CHICAGO FIRE vs CHIVAS USA
7 p.m. CT (ESPN2/Deportes)
TOYOTA PARK, Bridgeview, Ill.
Oct. 22, 2009 (WEEK 32) / MLS Game #218
For the Chicago Fire, their path to the MLS Cup Playoffs is simple: A win or draw Thursday vs. Chivas USA and they have secured a place in the top eight overall. They could still qualify with a loss, but it will mean a tense weekend of scoreboard watching. While Chivas has already claimed their spot in the postseason, they have another prize to chase - the Supporters' Shield. The Red-and-White trail overall leader Columbus by four points, but have a game in hand. The first time the two clubs met, it was a wild game at The Home Depot Center, with five goals between the teams, three coming from the penalty spot, including the winner by the Chicago Fire six minutes into second-half stoppage time.
REFEREE:
Terry Vaughn. SAR (bench): Peter Balciunas; JAR (opposite): Joe Fletcher; 4th: Paul Ward
MLS Career: 121 games; FC/gm: 28.9; Y/gm: 3.9; R: 42; pens: 38
INJURY REPORT:
CHICAGO FIRE - OUT: MF John Thorrington (athletic pubalgia); DF Tim Ward (L metatarsal fracture); QUESTIONABLE: DF Wilman Conde (R hip contusion); DF Gonzalo Segares (L knee MCL sprain) ... CHIVAS USA - OUT: DF Jim Curtin (L ankle surgery); MF Kevin Harmse (R knee tendonitis); GK Dan Kennedy (R knee surgery); FW Ante Razov (R ankle tendonitis); MF Bojan Stepanovic (R knee injury); MF Sasha Victorine (concussion); DF Claudio Suárez (R hamstring strain); QUESTIONABLE: GK Lance Parker (R quad strain); MF Chukwudi Chijindu (L foot contusion); PROBABLE: MF Paulo Nagamura (L foot contusion)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES:
none
SUSPENDED:
none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: CHI: Chris Rolfe, Gonzalo Segares ... CHV: Eduardo Lillingston, Jesse Marsch
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: CHI: Jon Busch, Justin Mapp, Tim Ward ... CHV: Yamith Cuesta, Sacha Kljestan, Paulo Nagamura, Bojan Stepanovic, Mariano Trujillo
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (9 meetings): Fire 4 wins, 12 goals ... Chivas USA 4 wins, 11 goals ... Ties 1
AT CHICAGO (4 meetings): Fire 2 wins, 7 goals ... Chivas USA 2 wins, 5 goals ... Ties 0
• The teams split their season series last year, each winning on the other's home ground, the Fire victory at Toyota Park ending a five-game winless streak against Chivas USA.
• After winning the two meetings in Chivas USA's inaugural season, the Fire lost four of the next five meetings from 2006-08.
• Until the five-goal bonanza in the first meeting this year, goals has been hard to come by over the previous seven meetings between the teams. Chivas USA scored just seven over that time, while the Fire scored four. Four of the seven games ended in 1-0 scorelines, each winning team winning two.
• Coaches record: Denis Hamlett vs. CHV: P3 W2 L1 D0 ... Preki v CHI: P5 W2 L3 D0
LAST MEETING (MLS):
5/28: CHV 2, CHI 3 (Nagamura 16; Galindo 37 pen - Blanco 25 pen, 96+ pen; Nyarko 89)
• The Chicago Fire got the equalizer in the final two minutes of normal time and the winner in stoppage time, defeating Chivas USA 3-2 in the first meeting of the teams this season in a top-of-the-table clash on May 28.
• The match was played at a playoff pitch, and Chivas pulled ahead just 16 minutes into the game. Paulo Nagamura took the ball well out from goal and decided to have a go from all of 30 yards, hitting a dipping, knuckling shot that skipped past Jon Busch and inside the right post.
• But nine minutes later, the Fire drew level. On a ball played into the area, Wilman Conde was pulled down by Chivas defender Shavar Thomas, and after conferring with his linesman, referee Terry Vaughn pointed to the spot. Cuauhtémoc Blanco converted the penalty, sending it to Zach Thornton's right.
• Yet 12 minutes later Chivas were back in front with a penalty of their own. Maykel Galindo tried to round Bakary Soumare at the byeline, and after the Mali international tripped him up, Vaughn again pointed to the spot. Galindo finished off his own spot kick.
• In the 63rd minute, Chivas went a man down when Jesse Marsch was sent off for a second bookable offense. In all, Vaughn showed 10 yellow cards plus the red for the second booking.
