D.C. UNITED vs CHICAGO FIRE
RFK MEMORIAL STADIUM, Washington, D.C.
March 28, 2009 (WEEK 2) / MLS Game #10
7:30 p.m. ET (My50 Chi.)
One of the more heated rivalries in the Eastern Conference over the past few years will be renewed when D.C. United open the home portion of their 2009 campaign by entertaining the Chicago Fire. United were 10 minutes away from coming away with a road victory in their season opener, only to see Landon Donovan score twice in leading the LA Galaxy back to a 2-2 draw. The Fire conceded an early goal at FC Dallas, but then came storming back for a 3-1 victory to get their season off on the right foot.
REFEREE:
Mark Geiger. SAR (bench): Thomas Supple; JAR (opposite): Bill Dittmar; 4th: Andrew Chapin
MLS Career: 48 games; FC/gm: 29.9; Y/gm: 4.0; R: 9; pens: 20
INJURY REPORT:
D.C. UNITED - QUESTIONABLE: MF Fred (hamstring strain); MF Santino Quaranta (hamstring strain); MF Devon McTavish (head laceration); DF Greg Janicki (head laceration); PROBABLE: GK Louis Crayton (hip flexor strain) ... CHICAGO FIRE - OUT: FW Peter Lowry (L knee sprain); FW Calen Carr (L ACL tear); QUESTIONABLE: DF Brandon Prideaux (R knee sprain); DF Dasan Robinson (L hamstring strain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES:
CHI: Gonzalo Segares (Costa Rica; vs Mexico, March 28); Bakary Soumare (Mali; vs Sudan, March 28)
SUSPENDED:
none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (34 meetings): United 14 wins, 51 goals ... Fire 13 wins, 50 goals ... Ties 7
AT RFK STADIUM (17 meetings): United 9 wins, 29 goals ... Fire 5 wins, 21 goals ... Ties 3
RETURN MATCH: 6/13: Chicago Fire at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m. ET; 8/29: D.C. United at Chicago Fire, 7:30 p.m. CT
LAST YEAR (MLS):
5/8: DC 0, CHI 2 (Mapp 38; Blanco 62)
6/7: CHI 1, DC 2 (Barrett 27 - Moreno 63; Emilio 90);
8/16: CHI 0, DC 1 (Fred 27)
• A season ago, the road team won all three meetings, with United winning twice at Toyota Park and the Fire taking the lone match at RFK Stadium.
• The Fire have won two of the last four league meetings at RFK Stadium (with a scoreless draw in a third), while United have come away with points in four of five trips all-time to Toyota Park in league play, winning two with two draws.
• The Fire have dumped United out of the MLS Cup Playoffs three of the past six seasons, all on the odd years. Chicago won four of the six games in those three playoff series, winning two in each city with a draw, posting five shutouts in all.
• Coaches record: Tom Soehn vs. CHI: P6 W3 L1 D2 ... Denis Hamlett v DC: P3 W1 L2 D0
D.C. UNITED
With 10 minutes left to play in their season opener, D.C. United held a two-goal lead against the Los Angeles Galaxy. But Landon Donovan hit for two goals as the teams ended in a 2-2 deadlock Sunday afternoon at The Home Depot Center. United are tied for fourth place in the Eastern Conference with Columbus, behind first-week winners Chicago, Toronto and New England.
LAST MATCH
• The very first MLS Cup finalists were meeting after both missed out on the playoffs a season ago.
• United had a two-goal lead on the road midway through the second half. Christian Gomez converted a penalty a minute before halftime after Galaxy midfielder Dema Kovalenko was ruled to have tripped him in the box.
• Then in the 62nd minute, Chris Pontius cut into the box from the left flank and swung home a curling blast inside the far post.
• But Landon Donovan pulled the Galaxy back with two goals in the final 10 minutes. First he converted a penalty of his own in the 80th minute, after Rodney Wallace was whistled for a handball in the area, and then five minutes later he headed home a Kyle Patterson cross from the left while all alone behind the United back line to secure a point for the home side.
• D.C. United head coach Tom Soehn opened the season with three in the back and Ben Olsen in a deep-lying central midfield role. He also gave a start to rookie Chris Pontius in attack, with Jaime Moreno kept on the bench as a reserve.
• Here's Soehn's team (3-4-1-2): Josh Wicks - Bryan Namoff, Dejan Jakovic, Greg Janicki - Devon McTavish (Marc Burch 79), Ben Olsen (Thabiso Khumalo 72), Clyde Simms, Rodney Wallace - Christian Gomez (Andrew Jacobson 83) - Luciano Emilio, Chris Pontius
• "I think we come away a little disappointed. I thought we deserved a little bit more. Especially in the opening games of the season, there is a lot of turmoil. You never know what to expect," Soehn said.
TEAM NEWS
• Chris Pontius made his professional debut, starting in the second striker spot ahead of all-time MLS leading scorer Jaime Moreno, but the rookie from nearby Yorba Linda marked his bow with a well-taken goal.
• "Took a little bit for him to get going, but once he got his rhythm he showed a lot of his qualities from spring training," Soehn said. "One of the reasons why we drafted him is he's a smart player, he's athletic, he's got a knack to score goals. I thought he had a good (game) for a debut."
• Following the match, Soehn was also bothered by the reaction to the clash of heads between Devon McTavish and Greg Janicki. McTavish needed seven medical staples in the top of the his scalp and Janicki took eight stitches in his forehead to stop profuse bleeding. The players were off the field for about five minutes, returning just as the handball was called leading to the Galaxy's first goal.
