SOLDIER FIELD
CHICAGO, Ill.
7:30 pm CT (no TV)
The Chicago Fire returned to the form that saw them rise swiftly up the Eastern Conference table last weekend, consolidating their second-place standing with a win against Real Salt Lake. They now start a vital stretch where they will see as many as four regulars gone for a month on Gold Cup duty. D.C. United come to town on a long layoff that certainly went over easier after two wins in a week against Eastern Conference opposition - including a wild win against the Fire at RFK Stadium just 11 days ago.
REFEREE: Kevin Terry. SAR (bench): Paul Scott; JAR (opposite): Jorge de la Bandera; 4th: Marcel Yonan
MLS Career: 107 games; FC/gm: 30.7; Y/gm: 2.9; R: 35; pens: 43
Games involving Fire: P22 W9 L8 T5; FC/gm: 31.6; Y/gm: 3.1; R: 10; pens: 11
Games involving United: P14 W7 L5 T2; FC/gm: 32.5; Y/gm: 2.8; R: 3; pens: 4
INJURY REPORT: CHICAGO FIRE: OUT: MD Craig Capano (L torn ACL); GK Matt Pickens (R groin strain); MF John Thorrington (L hamstring strain) ... D.C. UNITED - OUT: MF Steve Guppy (Achilles tendonitis); DF Bryan Namoff (hip flexor strain); FW Alecko Eskandarian (concussion); MF Nick Van Sicklen (quadriceps strain); DF Kenny Arena (ankle sprain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: CHI: MF Tony Sanneh, MF Chris Armas (USA; CONCACAF Gold Cup); FW Will Johnson (Canada; CONCACAF Gold Cup) ... DC: MF Ben Olsen; FW Santino Quaranta (USA; CONCACAF Gold Cup)
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS: CHI: Jesse Marsch (18 CP) ... DC: MF Josh Gros (20 CP)
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (22 meetings): Fire 9 wins (0 shootout), 34 goals ... United 9 wins (0 shootout), 34 goals ... 4 draws
AT CHICAGO (10 meetings): Fire 6 wins (0 shootout), 19 goals ... United 2 wins (0 shootout), 11 goals ... 2 draws
• This is the third of four matches between the Eastern Conference rivals this season, and the first of the two league encounters set for Soldier Field, having already concluded the Washington fixtures. They'll conclude the series in the Windy City on Aug. 6.
THIS YEAR
• United came away with a draw and a victory from their home half of the series this season. On April 9, the teams settled for a draw with goals on either side of halftime in United's home opener.
• Mike Petke put United ahead just before the break when he raced onto the end of a Christian Gomez freekick from the left flank and touched it home from close range (40).
• But just after the break the Fire pulled level when Mario Ivan Guerrero cleared the ball from right on the touchline and set rookie Chris Rolfe free in alone on United 'keeper Nick Rimando. He made no mistake for his first professional goal, driving a low shot home from just inside the penalty area.
LAST MEETING
• D.C. United ended a long goalless streak in style, twice coming back from deficits to claim a wild 4-3 victory against the Chicago Fire on June 15 at RFK Stadium.
• The Fire took the lead with two goals in eight minutes late in the first half. Chris Rolfe gave the Fire the lead when he snuck in as defender Brandon Prideaux casually dealt with a long ball played into the United box, the rookie striker deflecting past a stunned Nick Rimando (30). Then Nate Jaqua doubled the lead, Justin Mapp putting in a precise far post cross where Jaqua rose up to head past a stranded Rimando.
• But United pulled a goal two minutes before the break after Santino Quaranta was hauled down in the area and Jaime Moreno clinically converted from the spot for United's first goal in 323 minutes. Then two minutes after the restart, Christian Gomez tapped home a rolling Quaranta cross from the right corner that was helped on by a clever dummy from substitute Alecko Eskandarian.
• Yet Gonzalo Segares again nosed the Fire in front with his first professional goal, Rolfe chasing down the ball in the corner before laying it back for a first-time strike by the Costa Rican fullback (62).
• Gomez though responded with his second of the night, a near carbon-copy of his first, Kovalenko freed on the right before driving a low cross to the back post where the United midfielder had the simplest of touches (73).
• Rookie center back Bobby Boswell was then the unlikeliest of heroes from another unlikely source, defender David Stokes, who skipped down the right flank before floating a cross that fell at Boswell's feet at the far post and he made no mistake in putting the chance over Zach Thornton.
