Tuesday, December 25, 2012

What I want for the 2013 season.

As we sit and open presents and share Christmas cheer with our loved ones, I can't help but think of some wishes for the beloved CF97. Well here are just a few of my wishes:

1. To have our cup back. We need to get the Open Cup back home in Chicago. We found out last year that no matter the opponent we have to take it seriously. I will never forget the words of my dad "No matter who you are playing and no matter the tournament you always put the best team on the field that you can".

2. The next thing on my list is that the Fire finally acquiring the CAM and proven goal scorer that this team needs. We may have the goal scorer position already filled if we keep Rolfe playing up top with Macdonald. In order to do that we need a proper CAM that can take over and create those chances so we can let Rolfe and Macdonald do their thing.

3. The final thing on my list is that the Fire set their sights higher. In 2012 Frank and company said their goal was to make the playoffs. Now that that goal has been achieved maybe they can have set their sights on the top of the league and the MLS cup. I hope they do this because I for one am tired of mediocrity. Mid-table is not good enough for a team that set a standard by winning the double in their first year. It's about time that we get back to that standard and accept nothing less.

Well that's it, I hope all of you have a great holidays and hope that there will be great things for us fans and the club in 2013. Look for more from me here and also at Hot Time in Old Town.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Season Opener and Home Opener Announced as Well as Some Other News

This week the MLS released the home openers for all 19 teams which you can find here. Also CONCACAF announced the Champions League quarterfinal dates here. So what does this mean for Frank and the boys? We travel to LA to take on the defending MLS Cup champion on March 3rd. This would be a good chance to see what the 2013 versn of the Fire will be like. The interesting thing is that LA may choose to rest players before their clash against Herediano in Coasta Rica on the 7th. On the 9th we will get to fill Toyota Park for the home opener versus Chad Barrett and the New England Revolution, followed by a visit to Kansas City on the 14th. Right now I'm calling 5 or more points from the first 3 games a good thing.

Some quickies:
  • Julian Posada has left the Fire. Question is when did he show up?
  • SKC signed a DP in forward Claudio Bieler. Never heard of him? Neither have I.
  • New Jersey has signed Juninho but still no coach
Well thats it for now, I will doing fewer posts on here in the future as I will be contributing some articles over at Hot Time In Old Town. So look over there for my musings, but I will still try to post here on a regular basis.

Saturday, December 8, 2012

1st Phase Has Come and Gone........Wait What?

So the 1st phase of the quasi free agency draft happened yesterday afternoon and there was only one selection that took place. The Fire selected Maicon Dos Santos in the 1st phase. Now earlier this week I had highlighted one of the players that I could see that could help the Fire out and Maicon was one of them. I just did not expect them to select him in the first phase. What this means is that the Fire now have a player that they can make an offer to and that offer basically has to match what his option would have been for the 2013 season. According to the MLSPU Maicon made roughly $113K in 2012 and I assume that is about what he was slated for in 2013.

Now do I like this move? Yes, but I also have a reservation about it also. Now Maicon showed early in the 2012 season that he could be deadly from outside the box. He scored a couple goals for DC that were absolute rockets from 20 yards or more out. He can handle the physically side of the game and as a bench player he should be able to provide a spark coming into games in the 2nd half. Now there are some downsides to Maicon. He has shown inconsistency over the years which has led him to being bounced around the league. I think that the inconsistency is something that can hurt this team but, using Oduro as an example, maybe Maicon just needs a different situation to be in to thrive. This move also provides cover at forward since we all know that Franco is not going to be back with the team in 2013. Well that's all I have time for today but look for my next thoughts to be about why the transfer market maybe be a bit barren for the Fire and trying to predict what Frank has in mind for 2013.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

