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Finally!

Posted by Jeff Engelmann on April 7, 2013 at 10:38 pm Chicago Fire, Global Football Today, MLS, New York Red Bulls

Apr 072013

Early in this fixture it looked as if Chicago might lose again. After going down 1-0 early though, Chicago battled back to a 3-1 win, taking three points away for a good New York Team. With the win, the Fire are granted a massive confidence boost with lots of football still left to play in the season. With this win a collective sigh of relief may be taken by the Chicago faithful, players and coaches.

Chicago went down early but they had a chance to come even in the 24^th minute. Veteran Chris Rolfe sent his potentially equalizing penalty kick wide to the left side and relief was definitely not the subtext of the sighs at Toyota Park. After the game Chicago mid fielder Dan Paladini spoke aloud, what most Chicago fans were probably thinking when the ball came off of Rolfe’s foot. “When he missed that, it seemed like ‘that’s kind of our season right now.”

Chicago were lucky enough to equalize late in the first half and take some momentum into the locker room. This goal came off the foot of Paladini, my man of the season so far for Chicago, he described the goal, “I made the run, but he hit a perfect ball and the wind caught it. I knew I was going to get there before the goalie. So… home field advantage.”

Paladini was named man of the match after this week’s game, and rightfully so as he was involved in all three of Chicago’s goals. Coach Klopas agreed saying, “Danny’s got quality and when we’ve called him to step in, he’s done it.”

Chicago had a bit of a scare in the 69^th minute when New York’s Thierry Henry sent a wonder blast heavy off the woodwork. This, however, seemed to be his only major chance as Chicago were able to keep him out of dangerous areas for the rest of the game.

Chicago substitute Maicon Santos wasted no time when only 20 minutes after taking the field, he took the lead for Chicago. In the 83^rd minute, he put Chicago on top with a beautiful piece of footwork followed by a devilish piece of finishing sliding in the game winning goal. He also tucked home a goal off a set piece 5 minutes later to secure the three points for Chicago.

“It feels nice, not just for me but the whole team,” Santos said, “It feels nice to get three points at home and do that for the win. The two goals are a bonus for me. The team winning is the most important.”

A win like this can often get a team delusional, celebrating and thinking that everything is fixed. Coach Klopas won’t let hat happen.

“It was great and important, but we have to be even keel. When things weren’t going our way, we never changed. There was a lot of panic by a lot of people, but we won our game and its fantastic. Now it gives us the energy to work even harder.”

The team looks to the return of it still missing players. They hope to see the likes of Nyarko, Degares, Duka and Friedrich back as they head to Houston To take on the Dynamo this coming Sunday, April 14^th.

The First and Second Cities

Posted by Jeff Engelmann on April 6, 2013 at 8:07 pm Chicago Fire, Global Football Today, MLS, New York Red Bulls

Apr 062013

The Chicago Fire look to claw their way up off the bottom of the table when they take on the seventh place New York Red Bulls tomorrow April 6^th at Toyota Park.

They Men in Red had the week off last week to rest up their injured players and try to figure out what has been going wrong so far this season. The time off has truly come as a gift to the Fire as they will see the return of many key players. Logan Pause will be back on the pitch for Chicago. “I’ve strung along, for about a week now, some really good days with my health. Hopefully I’m on the other side of it. I think I’ll be available, ready to go on Sunday,” he told the Fire a few days ago. This game may also mark the return of defensive leader Arne Friedrich. He recently returned from Germany where he was receiving treatment from a therapist who he has been working with for over 10 years. When asked about the treatment on the training pitch Arne said, “We have very good therapists here with the Fire but this guy knows my body best, he did a great job, my body feels great and I don’t have any pain so far.”

Along with the many returning players, Chicago will look to draw on past success against New York at home as the Red Bulls have never won a game at Toyota Park. Assistant Coach Mike Matkovich says, “There are certain teams you feel like you’ve got a way with” referring to Sporting KC, “and I feel like New York is another one of these teams that we do well against.”