• The Fire began to take control and finally hit for the leveler in the 89th minute. A through ball was deflected into the right of the area and substitute Patrick Nyarko was first to it, lifting over a sliding Thornton coming off his line, his first goal since March 28.
• Then Fire hit for the dramatic winner. A cross came in from the right, and when Chivas defender Mariano Trujillo and Brian McBride tangled with the Fire striker going to ground, Vaughn again pointed to the spot. Six minutes into stoppage time, Blanco again converted, to the great delight of a number of fans who had come to cheer on the Mexican international icon.
• Here's Preki's team (4-4-2): Zach Thornton - Mariano Trujillo, Carey Talley, Shavar Thomas, Jonathan Bornstein - Sacha Kljestan, Jesse Marsch, Paulo Nagamura, Atiba Harris (Jim Curtin 92+) - Maykel Galindo (Chukwudi Chijindu 82), Eduardo Lillingston (Sasha Victorine 64). Substitutes Not Used: Bojan Stepanovic, Alecko Eskandarian, Gerson Mayen, Lance Parker
• Here's Hamlett's team (4-4-1-1): Jon Busch - Tim Ward (Patrick Nyarko 72), Wilman Conde, Bakary Soumare, Gonzalo Segares (Baggio Husidic 83) - Chris Rolfe, Logan Pause, John Thorrington, Marco Pappa (Justin Mapp 59) - Cuauhtemoc Blanco - Brian McBride. Substitutes Not Used: Mike Banner, C.J. Brown, Andrew Dykstra, Brandon Prideaux
CHICAGO FIRE
The Chicago Fire saw their winless streak reach six games and ensured their playoff bid will go down to the final week, playing to a scoreless draw Saturday with the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium. The Fire have 42 points from 29 matches, now seven points behind the Columbus Crew in the Eastern Conference.
LAST MATCH
• The Fire hadn't won in five games, but could still clinch their postseason place with a victory. The Revolution could not be eliminated with a loss, but were riding a three-game winless streak of their own.
• In the end, neither team could break through for a decisive goal. Jon Busch made seven saves in the Chicago goal while New England's Matt Reis contributed four.
• There was a dramatic incident in the 62nd minute when Chris Rolfe went down in the area as Reis slid to knock the ball away with the Fire striker in alone on goal, but referee Jorge Gonzalez booked Rolfe for simulation.
• Fire head coach Denis Hamlett made three changes to the team that lost 1-0 to the Los Angeles Galaxy on Oct. 2. Dasan Robinson came in for Wilman Conde on the back line, while Chris Rolfe and Baggio Husidic came into the midfield in place of Justin Mapp and Peter Lowry.
• Here's Hamlett's team (4-1-3-2): Jon Busch - Brandon Prideaux, C.J. Brown, Dasan Robinson, Mike Banner - Logan Pause - Chris Rolfe (Calen Carr 90), Baggio Husidic, Marco Pappa (Cuauhtemoc Blanco 68) - Patrick Nyarko (Daniel Woolard 91+), Brian McBride. Substitutes Not Used: Andrew Dykstra, Peter Lowry, Justin Mapp, Austin Washington
• "The first half we did well, but to start the second half, I wasn't happy with it. I thought that we just weren't sharp enough. I thought our concentration was a little down," Hamlett said. "As a result, they started to get some half-chances, some quarter-chances, in front of our goal. We weathered that storm and started to get our legs back, and had some good chances after that."
TEAM NEWS
• The Fire could have clinched a playoff spot (and home-field advantage for an Eastern Conference Semifinal Series) with a win in New England. They now enter the last game of the season knowing a win or a draw will ensure their place in the top eight - but a loss could still leave them outside the postseason, depending on the weekend's other results.
• "These games are never easy. There's a lot of pressure on both teams trying to get in the playoffs, and it makes for good games. I thought [Saturday's] game was pretty good, pretty competitive, both teams fighting. For the most part, there was some decent soccer played on both sides," Hamlett said. "I thought we created chances, but couldn't quite get the one."
• It was the first shutout for the Fire since a string of five clean sheets in a six-game span July 11-Aug. 16. Over the previous seven games, Chicago had conceded 11 goals.
• "I'm proud of the boys for digging in and scrapping. With that mentality going into the playoffs, we'll be in good shape defensively," said goalkeeper Jon Busch. "We had some chances, but just couldn't get that last pass or that last touch, but defensively I'm very happy because we got a clean sheet and that's what we've been working on the last few weeks."
• Once again, the Fire were missing three first-choice defenders in Wilman Conde (right hip contusion), Gonzalo Segares (left MCL sprain) and Tim Ward (left metatarsal fracture).