A Look at the Re-entry Draft

So tomorrow will be phase one of the re-entry draft for the MLS. Here is a link for all of the players that are available for the draft. I'm not going to go through every single name that's on the list but just touch on the Fire players and some interesting names that could possibly work for the Fire. So the Fire declined the options of Nolly, Bone, and Segares. The first two names were not surprising to me considering Bone was projected to graduate as a Generation Adidas player and Nolly found himself third choice behing Johnson and Tornaghi. Segares was a very big surprise to me considering he has been one of the best left backs in the league since he first started playing in the MLS. Frank must have a plan otherwise he would not have done this to a fan favorite and a player that brings some grit and physical play to the team. There have been ideas tossed around why this was done and the two that make sense to me are: 1. They will try to negotiate a lower price with him because he was due to make over $200K in 2013, or 2. They have someone else in mind to take over at that position for a far cheaper salary. I'm leaning towards the first one because he is a fan favorite, and like Nyarko and Rolfe he really enjoys playing here and loves this city. Moving on here are a few names that I think would help fill our need for depth at certain positions. Now let me point out that I think these would be good for us if we draft them in the second phase of the process because that way the team would be able to negotiate a deal at a lower salary. The only names that stuck out were Ike Opara, Danny Califf, and Maicon Dos Santos. The first two would provide depth and MLS experience at center back. Opara is still young but has had injury problems over the past year but he did show a ton of promise in his rookie season. Califf you know what you're going to get with him. A center back that is very physical and doesn't mind doing the dirty work. The major knock on Califf is that he is 32 but he could provide some experienced back up for Berry and Freidrich. Maicon Dos Santos could provide us with a forward off the banch that is not afraid to shoot. With Oduro coming out and saying he doesn't like playing off the bench there is the possibility that he may be shipped off somewhere else via trade or just cut loose. Santos could be a player that could hellp us out after scoring 7 goals for DC last seaon and only being 28 might be a good utility player as long as the price is not very high. Other than that i don't think there are many other names on that list that the Fire could use(insert Chad Barret joke here). Thats about it for today, look for another post this coming Saturday recapping the first phase of the re-entry draft and some other thoughts of the player movement for the Fire.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

My Attempt to Try to Figure Out the Short Game and Other Musings

If you follow me on the Twitterverse(@firefan1998) or read this blog you would come to realize some tactics that really bother me. One tactic that the Fire choose to employ is the short goal kick. I know it has its perks but at the same time it also has its down falls. Follow me as I try to explain both sides and explain why Klopas should employ this more randomly throughout the season.

One positive that I can think of is the fact that you are able to keep position allowing the ball to find its way forward to create attacking opportunities instead of lofting a 50/50 ball towards the half line. This can work if you have the proper players on the field that can make this work. The key is having that CAM that can collect the ball from the defense and turn and create some space in order to link up with the attacking players, be it with the forwards or the other midfielders. Unfortunately for the Fire this worked a small percentage of the time especially when Grazzini was shipped out and when Pardo missed time due to injury. Another positive for short goal kicks is if the elements are not in favor of taking long kicks. This is important especially on windy days. I know that growing up and playing soccer the coaches always said that if it is windy always try to keep the ball on the ground.

The major negative to playing this way is the fact that the opposing teams would play a high pressure defense. Towards the end of the season when Frank was playing the short goal kick all the time the opposing teams would play a high pressure defense effectively taking the space away from the defenders and the midfielders. If the defenders were able to receive the ball from the goalie deep in their own half the high pressure would force them to boot the ball down field. If you look at the last game of the regular season against DC you can see that the high pressure forced more turnovers from the Fire than anything else. With the high pressure also forced Sean into taking long goal kicks after wasting valuable time trying to go short. I'll point out the DC game as an example again, if you watch the second half where Sean was forced to take the long kicks, he kicked them towards Anibaba who looked like he was not ready for them. And most the time, since the Fire had no CAM, the ball was almost always played out to our wings. This forces our team to be more one dimensional and gives a tactical advantage to opposing teams. If Frank continues to use this tactic during the 2013 season the rest of the league will just play a high pressure system to effectively kill any momentum that the Fire will try to create.

I will say that with the proper players on the pitch the Fire can use this effectively but they have to do a couple things first. They will have to get Sean to practice long distribution so they can randomly use it during games in order to keep the opposing team guessing what they will do. Frank and company will have to find that CAM that can create space and attacks after receiving the ball from the defense of d-mids. I know some of you will say that our CAM is Rolfe but I disagree. Rolfe is a STRIKER and should be used as such. He is much better making runs off of Macdonald and also putting himself into a position to receive crosses from either wing.