Chicago has been lackluster defensively in the last several games and the Red Bulls are a dynamic team playing forward. Chicago will have to play tight defensively and rely on the space that will open up in the New York defense in order to posture for goals on the counter attack. When asked about taking on football legend Thierry Henry, Chicago Midfielder Logan Pause said, “His resume speaks for itself. He’s a guy that you really have to keep your eye on at all times, he doesn’t need many chances to score.” He went on to say that Chicago needs to work hard to eliminate his touches and confine him to less dangerous parts of the field.

New York are coming off of their first win of the season and look to carry that momentum into Toyota Park and take their first win away from there. Hopefully Chicago can lean on its returning leaders and put up a strong showing in this game.

My Prediction

NY 3 – 2 Chicago (The third goal coming late for New York)

This prediction makes me sad. Because I think Chicago will hold control of this game for the most part but won’t be able to tally their first win on the season, even with the return of some key players.

Sporting Can Secure Eastern Conference

Posted by Brian Sanders on October 20, 2012 at 1:35 pm Blogs/Media, Breaking News, From the GFT Blogs, MLS, New York Red Bulls, Sporting KC

Oct 202012

Fact is that against the Eastern Conference teams are more needing every point possible for the best possible spot for the playoffs, and that is where Sporting KC stand currently.

At the top of the Eastern Conference with only three points and a good goal difference is where Sporting Kansas City currently reside with the rival Chicago Fire with an outside chance of gaining the top of the East. Only one point needed and the East is theirs.

Once again Sporting face the New York Red Bulls who are on paper one of the most talented squads but one side that Sporting KC have had very good success against over the last few years.

While the pressure that Sporting is under is mostly self-implaced, the pressure on the opposition is what is really telling and will have a certain impact on this match.

With the glamor of the club playing in New York City and the heightened media presence surrounding the team and the fact that they have constantly failed to live up to expectations.

That will be a telling bit on how this act plays out as both teams look to cement their position in the Eastern Conference playoff scene.

Prediction: this could go either way, I predict a draw here

Sep 032012

Portland vs. Colorado

The Portland Timbers won back-to-back matches for the first time this season and finally escaped the Western Conference basement in a 1-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids. Read more about this match on the GFT Portland Timbers blog.

New England vs. Philadelphia

It was the second 0-0 draw in a row for the Union, who had more opportunities against the Revolution but couldn’t convert. The Union had the two best chances of the match when Amobi Okugo’s header hit the crossbar, and Andre Hoppenot’s breakaway opportunity was parried away by New England’s Matt Reis. With Saer Sene out for the rest of the season, Jay Heaps will have his work cut out for him trying to find someone on the Revolution to score goals.

Columbus Crew vs. Montreal Impact

The Columbus Crew won the battle between two of MLS’ hottest teams thanks to a late goal from Edgar Renteria to defeat the Montreal Impact 2-1. Here’s the recap from our Columbus Crew blogger.

Sporting KC vs. Toronto

It wasn’t the prettiest match, but Sporting KC came through with two second half goals from Paulo Nagamura and Oriol Rossell to defeat Toronto FC 2-1. Here’s more thoughts on this match from our Sporting KC blogger.

Real Salt Lake vs. DC United

There was a lightning start to this match in Sandy, Utah and I mean literally as two lightning strikes in the fourth minute of play led to a weather delay of 1 hour and 24 minutes. Real Salt Lake’s Will Johnson got the lone goal of the match early in the second half when Paulo Jr.’s cross was deflected and Johnson split two defenders and put the ball away past keeper Bill Hamid. Kwame Watson-Siriboe had a goal in the 61st minute but it was waved off when Watson-Siriboe was called for handling. Things got chippy between both sides in the second half and four yellow cards were handed out in the last twenty minutes. The win kept Real Salt Lake in 2nd position in the Western Conference with 46 points. The loss pushed DC United into 6th place in the Eastern Conference with 41 points. They trail the Columbus Crew by 1 point for the 5th and final playoff spot.

