the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The competition is also an in-between for many coaches around MLS, with none meaning disrespect for the 93-year tournament, but none wanting it to wreck havoc during an already busy summer either.
The balance for the Fire in the 2006 edition of the tournament was especially crucial, as the 'Men in Red' were already scheduled to play nine league matches in a 37-day span. Clearly a coach's debate comes down to whether he should rest his starters or go for the win with the first team, but in Chicago -- where if you're in a U.S. Open Cup game you're there not to develop, but to succeed -- the decisions were even tougher to make this year.
"We knew that to accomplish what we hoped for in the Open Cup, we still needed fresh legs," explained Fire head coach Dave Sarachan. "We weren't afraid to go to the depth chart, knowing that we felt we had the ability to get something out of those players that hadn't been starters, and it was a win-win because it gave them valuable minutes and they gave us valuable production. Clearly we've been able to manage our roster where a lot of players have played important minutes and we made sure we balanced that out with the idea of we could win with those lineups."
The Fire's successful three-game run through the 2006 Open Cup has seen Sarachan dig into his deep roster, but two players in particular -- third-year goalkeeper Matt Pickens and rookie forward Calen Carr -- have used their Open Cup opportunities as a coming out party. The production both has allowed the duo to prove its value not only during a run to the final, but in helping the players earn valuable minutes in MLS play as well.
Pickens, the first-ever member of the Chicago Fire Premier PDL side to be drafted (2004) by its parent club, showed he could hold his own in Open Cup play by making three saves in a 2-0 shutout victory over the Kansas City Wizards in the Open Cup's fourth round. That performance was a precursor to more Open Cup success, as Pickens has posted an extraordinary 0.33 goals against average in the tournament, stopping 13 of the 14 shots he has faced over 270 minutes of play.
"As a goalkeeper, you need to play games," Sarachan said. "When you're not in the regular team as a starter you have to find those opportunities throughout the year, whether its Reserve League games, a regular game or a competition like the Open Cup. We made the decision right away that the Open Cup would be a good way to get Matt some games early on."
Another Open Cup win over New England in the quarterfinals helped even more, and when regular starter Zach Thornton went down to injury in late August, the Missouri State alum took over with confidence in a 2-1 victory over New York on Sept. 3 that saw him make seven saves to keep the game in the Fire's control.
That win marked the first of four straight league starts for Pickens, during which he has gone 3-1-0 and picked up his first career MLS shutout while allowing less than a goal a game (0.75). According to Sarachan, Pickens' first two Open Cup appearances foreshadowed what he's been able to show in MLS play.
"The best measurement is a real 90-minute match, and certainly in the competition like the Open Cup where, if you lose you're done, they're meaningful opportunities," Sarachan said. "Putting those two [wins] under his belt had to give him a lot of confidence as he's moved forward over the last few weeks."
On the other end of the field is Carr, who has been dangerous as a late threat in the Fire attack this season. Sarachan has opted to use Carr's deceptive speed to weaken tired legs in numerous regular season matches, bringing the rookie in as substitute in 16 of his 19 appearances for the 'Men in Red.'
But the Open Cup has been the time for Carr to shine, and the advantage of having his dangerous speed was never more apparent than on Sept. 6 in the semifinal, when the Cal-Berkeley product outran a D.C. United defender to one-timed a shot past a stunned Troy Perkins for a crucial insurance goal. Proving he's more than just speedy, Carr struck again in the 91st minute on a patient individual effort to cap the 3-0 rout and establish himself as another viable option in Sarachan's stable of young forwards. That performance gave the Carr three goals and an assist across three starts in Open Cup play, numbers that are tough to ignore.
"The statistics don't lie as far as what Calen's been able to produce for us in the Open Cup. You have more time to settle into a game when you're a starter, and I think when Calen did that he proved over 90 minutes that he was a capable player for us in terms of getting forward, being dangerous and creating chances," stated Sarachan. "What we saw of him in the Open Cup when he got more minutes certainly gives us an opportunity to think about him more as we move ahead both in the Open Cup competition and in league games."
Carr has shown that defenses can never count him out when he's on the field and as the season winds down he could be in more games than ever before. With late-season injuries to forward Chad Barrett (foot), Ivan Guerrero (hamstring), and Nate Jaqua (concussion), it is possible Carr will be called upon to transition his Open Cup-caliber play into Chicago's playoff run. The same can be said for Pickens, who will be itching to keep his new-found starting role once Thornton is back to full strength.