Random thoughts about Garber's "State of the League":
  • Yeah there was conversation of the MLS Cup being Beckham's last game in the MLS. Personally I just give it a "meh". I don't want to go into how he helped the sport here and blah, blah, blah. But I can guarantee you that you will be able to play the Beckham drinking game during the MLS Cup on ESPN.
  • Garber discussed the investment that has gone in to development of young American players and the reserve league. I hope the investment continues but the reserve league needs an over haul. The 2012 reserve league only consisted of playing 10 games. I'm sorry but that is not nearly enough to develop any of the young talent that is coming into this league. My opinion is that the league should work on an agreement with the NASL in order to field "B" teams. I know this seems far fetched but they do it in Europe. Imagine the Fire's reserve team playing a competitive game against a lower division side week in and week out. You will see a vast improvement in the depth of talent on the squads of every MLS team. Who knows what Don Garber has planned, but he have better do something so the younger players can develop.
  • Now on to his beloved brain child of NYC2. He mentioned that since 1996 it has always been said there should be 2 teams in LA and 2 teams in NY. I still don't get the reason for this when there are plenty of other cities that would love to have a franchise. There is the owner of the Atlanta Falcons that has expressed interest but needs to build a stadium. San Antonio sounds like a good option since they just expanded their stadium to almost 20K. Orlando City FC seems to be getting a good following but like Atlanta they also need to build a stadium. How about this report out of Tampa Bay.  They already have a proposal into the city and it seems that the financial backers seem to be very legit. I wouldn't mind seeing another team in Florida. I do have to say that Don did leave the option open that if the NYC2 project falters that he will look at other sites. The other problem I have with NYC2 is that since it will be centrally located in Flushing Meadows that this will take some of the attendance away from the Red Bulls. That team in NJ is having a tough time as it is trying to fill the stadium. I have watched games where they said that the announced attendance was around 20K but there must have been about 8K in the stadium. If they are having a tough time now imagine what will happen when you give an option to fans to stay closer to New York City proper.
Those are just a couple things that sparked my interest when Garber gave his conference call. Enjoy the MLS Cup on Saturday and stayed tuned for more with the re-entry draft approaching as well as the "silly" season beginning where we will hear of rumors that will either make us salivate at the prospects of who can be signed or leave us scratching our heads in amazement on who might be signed.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

The German is Back for Another Season

So I know I'm a day late but the Fire have re-signed Arne Freidrich. You can read the press release here and some comments here. Now that the back line will beback together for another season the Fire can turn their attention to the other positions that the team needs to fill. Like I said in my last post, frank and company need to possibly look at releasing a few players but most of all look at filling the glaring need of a styriker that can be a consistent finisher and we need that playmaker that can create opportunities for our fowards. One name that I remembered that actually might make sense to bring in this off season is Gianluca Nijholt. You may remember him from being here earlier this for the coaching staff to have a better look at him. He was part of FC Utrecht in Holland but now currently plays in the Russian Premier League. That can be an option but the I would love to see if they can go out into Eastern Europe and even use the connections formed with other clubs around world to find a young playmaker. This is going to be essential if we are going to challenge the rest of the league next year. Look for more from me within the next couple weeks closer to Thanksgiving as I try to explain why Frank Klopas should work with Sean Johnson on taking long goal kicks this off season.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Well That Was Fun

So the Fire's season came to an unexpected finish on Wednesday night as they played like they have been for the majority of October, not good enough. The month of October was painful to watch as we saw Chicago climb within a win of being first in the East and end up finishing 4th and having to play Houston in the play in game. Instead of dwelling on what could have been, especially after receiving the rest of the playoff tickets in the mail earlier this week, I will discuss my thoughts on where the Fire are and where I think they should go.