• Both players are questionable for this weekend. "I've been a little tired, a little groggy, spacing out," Janicki said to The Washington Post. "I'm going to sit out a few days this week, but I'm hoping to be ready. I think I will have more tests to make sure I'm OK."
• The three other starters out for the opener are also not expected to be available. Midfielders Santino Quaranta and Fred have hamstring injuries, while goalkeeper Louis Crayton has a hip flexor strain.
• Moreno was ready to come into the game as a substitute in the 75th minute, but the injuries to McTavish and Janicki changed that plan, though those two did finish out the match.
• "We wanted to make sure one of them was going to come back in, so we adjusted," Soehn told The Post. "It took us a little bit to get it out because they wouldn't let them in unless they changed their [bloody] jerseys. There was a lot of turmoil at the bench until we could get it done."
• For Olsen, it was his first start in an MLS game since November 2007, in the second game of the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series against Chicago. He was able to play just 15 league minutes a season ago as his ankle difficulties continued.
• "I think we were all kind of waiting to see what I had to offer," Olsen said. "And personally I'm very happy with how it went. I thought I held up better than probably most people expected and maybe exceeded my expectations, but adrenaline and Extra Strength Tylenol and other things gets you through things sometimes."
• United are now winless in their last 10 away league matches, losing seven and drawing three, and have lost 16 of their last 21 away matches (with three draws) in all competitions since the start of 2008.
CHICAGO FIRE
The Chicago Fire conceded a stunning early goal, but turned the game around and strolled from there, coming away from Pizza Hut Park with a 3-1 victory last Saturday night. The Fire are tied atop the Eastern Conference along with first-week winners Toronto FC and New England.
LAST MATCH
• The Brimstone Cup rivals were meeting to open the season in a rivalry dominated by FC Dallas. And it was the home side that took the lead after nine minutes in stunning fashion. Receiving the ball in the center circle on his side of halfway, Cooper launched a long drive that sailed over the head of Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch and into the upper corner.
• But the Fire took the lead with goals on either side of halftime. Justin Mapp took a pass in the left side of the area and powered it home inside the far post to pull Chicago level (38), then Brian McBride converted a penalty kick six minutes after the break after Drew Moor was adjudged to have handled the ball.
• In stoppage time, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, who came on as a 79th-minute substitute, whipped home a free kick around the wall and inside Dario Sala's left-hand post to round out the Fire's first win at Dallas since the 1999 season, and their first victory in the series in four seasons.
• Fire head coach Denis Hamlett elected to start Cuauhtemoc Blanco on the bench as he returns to fitness after knee swelling during the offseason. Chris Rolfe also began on the bench as he comes back into shape, with John Thorrington playing centrally and Marco Pappa wide on the right.
• Here's Hamlett's team (4-1-3-2): Jon Busch - Tim Ward, Wilman Conde, Bakary Soumare, Gonzalo Segares - Logan Pause - Marco Pappa (Cuauhtemoc Blanco 79), John Thorrington, Justin Mapp (Daniel Woolard 79) - Brian McBride, Patrick Nyarko (Chris Rolfe 73)
• "We were playing pretty well to start the game; to get that [first] goal I think it sort of rewarded us a little bit," said Hamlett. "We readjusted ourselves at halftime and talked about a few things and came out with a good start in the second half and get another timely goal with a PK."
TEAM NEWS
• The Fire will be without two starters on the back line this weekend, with Gonzalo Segares and Bakary Soumare away on international duty. Segares has been called in Costa Rica's national team for a World Cup qualifier against Mexico at Estadio Azteca on Saturday, while Soumare will be in Mali's squad for its World Cup qualifier against Sudan.
• With Chris Rolfe and Cuauhtemoc Blanco out of the starting lineup, Marco Pappa was given the start on the right flank, and he and Justin Mapp provided much of the attacking thrust from the wings.
• "We felt that our wide guys are dynamic, they can go inside or outside, and we felt when we had our opportunity with Justin or whoever it was out wide against Justin, he can beat people off the dribble and get behind them," Hamlett said. "He is realizing that it's not just about getting the ball at his feet, its about setting the guy up in different ways and tonight the way we got that second goal was a prime example so it's good for him."
• The Fire had just one newcomer in their lineup from the 2008 squad - right back Tim Ward, an offseason pickup on waivers after playing with the Colorado Rapids. He replaced the injured Brandon Prideaux.
• "I've known Timmy for a long time and am happy for him," Hamlett said. "I think he's a kid that for four years in the league was sort of lost between three different teams. We got him in our camp this year and I think this kid has got a bright future ahead of him. He's very composed on the ball, can use both feet, has got great vision, can pass out of the back, likes to get forward and is a good defender.
• Blanco was kept out of the starting lineup after knee swelling in the preseason cut down on his fitness. However, in the 11 minutes he was on the field, he certainly made a difference, capping it with a tremendous free kick goal.
• "He always wants to play 90 minutes," Hamlett said of Blanco. "The important thing is to do what's best for the team. He has only had 10 days of preseason. He's getting fit and stronger. The guy is a big-time player. He played eight or 10 minutes and could have had two goals. He got one tonight and we will continue to push him along."
• Blanco made news during the week when he announced the 2009 season will be his last with the Fire.
• "I'm leaving this year," Blanco said. "My contract will be done, and I will leave happy because I have great teammates. It's a decision I made. I'm going to look for other options ... I want to return to Mexico or see offers [in MLS] from another team, but this is my last year with the Fire. I think I've made an impact here. But when this season ends, I'll look for other options.
