By all indication, Juan Carlos Osorio is preparing his team for Sunday's matchup against the Chicago Fire as he would for any other Major League Soccer team.
The New York Red Bulls coach isn't more intense, he isn't more wound up. In fact, following Friday's training session at Montclair State University he was about as relaxed as his 4-year-old son Sebastian, who napped on a couch in the Red Bulls' fieldhouse.
"At the end of the day, its three points," Osorio said. "That's really all I'm concerned about is those three points. That's it."
Just another game? That's what Osorio has been saying, but it's clear there is much more at stake. The rivalry between the two Eastern Conference clubs has reached a fever pitch because Osorio made the move from coaching the Fire to the Red Bulls in the offseason after leading Chicago to the Eastern Conference Championship last year.
The Red Bulls parted with a first-round draft pick as compensation for Osorio. What followed was a tug-of-war between the teams for the rights to Lider Marmol, who eventually signed with the Fire after training for a few months with the Red Bulls. Chicago management hasn't tried to hide its disdain about Osorio's decision, but the man in the middle of the feud hasn't uttered a bad word about his former club.
"Personally, I don't have any hard feelings," he said. "I am very thankful to Chicago, the club, the fans, the players, the staff, they treated me really well. I can only be thankful for it. I am very pleased and very happy with my move. My family is very happy. That's ultimately the most important thing to me."
Osorio won't be on the sideline opposite his former club on Sunday. Instead he'll be watching the match from a Giants Stadium suite, serving a one-game suspension after being sent off late in last Saturday's 1-1 draw against the Kansas City Wizards.
Osorio, though, will be allowed to address his team in the locker room before the match and at halftime. No doubt, he'll have little trouble informing them about the Fire's strengths and weaknesses.
"It's obviously a big game for him, an important game," Red Bulls defender Jeff Parke said. "I think the kind of coach he is, we like fighting for him. To get a result for him would be great for him and for the club."
Osorio has already spoken at length about trying to keep Cuauhtémoc Blanco at bay. Of course, that is easier said than done.
"He has embraced the league," Osorio said of the fiery Chicago captain. "He has come here and understands that it is a very competitive league and he's a great competitor. If I am honest, I have to say he plays to his strengths. If you allow him to do that in the game, he can be as influential as anyone in this league, probably more so than anyone else."
While rookies Luke Sassano and Danleigh Borman have yet to face Blanco, Claudio Reyna has spent a decade battling the former Mexican national team standout.
"We've played against each other for as long as I can remember," said Reyna, the former U.S. national team captain. "We were both on the national team at an early age. I've been playing against him for so many years and they've always been battles. ... He always adds something to the game, his personality, his temperament."
When successful, Blanco's antics have led to dangerous set pieces. And he's arguably the best in the league at taking them. Limiting Blanco could go a long way to extending the Red Bulls' unbeaten streak to six consecutive games.
"He's clever at getting fouls, its part of his gamesmanship," Reyna said. "In the South American culture there is a lot of diving, in Europe there's less -- not everywhere in Europe, I guess. We've talked about it, especially in dangerous areas -- out wide, free kick areas, around the box."
The Fire, though, are much more than Blanco. Eight different players have scored this year and Blanco shares the team lead of three goals with John Thorrington. Chad Barrett and Tomasz Frankowski have two goals apiece and four others have scored one goal, including Chris Rolfe, who Osorio calls "one of the most underestimated players in the league."
"He has the ability, obviously, to change things around because he is a quality player, but it is not just about Cuauhtémoc Blanco," Juan Pablo Angel said. "I think Chicago is playing well because they are solid and they are giving him the freedom to play well. I am not worried just about him, but the whole team. He has a particular style that has been doing the job for him over the years."
While much of the buzz leading up to the Eastern Conference clash has been off the field, there is an intriguing matchup between Red Bulls forwards Juan Pablo Angel and Jozy Altidore and the Chicago central defense of Bakary Soumare and Diego Gutierrez.
The Fire comes into the match with the best defensive form in the league, having given up five goals in their first eight matches. The Red Bulls, which came into the week along with Columbus as the only two teams with just one loss, have six goals against in seven matches, second best in MLS.
"Offensively we have shown that we don't depend on just one player," Osorio said. "We have managed to score from different positions and plays and styles. I think offensively we will be a threat to any team in this league. As far as their defending, I think they have done very well and it will be a good match."
While Seth Stammler will likely miss his second consecutive match because of a back injury, the Red Bulls are just about at full strength.
Reyna returned to training this week after missing the last two games with a left calf strain, Altidore, who didn't practice Tuesday or Wednesday with ingrown toenails, returned to training Thursday and Juan Pablo Angel, who has been plagued with nerve-related back pain, said he felt the best he has in a while last Saturday against the Wizards.
"It's a big game," Altidore said. "They're in our conference, they've been playing well so it's going to be a challenge."
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
