain); FW Chris Rolfe (L ankle sprain); DF Jordan Russolillo (spondylolisthesis [back pain]); DOUBTFUL: MF Brian Plotkin (L foot contusion); DF Mike Banner (R groin strain); PROBABLE: FW Calen Carr (L foot contusion); FW Jerson Monteiro (R hip strain); MF Chris Armas (hip pain); DF Dasan Robinson (L groin strain) ... HOUSTON DYNAMO - OUT: MF Brad Davis (R knee sprain); MF Corey Ashe (L ankle sprain)
SUSPENDED: CHI: C.J. Brown (five cautions; through July 13)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: HOU: Dwayne De Rosario
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: CHI: Calen Carr, Diego Gutierrez, Gonzalo Segares ... HOU: Ryan Cochrane
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (3 meetings): Fire 2 wins, 4 goals ... Dynamo 0 wins, 2 goals ... Draws 1
AT TOYOTA PARK (1 meeting): Fire 0 wins, 2 goal ...Dynamo 0 wins, 2 goals ... Draw 1
• This is the second of two meetings between the two teams this season, the only one set for Toyota Park.
• A season ago, the Fire claimed the season series, coming away from their first-ever trip to Houston with a victory, the teams then playing to a draw in Bridgeview.
• Coaches record: Juan Carlos Osorio v HOU: first game ... Dominic Kinnear vs. CHI: P3 W0 L2 D1
LAST MEETING (MLS):
4/29: HOU 0, CHI 1 (Rolfe 60)
• The Fire claimed a 1-0 victory at Robertson Stadium for the second season running, when they met Dynamo on April 29 in the only match in Houston.
• Dynamo twice came close on either side of halftime. In the first half, Brian Ching rattled a header off the crossbar, then early in the second half, Brad Davis saw a long-range drive also come back off the face of the woodwork.
• Then in the 60th minute, the Fire hit for the only goal they would need. Chris Rolfe took a long ball from Gonzalo Segares on the right side of the area, skipped into the box, sent defender Wade Barrett to the ground with a fake then lashed a left-footed drive back past Pat Onstad inside the right-hand post for his second goal in as many games.
• Dynamo wore maroon jerseys instead of their traditional orange for the game, in honor of Virginia Tech University. Through an online fundraiser and auction of the jerseys, the club raised more than $16,000 for the university's Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund.
• Here's Kinnear's team (4-3-1-2): Pat Onstad - Kelly Gray, Ryan Cochrane (Paul Dalglish 79), Eddie Robinson, Wade Barrett - Brian Mullan (Stuart Holden 76), Ricardo Clark, Brad Davis - Dwayne De Rosario - Chris Wondolowski (Richard Mulrooney 64), Brian Ching. Substitutes Not Used: Patrick Ianni, Alejandro Moreno, Craig Waibel, Zach Wells
• Here's Dave Sarachan's team (3-4-2-1): Matt Pickens - C.J. Brown, Jim Curtin, Dasan Robinson (Osei Telesford 90) - Ivan Guerrero, Chris Armas, Diego Gutierrez, Gonzalo Segares - Thiago (Logan Pause 84), Chris Rolfe - Chad Barrett (Calen Carr 72). Substitutes Not Used: Pascal Bedrossian, Jon Busch, Floyd Franks, Bakary Soumare
CHICAGO FIRE
The Chicago Fire saw their current winless streak extend to five games, as Toronto FC quickly answered a second-half goal before the teams settled for a 1-1 draw last Saturday at Toyota Park. The Fire have 16 points from 15 matches on the season, sitting in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, two points behind Toronto FC but still just eight points out of first place.
LAST MATCH
• The Fire had won just once since the start of May, losing for the seventh time in 10 matches in a 2-0 loss at Los Angeles on the Fourth of July, while TFC won for the first time ever on their travels on Wednesday, claiming a 2-1 win at Real Salt Lake.