Let's take a look at the roster when I examined it back in the summer:

PositionPlayerAgeContract ExpirationStatus
GKJohnson23Dec. 2012Domestic
GKTornaghi24At least thru 2013International
GKNolly30?Domestic
DFGargan29At least thru 2013Domestic
DFGibbs32At least thru 2013Domestic
DFSegares29At least thru 2013Domestic
DFKinney24?Domestic
DFAnibaba23At least thru 2014Domestic
DFBerry23At least thru 2014Domestic
DFJumper23At least thru 2014Domestic
DFFriedrich33Dec. 2012International
DFWalls22At least thru 2014Domestic
MFNyarko26At least thru 2014Domestic
MFPaladini27At least thru 2013Domestic
MFPappa24Dec. 2012International
MFPause30At least thru 2013Domestic
MFBone23?Domestic
MFGrazzini31Dec. 2012International
MFPardo35Dec. 2013International
MFAlex23?International
MFVideira26?Domestic
MFRobayo28Gone any day nowInternational
MFPineda19At least thru 2014Domestic
FBarouch20At least thru 2014Domestic
FGulley18At least thru 2014Domestic
FPuppo25?International
FRolfe29At least thru 2014Domestic
FOduro26At least thru 2013Domestic
That roster had 28 of the 30 spots filled and 8 of the 9 international slots filled.
Now let's take a look at the roster as of the last game:
PositionPlayerAgeContract ExpirationStatus
GKJohnson23Dec. 2012Domestic
GKTornaghi24At least thru 2013International
GKNolly30?Domestic
DFGargan29At least thru 2013Domestic
DFGibbs32At least thru 2013Domestic
DFSegares30At least thru 2013Domestic
DFKinney25?Domestic
DFAnibaba24At least thru 2014Domestic
DFBerry24At least thru 2014Domestic
DFJumper23At least thru 2014Domestic
DFFriedrich33Dec. 2012International
DFWalls22At least thru 2014Domestic
MFNyarko26At least thru 2014Domestic
MFPaladini27At least thru 2013Domestic
MFFernandez27Thru 2013Domestic/ DP
MFPause31At least thru 2013Domestic
MFBone24?Domestic
MFThompson28?Domestic
MFPardo36Dec. 2013International
MFAlex23?International
MFVideira26?Domestic
MF



MFPineda19At least thru 2014Domestic
FFranco36Dec. 2012International
FGulley18At least thru 2014Domestic
FMacdonald27At least thru 2013International/DP
FRolfe29At least thru 2014Domestic
FOduro27At least thru 2013Domestic
Over the summer Frank brought Macdonald, Franco, Thompson, and Fernandez to replace the spots left open by Robayo, Puppo, Grazzini, Barouch, and Pappa. Robayo, Puppo, Grazzini, and Barouch were sent on loan but I have a feeling that we will not see them in a Fire shirt again. So with the roster the way it is rioght now the Fire have 27 of the 30 spots filled and if we take it that Franco and Alex(which I will discuss hiom later) will not be coming back and Friedrich(which I will discuss later also) will be coming back that leaves Frank with 4 internationals on his roster. Which that is a very good thing.

