Chicago Fire head coach Denis Hamlett needed to find something to criticize about his team.
The Fire takes their unbeaten 2-0-1 record into Sunday's game against the Kansas City Wizards (2-1-1). The Fire have not yet been scored upon despite facing 43 shots and 21 shots on goal in those three games.
Hamlett knew all that heading into his long workweek last week. But he also knew that, as a coach, he had to find something for his unbeaten, unscored upon (at least by their opponents) team to work on.
So he looked at the stats and found what he was searching for.
Through three games, the Fire have outscored their opponents 6-1, and the lone goal against was an own goal off the shinguard of defender Bakary Soumare. But the Fire have been outshot 43-27, and the opposition has four more shots on goal (21-17) than the Fire has.
Hamlett sees the numbers as a sign his team is not maintaining possession properly, and if possession is nine-tenths of the law, it is perhaps more important in soccer.
"It is a result of not having possession," Hamlett said of the statistics. "If you don't have the ball, you are defending more and the other team will have more looks at the goal. You don't want to lead the league in shots faced."
"I think we need to get the ball back on the ground," forward Chad Barrett said. "(We need to) get it a little more technical."
The Fire scored four goals in the first half in its only home game, the 4-0 pounding of the New England Revolution on April 3. The goals came very easily in that game, three in the run of play and one on a penalty kick, and perhaps the Fire began to think that all games, and all scoring opportunities, would come that easily.
"We need to be a little more patient, create a few more chances," Hamlett said. "We conceded a lot of chances to the other team, but then we defended well."
Hamlett has started six defenders in the three games, starting Soumare and Gonzalo Segares in each game, and spreading the rest of the playing time between Dasan Robinson, Diego Gutierrez, Brandon Prideaux and Wilman Conde.
In a first team vs. second team scrimmage Friday, Hamlett used a four-man backline of Soumare, Segares, Gutierrez and Prideaux as the first unit in front of goalkeeper Jon Busch.
Busch, who leads the league with his 21 saves, credits the defenders for keeping the opposition scoreless through 270-plus minutes.
"The team collectively is playing well defensively," Busch said. "It starts from the forwards on back. The back line has been fantastic. They have made my job relatively easy."
Busch said soccer players don't suffer from the same superstition baseball players have about discussing shutouts. But he also said fans should not get too excited about the three "shutouts."
"You don't make too much of it because it is early," Busch said. "It is only three games and you don't want to get ahead of yourself. As soon as you buy into it, that is when you get kicked in the butt."
The Fire remain relatively healthy. Midfielder Chris Rolfe is still dealing with a bone bruise in his ankle, an injury he suffered against New England. Rolfe, a member of the U.S. national team pool, has had a history of unfortunate injuries, which is why the Fire are being overly cautious with his return.
Veteran John Thorrington played in Rolfe's place in the Friday scrimmage and appears the likely candidate to take some of his playing time.
Veteran defender C.J. Brown went to see a specialist in Philadelphia to figure out what is going on with his sore tendon in the groin. He could end up with surgery, but is still expected to be available in May.
Kent McDill is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