• Here's Peter Nowak's team (3-4-1-2): Nick Rimando - Brandon Prideaux (David Stokes 60), Bobby Boswell, John Wilson - Dema Kovalenko, Brian Carroll (Alecko Eskandarian 46), Ben Olsen, Joshua Gros - Christian Gomez (Clyde Simms 83) - Jaime Moreno, Santino Quaranta
• Here's Dave Sarachan's team (4-3-1-2): Zach Thornton - Logan Pause, Samuel Caballero, Tony Sanneh, Gonzalo Segares -Justin Mapp (Scott Buete 70), Jesse Marsch, Ivan Guerrero - Thiago - Nate Jaqua (Jim Curtin 83), Chris Rolfe (Lubos Reiter 66).
HISTORY
• A year ago, the Fire won the first three meetings between the teams before United claimed a victory in their final encounter.
• Chicago won the first meeting on April 24 at RFK Stadium as Damani Ralph scored the game's only goal (57), then Ralph hit for a hat trick for all the scoring at Soldier Field on June 5 (15, 55, 69).
• The Fire then claimed a 3-1 victory at home on Sept. 4 (og 29, Mapp 65, Gray 83 - Stewart 58), before United started their rampaging run to the MLS Cup title with a 3-1 victory at home on Sept. 18 (Gomez 8, Eskandarian 20, Olsen 40 - Williams 90 pen)
• United's victory on Sept. 18 ended a four-match Fire winning streak in the series. Streaks have been a feature of the series lately - that four-match Fire streak answered a two-game United winning streak, which had followed a string of three consecutive scoreless draws.
• Coaches record: Dave Sarachan vs. DC: P10 W4 L4 D2 ... Peter Nowak v CDC: P6 W2 L3 D1
CHICAGO FIRE
The Chicago Fire finally broke down the Real Salt Lake defense in a 3-1 home triumph on Sunday evening at Soldier Field. The Fire are still in second place in the Eastern Conference with 26 points from 16 matches, five behind the New England Revolution and five ahead of the Kansas City Wizards, now with the third-best record in MLS.
• Real 'keeper D.J. Countess did his share to keep the Fire off the board in the first half, but the home side eventually strolled out 3-1 winners.
• The Fire couldn't break down Real until after the break, when Thiago finished with aplomb. A long ball found Chris Rolfe on the right, and he put in a low cross that found the Brazilian after a wonderful dummy from Nate Jaqua, Thiago hammering a high shot home (53).
• But Real equalized nine minutes later with their second goal in as many matches after seeing their goalless streak end after an MLS record 557 minutes at midweek. After winning a free kick straight out from goal, Jason Kreis nearly tore the panels off the ball in driving it through a gap in the Fire wall from 25 yards, Chicago 'keeper Zach Thornton nearly overpowered by the blast.
• Yet Chicago responded just seven minutes later, Jaqua flicking on a header into the Real area where Rolfe flipped it over a retreating defender with his first touch before slotting home past Countess.
• Then two minutes from the end Herron completed the scoreline when an Ivan Guerrero pass out of midfield sent him in alone on the Real 'keeper, and he neatly sidestepped him before rolling the ball into the empty net.
• Fire coach Dave Sarachan made no changes to the team that played to a 1-1 draw with the Kansas City Wizards the previous Saturday at Soldier Field. Here's Sarachan's team (4-1-3-2): Zach Thornton - Logan Pause (Andy Herron 73), Jim Curtin, Gonzalo Segares, Ivan Guerrero - Chris Armas - Tony Sanneh, Thiago, Justin Mapp (C.J. Brown 85) - Nate Jaqua, Chris Rolfe (Jesse Marsch 88).
• "We talk about a complete game. I wouldn't say this was a complete game, but it was as close to complete in terms of concentration, ball movement, guys being active and, obviously, finishing goals. Three [points] at home is important and these are important three points, and so we're pleased and now we look ahead for a quick turnaround for Wednesday's game," Sarachan said.
TEAM NEWS
• After moving to the substitutes' bench for four consecutive matches as his long ever-present streak was put to an end, Jim Curtin was credited with a pair of assists on Sunday, his second consecutive match back in the first XI.
• "We feel from top to bottom, in our roster, we're very deep and there was a stretch early on where defensively we were giving up goals. It wasn't just Jimmy. It was a combination of a number of things. We monitor training, we look at guys' form and we felt that a change was needed at that time," Sarachan said. "Jimmy never put his head down and worked, worked, worked. He got an opportunity to get back in there because of his form and he's done fine."