• (Battling) is what we've prided ourselves, at least since I've been in Chicago, and from what I was told, that's how we've been since '98," said Chris Rolfe. "We competed and played well tonight, and as a whole, we came together and played real hard tonight."
• The raft of injuries this season has allowed Hamlett to blood some youngsters in league play. Against the Revolution, the backline featured 25-year-old Dasan Robinson and 25-year-old (as of Tuesday) Mike Banner, a converted midfielder; 22-year-old first-round draft pick Baggio Husidic came into the team for 24-year-old Peter Lowry; and 23-year-old Patrick Nyarko started up top alongside Brian McBride.
• "I think our young guys this year have stepped up to the challenge," Hamlett said. "Given the fact of the injuries and all of the games we have had, they have played important games and important minutes and have been able to develop well."
CHIVAS USA
Chivas USA extended their unbeaten run to six games but were still stretched, forced to come back for a 2-2 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday at The Home Depot Center. Chivas have 45 points from 28 matches, now in a tie for first place in the Western Conference with the LA Galaxy and Houston Dynamo, with a game in hand over both.
LAST MATCH
• Both teams had already learned their postseason places. Chivas USA had clinched a place the week before, but still in the hunt for the Western Conference top seed and the Supporters' Shield, while the Earthquakes were one of three teams eliminated by kickoff.
• The home side got off to a bright start. Sacha Kljestan won the ball in midfield and sent Maykel Galindo free with a perfect pass up the center of the park. Galindo stroked it under goalkeeper Andrew Weber for his fourth goal and the seventh-minute opener.
• But the Quakes leveled the score in the 21st minute. A free kick was played down the right touchline and Shea Salinas hooked in a cross, finding Brandon McDonald who headed home for his first professional goal.
• San Jose then remarkably took the lead in the 57th minute. Again it came from a set piece, Chris Leitch swinging in a free kick from the right and Ryan Johnson getting up at the back post to loop a header over Zach Thornton and inside the right post for his 11th goal on the season.
• But Chivas was able to come up with the equalizer. Ante Jazic played in an early cross from the left and Justin Braun was able to get a head on it ahead of the onrushing Weber, the ball settling into the back of the net for his third goal on the year and his third in the last three meetings with San Jose.
• Chivas USA coach Preki made one change to the team that defeated the Kansas City Wizards 2-0 the week before at The Home Depot Center. Jonathan Bornstein returned from international duty and came in for Claudio Suarez in central defense, while Jesse Marsch took the place of Jesus Padilla in midfield.
• Here's Preki's team (4-4-2): Zach Thornton - Carey Talley, Jonathan Bornstein, Yamith Cuesta, Ante Jazic - Michael Lahoud (Jesus Padilla 65), Jesse Marsch (Maicon Santos 58), Paulo Nagamura, Sacha Kljestan - Justin Braun, Maykel Galindo (Eduardo Lillingston 77). Substitutes Not Used: Jon Conway, Jorge Flores, Shavar Thomas, Mariano Trujillo
TEAM NEWS
• The draw, combined with the LA Galaxy-Houston draw the next day, left the three clubs tied atop the Western Conference. But Chivas, with six available points, hold the inside track on the top seed in the division and home-field advantage throughout the MLS Cup Playoffs.
• "We'd like to have been three points clear." said Talley. "... The parity in the league is showing to some extent with seven or eight teams battling for what feels like one spot. I think we've done ourselves a favor by going up one with a game in hand. But we've got Chicago on Thursday, then come home and play a big game on Sunday against a big rival of ours."
• Four points is enough to move Chivas to the top of the conference, especially if the victory comes Sunday against Houston. However, the Red-and-White can still finish anywhere from first to fourth.
• "Either way, we've got to beat these teams," said Talley. "We shouldn't be wanting other teams to do poorly just so we can go through. We want our destiny in our own hands. I know that going into Chicago and coming out with at least a tie is on everybody's mind."
• Chivas allowed their first goal in 207 minutes with the opener, after back-to-back shutouts for victories. It was also the first time since May 28 that Chivas USA had conceded more than one goal at The Home Depot Center.
• "We created many chances. I felt we dominated on that side, but we don't put the ball in the net. You're not always going to rely on defense to bail you out with zero goals against," Preki said. "Sometimes there's going to be a night, there are games where you can score three or four goals, and that's been hard for us this year."
• After playing the hero from his left back position four nights earlier for the U.S. national team, Jonathan Bornstein returned to his club - where he slotted into a central defense role.
• "It's a little different than outside, you have a little bit less attack going on in the game, but it's also taught me a lot about defensive positioning, getting myself in a good spot prior to plays breaking down and coming down the field. So it's good for me that I'm learning that," he said.