I will take a look at the roster by position:
  • GK: We should have no problems. The Fire have an option on Johnson which I kind of figure they will more than likely pick that option up. Tornaghi should be another capable back up for Johnson which leaves Nolly as the odd man out. If they decide to trade Nolly or even release him I can be okay with that.
  • DF: The combination of Berry and Friedrich worked so well that if the Fire are able to bring back Friedrich that the Defense should be good for next season. I know that earlier this summer Friedrich was questioning moves made by the FO but he changed his opinion and may end up staying for another year here because he likes the city and the fans as pointed out in his latest comments after the loss versus Houston. On the outside we should be good with all of our outside backs being back for 2013. But what kind of moves would Frank make though. If Friedrich comes back does he let go Gibbs since they are basically the same age and would have basically the same length of contract status? I could see this one happening and keeping Friedrich around to be a mentor to the young center backs that the Fire have. With having both Segares and Gargan the starting outside backs, hypothetically, would Frank see if he could trade Anibaba? I don't know about this one but I'm sure there are plenty of fans out there that wouldn't mind it. What about Kinney? That right there is one of those tough choices to make but I can see him being released due to the injury history over the past couple seasons.
  • MF: This is where I am a bit concerned about the depth and players that we have. We all know what Nyarko can do out on the flank and his ability to create something out of nothing when he is taking on defenders 1 on 1. I believe that Fernandez has definite room to improve since his last handful of games he looked rusty and could not do what he was brought here to do. I think in this case just give him a little more time and he can be a solid contributor, but there are a vast majority of fans that would love to see his head on the chopping block. In my opinion I think he can be a good fit for this team. You know what you are going to get with Pause, Pardo, and Paladini. But what happens to Pause and Pardo after the 2013 season? Pardo should be calling it a career since he will be 37 by this time next year. With Pause how long do we keep him around? As he has shown that he is a trooper and will do anything for the team but over the last month he was usually the first one being subbed in order to try to create some offense. I could see him staying through 2014 in the long run. Frank should start working in Paladini if he is eventually going to replace Pause or Pardo. I have no idea what the long term plan is with Thompson, Bone, and Videira. Are they just going to be filler for the roster to only compete in the reserve league? What is going on with Bone and is he going to get a shot with the first team in 2013 or has he wasted his opportunities? I would not be surprised if he was eventually let go due to his high salary and the possibility of the "Generation Adidas" classification being taken away. Will Pineda see the field in 2013? I hope so. If he is going to be the future of this team then he might as well start getting some in game experience. Is he a possible long term replacement for Pause and Pardo? Maybe. I hope Frank is grooming him to be a player that sticks around for sometime. Now we come to Alex. I think he was brought here as back up to Grazzini and to act as a traditional #10 who has the ability to create plays and make an impact in the middle of the park. I did not see any of this during game situations. I saw flashes and he did score a few goals, but in my mind he was not consistent enough to be that playmaker. He is on a 6 month contract and in my opinion he did not show enough to be back as a regular starter or as a 2nd half sub. I think that Frank and company should go get a #10 that can be consistent week in and week out. I could also be wrong and having Alex with the team from day 1 of the preseason he could actually be that guy the fire need but I don't think he is. I know that Rolfe has dropped back into that withdrawn forward role which is almost that creative playmaker role but we saw what happened during the last month of the season when teams took him out of the game. The Fire were unable to create anything offensively and also had to rely on pushing up field on the outside. Rolfe is a forward and should be used as such. Another position that the Fire need is someone that is able to play out on the wings. Right now we have Nyarko and Fernandez with the occasional Oduro sighting on the outside. For me Oduro is not a winger like Nyarko or Fernandez, he is more of a speedy forward that can play off a target front man. I would like to see Frank go out and try to get some one that can provide some depth on the outside. The midfield corps does not need an overhaul just a few more pieces and we should be good.
  • We come now to the forward position. We know that Rolfe, Oduro, and Macdonald will be here throughout next year. Franco should be gone in my mind since he provided little to the team since his arrival back in September. Does Barouch come back from his loan in Israel? Probably not. Our home grown striker, Kellen Gulley, may still need another year in the reserve division or possibly a season on loan in the NASL. The Fire are still in need of that pure clinical finisher that we have been missing for some time. I would like the Fire to go out and find that finisher that we need because with our current squad there was a good amount of missed opportunities this season that could have changed the outcome of games. It is important that frank and company solve this problem if we are to compete for the Supporters Shield, MLS Cup and Open Cup.

I don't see a whole mess of changes in the squad this coming off season but if the FO can fill the certain positions that we need and also fill in the depth on the bench than this team can compete. right now its up to Frank and company to identify those players that would best fit their system and get them in here before the preseason starts in January. I still want them to go out and find that playmaker we need and get that forward that can finish consistently. As always comments are welcome so leave some if you would like. For know its time for me to check out and take a little vacation from the Fire but I will be posting other random thoughts from time to time. As always GO FIRE.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Yep Thats Right

The Fire are back in the playoffs after missing out since 2009. I know I said I would write some thoughts more frequently but other things in life have taken priority. Well lets see where I left off, the Fire travelled to SKC and lost, then came home and was just outplayed by a Philly team that had nothing to lose, and then travelled to New Jersey and beat the Red Cows 2-0 with a brace from Macdonald. I will get into the remaining schedule of 2 games in a little bit but I first want to discuss my thoughts of those past 3 games.