• The United match will be the third at home in a row for the Fire, and in a string of eight games at Soldier Field in a 10-game span from June 18 to Aug. 13
• "Six of our next eight games are at home, and I asked the team 'why can't we get 18 points in that stretch?', said Chris Armas "I said a few games ago to the team that we should get 30 points in our next 10 matches. Since I said that, we've gotten seven out of a potential 12 points," he said.
• There will be some challenges though. National team call-ups for the CONCACAF Gold Cup will affect up to five players including Samuel Caballero (Honduras), Ivan Guerrero (Honduras), Andy Herron (Costa Rica), Chris Armas (USA) and Tony Sanneh (USA). Armas and Sanneh have already left to join Bruce Arena's team; the Central Americans will leave after the United match.
• Sarachan is unfazed. "We are going to miss those guys, I don't want to downplay that, but we feel that from top to bottom our roster is very deep."
• 16 players have started five or more games for the Fire this season as they've reached the halfway point of their campaign. A year ago, Chicago claimed just 33 points; this year they have 26 points through the first 16 games.
• "Our system is pretty much in place, and the players have an understanding of that now," said Sarachan. " ... We have competition everyday at training which is important. It's not perfect, but at each area of the field, we are making progress. From Game 1 to Game 16 we have improved."
D.C. UNITED
D.C. United return to action after a lengthy layoff, their last match a 2-0 victory against the New England Revolution 10 days ago at RFK Stadium. United are still in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, a point out of the playoffs at the moment behind the MetroStars and two behind third-place Kansas City Wizards. They trail the conference-leading Revolution by 12 points.
• Two goals within three minutes sent United on their way to the first defeat of the Revolution on the campaign, New England's 11-game run falling one short of the league record to start a season.
• Santino Quaranta gave United a dream start, a free kick swung in from the right somehow finding its way to him beyond the far post, and he headed home despite a valiant effort from Jay Heaps on the line to keep it out (10).
• Then just two minutes later Jaime Moreno reprised a goal from early in his standout career, slaloming through three defenders in the Revolution penalty area after a run from the left flank before sliding the ball home.
• Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis kept his side in the game in the first half, twice stopping Moreno when he was through clean on goal. After the break, United goalkeeper Nick Rimando did his part, making a number of quality saves to keep the clean sheet.
• United boss Peter Nowak made no changes to the team that captured a wild 4-3 victory against the Chicago Fire the previous Wednesday at home. Here's Nowak's team (3-4-1-2): Nick Rimando - Brandon Prideaux, Bobby Boswell, John Wilson (David Stokes 46) - Dema Kovalenko, Brian Carroll, Ben Olsen, Joshua Gros - Christian Gomez (Clyde Simms 58) - Jaime Moreno, Santino Quaranta (Alecko Eskandarian 73)
• "The second half wasn't pretty, but all you can say is just that the guys played their third game in six days and you could start to see that their brains didn't work the way they wanted. But the heart was there and the effort was great and Nick [Rimando] in the goal was outstanding and he kept us in the game. I'm a little worried about Alecko [Eskandarian, who suffered a concussion late in the game], but there was great effort from these guys all week starting with New York and then to the game on Wednesday and win tonight. But like I said, I'm always proud of this team, their heart is there and the effort was very good and tonight for the first 45 minutes the soccer part was excellent."
TEAM NEWS
• Nick Rimando was somewhat left to the wolves in the second half against New England and responded with 10 saves in all on the night. "We actually tried to keep the line high," said center back Bobby Boswell, "but it's the third game in a week and we got a little tired. As long as we don't have pressure on the ball, the back can't really hold the line high. So we got a little bit more than we'd like."
• On Monday, Santino Quaranta was added to the U.S. roster for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, and left to join the team in Portland, Ore. for training. He could be lost to United for nearly a month, a blow to the United lineup. He had started four consecutive matches partnering Jaime Moreno in attack, and in the last two United games had a goal and two assists.
• "Santino is very mobile and always seems to find a good spot on the field. He can play as a withdrawn forward or play as a striker up front. We gave him a chance and today he earned it with a goal. He is doing what it takes right now to stay in the starting lineup, but like I said, with everyone its work and work and work," Nowak said. "We gave him a chance and he took his opportunity and played very well. I think he fits in very well right now and a lot of the other guys want to help him."
• Said Quaranta:"I feel more mature and smarter than my first year. [Early in my career, there] were tough times; everybody goes through tough times. I overcame it and in the end it always works out."
• After the victory, Nowak gave his team five days in a sort of midseason vacation. It quickly comes to an end beginning with the Fire match, which starts an eight-match sprint in less than a month (including the high-profile friendly against Chelsea FC on July 28).