• The Fire had been shut out in back-to-back games and five of their previous seven, but finally found the back of the net in the 70th minute, after Chad Barrett was bundled over by Tyrone Marshall in the area. Barrett stepped up to take his own penalty, sending the 'keeper the other way for his fourth goal of the year.
• But the two No. 1 overall picks the last two years in the MLS SuperDraft teamed up for the tying goal in the 78th minute. Racing into the area, Marvell Edu received a lofted 35-yard pass from Marvell Wynne, near the midfield stripe. Edu brought it down with his chest before stabbing it past Matt Pickens from about at the penalty spot for his third goal of the season.
• Fire interim head coach Denis Hamlett made three changes to the team that lost 2-0 to the Los Angeles Galaxy. Matt Pickens came back into between the posts for Jon Busch, while Bakary Soumare returned from suspension, as Dasan Robinson returned to the substitutes' bench. Thiago also returned to the starting lineup, in place of Thiago.
• Here's Hamlett's team (4-4-2): Matt Pickens - Logan Pause, C.J. Brown, Diego Gutierrez, Gonzalo Segares - Calen Carr, Chris Armas, Bakary Soumare, Ivan Guerrero - Thiago (Justin Mapp 63), Chad Barrett (Floyd Franks 83). Substitutes Not Used: Jon Busch, Jeff Curtin, Jim Curtin, Willian Oliveira, Brian Plotkin
• "I told the guys at halftime that Toronto came here with the intention of getting a point. The only way they were going to score was off set pieces; throw-ins, corner kicks, or dead balls. On the free kick they put it in the box, and we didn't get it out quite fast enough and we didn't put enough pressure on the ball. They played it well. Maurice [Edu] ran in and took it well."
TEAM NEWS
• Of course, the big news of the week was the announcing of Juan Carlos Osorio as the Fire's new head coach. Just the third field boss in club history, Osorio was recently head coach for Colombian side Millonarios and from 2001-06 was an assistant manager for Manchester City FC of the English Premier League.
• "He is a very capable coach," Diego Gutierrez said. "He is very organized and meticulous. He pays attention to detail and he has been successful in many places. We played 15 games but we still have 15 games left so maybe we could use a breath of fresh air."
• Osorio also has experience in MLS, serving as an assistant with the MetroStars from 2000-01. "I am the first to admit I don't know the league very well but there is one thing I can say about myself is the dedication I have for this job," Osorio said. "There are many ways to get familiar with this league and I will be getting that knowledge very soon."
• Against TFC, Barrett's goal was the first for the Fire in 262 minutes of play. "I think it's a combination of things. If we have better passing, better movement, better timing we'll have a better chance at the goal," Hamlett said.
• It also came seven minutes after Justin Mapp came on as a substitute, his first appearance for the club in six games after leaving for national team duty for the CONCACAF Gold Cup and Copa America.
• "He played 65 minutes in the Copa America on Thursday and he flew all day Friday and he has played lot of games during the last month," said Hamlett. "I asked him what he would be able to do for us (tonight) and he said he could help as a reserve."
• On Sunday, the Fire begin their quest to repeat as U.S. Open Cup champions when they take on the Carolina RailHawks of the USL First Division (second tier) at SAS Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. If the Fire win, they will play host to the USL2 Richmond Kickers on Aug. 7; the Kickers upset the Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0 in Richmond on Tuesday night.
HOUSTON DYNAMO
Houston Dynamo remained the hottest team in Major League Soccer, extending their unbeaten and shutout streaks last Sunday with a 1-0 victory against D.C. United at Robertson Stadium. Dynamo moved into a tie atop the Western Conference with the win, now with 29 points from 16 matches, level with FC Dallas as both teams have the most points in the league, but Houston has played one fewer game.
LAST MATCH
• Dynamo had won for the sixth time in seven games and recorded a shutout for the fourth game in a row in a 4-0 win against the New York Red Bulls on Thursday, while United had won for the seventh time in nine games in a 1-0 win against Kansas City on Wednesday.