These past 3 games to me showed that you don't know what you are going to get from this team. Against SKC, whose tactics of applying high pressure on the midfield and defense, the Fire looked flat and not able to move the ball as well as they did against Columbus and Montreal in the previous 2 games. Frank Klopas had no answer to what SKC was doing and the entire night was filled with Fire turnover after Fire turnover. The same can almost be said about the Philly game also, where there was just nothing positive about the game. Philly took the game to us and we couldn't respond. But on the other hand against New Jersey we looked good and was able to break down their defense and get the much needed win. One thing that has started to bug the hell out me is the fact that Frank insists on playing goal kicks short. Well when a team is playing a high pressure system against us  this just does not work. I understand that it spreads the field out but at the same time(look at the SKC and Philly games) the Fire loses possession because they can't get it out of the back. They have got to start just punting it long. Its almost like team that play short corners, why? There is no point to it, you are given an offensive opportunity and you don't take it. Well goal kicks are like a opportunity to get the ball out of your end and regroup so why not take it? Yes I understand the tactical advantages of playing it short to maintain possession and possibly have a string of passes that can lead to an attacking play, but with this team most of the time the ball stays with the back line until they feel pressure and have to boot the ball up field anyway. Why not use Fernandez and Macdonald's height to win balls in the air? It could work but we will have to see if Frank changes at all. Well that's my rant about that.

On to the remaining games of the regular season. First the "Men in Red" travel to the northeast to take on the lowly Revolution. This is a must win game for the Fire but it won't be easy. I can see the Fire dominating the midfield and having the better attacking chances but the defense will have their hands full with Sene and Bengston. I still see the Fire taking this one 2-0 with goals from Rolfe and Nyarko. A week later the Fire come home to close out the regular season against DC Who-nited. This is another must win game to secure a higher post season seed. Lets just say that if the Fire finish the season strong and win the remaining games then they will be sitting pretty in either 1st or 2nd place in the east. In order for the Fire to claim that #1 spot they will need help from NJ this weekend as they play SKC and Philly next Wednesday when SKC closes out their season before the rest of the league. We will have to wait and see what happens but up first the Revs.

Friday, September 28, 2012

So I Heard There's a Big Game Tonight

Tonight the Fire travel to take on Sporting Kansas City in what looks like could be the game that could be for 1st place in the Eastern Conference. Right now the Fire are the hottest team in the league averaging more than 2 goals a game since the beginning of August and only giving up an average of 1 goal a game since the beginning of September. SKC on the other hand has only scored 2 goals in 3 of their last 8 games and has been inconsistent record wise since the beginning of August by winning some tough games and tieing some very winnable games. this game has major implications when it comes to the standings atop the East. If the Fire can manage a win tonight then they will be in the driver's seat for the Eastern Conference title have 1 game in hand and very winnable games left on the schedule(home to Philly and DC, away to NE). It won't be the end of the world if the Fire don't manage a win tonight, but if they can win and get the East title then that would mean avoiding a possible matchup with NJ Redbulls. I think the Fire can go in and win tonight by a score line of 2-0 with goals coming from Macdonald and Nyarko.

I know I have been questioning the FO's moves and it seems that they have paid off. I know other sites have been analyzing the rest of the season and taking a stab at where the Fire can finish. To me i would like the Fire to finish 1st of course but i certainly hope that they can avoid that 4th or 5th place finish so they can avoid that play in game. As proven in the past regular season doesn't mean anything once the playoffs start. I mean think about it Colorado won an MLS cup and they're horrible. I also hate to stir up nightmares but RSL beat us at home and went on to beat the heavily favored Galaxy one year. Our first year we weren't supposed to win it all and look what happened. I know finishing atop the East would mean avoiding SKC and NJ in my opinion so that would be great but the way we are playing as a team I feel that we match up against both of them really well. First test is tonight though and hopefully our defense can stop the sputtering offense of SKC tonight and we can look forward to finishing the season strong and riding the momentum into the playoffs.

Look for comments about the game tomorrow mid to late morning from me again if you enjoy my opinions.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Hey, What's With The Yellow?

So the Fire take on the Crew in a match that is a must win for both teams. After coming off an impressive win against the Impact, our Men in Red look to continue their home dominance while the Crew look to win to stay in the hunt for a playoff spot. This should be a good game to watch albeit the weather conditions that might happen, but who doesn't like a good rivalry game played while battling the elements? Well instead of going into details about the game I'll just give you my prediction: 2-1 to the Fire. It will be a rough hard fought game but I think the Fire will be able to take advantage of the sold out stadium that will be rocking.

I'd like to pose the question of how far can this team go? So far through the games that were played through Wednesday of this week, Chicago sits second in the East and third in the league. I will have to guess that the Fire are going to make the playoffs and possibly do well. This could be indicated by the superb play that they have managed over the past 2 months(granted they had their off night against DC). How long will this quality play last? Where we have been scoring 2-3 goals per game and our defense has been outstanding. I honestly don't know, because anything can happen on the field and I have come to expect that from any team that I support. If this play continues though they have a good chance of going far into the playoffs and winning the MLS Cup. I hope Frank is bringing the guys down to Earth though because they can't be looking at what happens in a month from now but what happens in the next game. Maybe we'll see a return to dominance for the Fire, which I hope so.

I know in the past I have questioned and often criticized the Front Office and Owner about the moves they have made or were going to make. Well apparently I was wrong about some of them. The FLaco move was a steal and he seems to be rejuvinated by playing here, Macdonald who knew he would adapt this well, and Alex well its Alex and the jury is still out on him. I would like to see what is going to happen this coming off season though. I will have my thoughts on that later on after the season is over, hopefully around the first week of December.

So here is to the Fire and I hope another 3 points taken from the Crew. I will try to have something special this week before the showdown with SKC.

Friday, September 14, 2012

So Yeah.........

I know I have been slacking off for those who actually read my musings. Lets just say work, responsibilities at home, and a much needed vacation have prevented me from dedicating as much time that I need to write on a consistent basis. I know I also missed a big chunk of the season but I'm back and should hopefully have some more time to dedicate to this thing. So lets get started.

The last game I mentioned was way back when the Fire travelled to Philly to take on the Union on August 12th. Since then here are the results that I have missed writing about: 2-1 home win vs. the Revs, 4-2 away loss vs. DC, 3-1 home win vs. Houston, 2-2 home draw vs. Santos Laguna(friendly), and then a 2-1 away win vs. TFC on Wednesday. So in that stretch the Fire were able to go 3-1-1(including the Santos friendly) and put themselves in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference and only 3 points of first. The team has been playing well, despite the ugly 4-2 loss to DC, and the new acquisitions have been working together great so far.  As shown in the game Wednesday, the primary attacking foursome of Macdonald, Rolfe, Fernandez, and Nyarko looked were having fun out there and connecting passing combinations that we haven't seen for sometime from this team. Overall in the month that I had missed we look like we are over that midseason slump as well as the chance to make the playoffs after missing out the past couple seasons.

The next 3 games that the Fire play should be an indication of the team's strengths and weaknesses and should be able to tell us fans where in the Eastern Conference. First up on Saturday we have the the Impact coming to town. Now this Montreal team is very different from the one that we had tied earlier this season, but on the other hand so is the Fire. Montreal look to have added depth that has made their defense stronger, their midfield has been good, and the addition of Di Vaio up top has helped them start to produce on a more consistent basis. A week later the Crew come to town and their additions also up top have been tearing up opposing defenses. Higuain and Arrieta have been providing that offensive spark that they have been missing and shouldn't be taken lightly. To finish up the month we travel to Kansas City to face SKC in a game that couldn't potentially see the top 2 teams in the east battling it out.

Now with these games the Fire should go in with the mentality that they are must win games. All 3 teams that they face are still in the playoff race and all 3 games could determine where the Fire finish in terms of playoff positioning or dare I say not make the playoffs(mathematically it still could happen but chances are not likely). If Chicago is able to win the next 3 games it would solidify a playoff spot as well as a chance to finish 1st in the east and a chance at the Supporters Shield, which is something this team has not been mentioned in the same breath with for some time now. We will have to see how the team plays starting with Saturday night. I'm hoping for the best that we have a good finish to the month but if we don't there is still October. I will have more after this weekend and in the future.