• The game's lone goal came from a fortuitous deflection the 33rd minute. A corner kick dribbled outside the area and Richard Mulrooney fired a low shot back into the goalmouth. On its way to goal, Brian Ching redirected it past United goalkeeper Troy Perkins for his second goal in as many games after returning from U.S. national team duty.
• Dynamo held on the rest of the way to extend their shutout streak to 515 minutes, the third-longest in league history, passing the mark of 459 minutes set by the San Jose Earthquakes in 2004. Dynamo are just seven minutes away from taking over second on the list (Los Angeles Galaxy, 521 minutes, 2006); the Kansas City Wizards' mark of 681 minutes in the 2000 season is the best ever.
• Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear made one change to the team that defeated the New York Red Bulls 4-0 three nights earlier. Eddie Robinson returned from suspension and came into central defense for Ryan Cochrane.
• Here's Kinnear's team (4-3-1-2): Pat Onstad - Craig Waibel, Patrick Ianni, Eddie Robinson, Wade Barrett - Brian Mullan, Richard Mulrooney, Stuart Holden (Corey Ashe 83) - Dwayne De Rosario (Ricardo Clark 72) - Joseph Ngwenya (Nate Jaqua 64), Brian Ching. Substitutes Not Used: Mike Chabala, Ryan Cochrane, Zach Wells, Chris Wondolowski
TEAM NEWS
• Dynamo's lengthy shutout streak has included two goalkeepers (it was the third shutout for Onstad in the run; Zach Wells had played in two games, as the two 'keepers alternated over the first four). But more indicative of the effort is that Onstad was required to make just three saves.
• "We tighten it up as a team," said defender Craig Waibel. "I think Brian Ching said it best on TV last week. He said that we start defense with the front two. That's why we are so solid. When we lose the ball, you'll see immediate pressure on the ball, then 11 people behind that. I'd love to say it's all the backline, but it's not the backline, it's everyone. Pat makes some great plays every games."
• It also came as Dynamo completed the first of back-to-back weeks with Thursday-Sunday games in each. And in between, Dynamo also had their first U.S. Open Cup game, for a stretch in all of five games in 11 days.
• Said Kinnear: "When you say 'defense' everyone thinks defenders and goalkeeper. I think you have to look at guys like Brian Ching and Joseph Ngwenya who come back and mark guys on set pieces. They're the first line of pressure, and then it's the next four. I think we're a difficult team to break down."
• In addition, Patrick Ianni has featured as a starting center back in three of the games. A year ago, Ianni played just two minutes; he has appeared in six of the last seven league games.
• Ching was away for four matches on national team duty, then in his first game back, Dynamo and FC Dallas played to a scoreless draw. But he has now scored goals in his last two games, his first in league play since May 5.
• "It feels a lot better than two goals in 10 games," Ching said. "Things are turning around for me personally and for the team, they are continuing to play good. Guys are stepping up when we need to, and we are getting shutouts. The defense is playing phenomenal. Pat (Onstad) made a great save. If it weren't for Pat, we'd be down 1-0 and chasing them."
• But on Tuesday night, the long unbeaten run came to an end in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup, when the USL First Division (second tier) Charleston Battery upset Dynamo 1-0 in extra time at Blackbaud Stadium. Stephen Armstrong's rebound from a penalty kick - that was first saved by Wells - in the 106th minute gave the Battery yet another giant-killing feat in the Low Country.
• "We came here to win," Kinnear said. "I thought we played well enough to win. But they got a soft penalty in extra time, and Dusty (Hudock, Charleston¹s goalkeeper) made some big saves that kept them in the game. Would the result have been different if we could have played all of our best players? I think so. But there is just no way they can play that many games in a row."
• Here's the team Kinnear ran out: Zach Wells, Pat Ianni, Ryan Cochrane (Stuart Holden 33, Nate Jaqua 62, Brian Mullan 102), Mike Chabala, John Michael Hayden, Nick Hatzke, Mpho Moloi, Corey Ashe (Eddie Robinson 66), Erik Ustruck, Paul Dalglish, Chris Wondolowski.