Los Angeles vs. Vancouver

Los Angeles got a spectacular goal from Juninho and yet another direct free kick goal from David Beckham to deal the Vancouver Whitecaps its 4th straight defeat. Here’s the full recap from our Los Angeles Galaxy blogger.

Chicago vs. Houston

The Chicago Fire used a first-minute goal from Patrick Nyarko to jumpstart themselves to a 3-1 victory over the Houston Dynamo. The Dynamo were playing their 2nd match in 3 days and it showed. The Fire meanwhile were well rested after coming off a 10 day break. Daniel Paladini and Alex rounded out the scoring for the Fire while Brian Ching got the lone goal for the Dynamo. The victory lifted the Fire into 3rd place (44 points) in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the Dynamo. The Dynamo, on the other hand, are struggling at the wrong time and are now winless in their last six matches.

FC Dallas vs. Seattle

Steve Zakuani made his first MLS start since breaking his leg 500 days ago and got an assist to help the Seattle Sounders remain undefeated at FC Dallas with a 1-1 draw. Zakuani blew past FC Dallas fullback Zach Loyd and sent a cross to the back post which connected with Mauro Rosales for the match’s opening goal. FC Dallas equalized in the 32nd minute when Loyd redeemed himself with a cross in front of goal which Blas Perez controlled and sent to Jackson who knocked it in the back of the net. The draw wasn’t good enough for a FC Dallas club (33 points) trying to gain ground on the struggling Vancouver Whitecaps (37 points) for the 5th Western Conference playoff spot. The draw also kept Seattle in the 3rd playoff spot with 44 points, trailing only Real Salt Lake (46 points) and the San Jose Earthquakes (53 points).

San Jose vs. Chivas USA

The San Jose Earthquakes continued their stellar play at Buck Shaw Stadium scoring 3 of their 4 goals on direct free kicks to crush Chivas USA 4-0. Victor Bernardez’s free kick got things started for the Earthquakes and Simon Dawkins added a goal in the run of play to give his team a 2-0 lead going into the half. Chivas USA were in decent attacking form throughout the match but just couldn’t make good when it counted. The Earthquakes Ramiro Corrales capped off his team’s rout with two free kick goals in the 2nd half. The victory puts San Jose in sole possession of first place in the race for the Supporter’s Shield. The loss continued a trend of bad form for Chivas USA, who have given up 18 goals over the last 5 matches.

UPCOMING MLS ACTION:

Aug 272012

Philadelphia v Real Salt Lake

Poor NBC Sports. This match was a stinker. Real Salt Lake was pretty tired from playing in the CONCACF Champions League earlier in the week and the Philadelphia Union are never a guarantee to play any form of attractive soccer. The match ended in a 0-0 draw. Man of the Match went to the MLS video crew who somehow were able to fill up a highlight video over 4 minutes long.

Montreal v DC United

The Montreal Impact continue to be one of the hottest teams in MLS right now after registering their 5th win in a row, defeating DC United 3-0. Troy Perkins registered his second shutout in his third game with the team and Marco Di Vaio gave the Impact the lead for good in the 24th minute, getting his 3rd goal of the season. Patrice Bernier continued his fantastic season scoring two second half goals to seal the victory. DC United coach Ben Olson received a bit of criticism after the match after deciding to sub out star players, Dwayne DeRosario and Chris Pontius in the first half. The Impact are now only 1 point out of the 5th Eastern Conference playoff spot.

Columbus v New England

This was an absolute goalfest with Columbus defeating New England 4-3. Read the entire match recap from GFT Columbus Crew blogger, Adam Uthe.

Houston v Toronto FC

Houston Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear could not have been happy on Saturday night after seeing his team dominate a good portion of the match only to allow Toronto FC to equalize in the 85th minute. The Dynamo took the lead in the 21st minute when Will Bruin chipped the ball over a charging Freddy Hall. After a stellar first half, the Dynamo couldn’t maintain the same level of energy. Toronto finally took advantage of some sluggish play from the Houston backline after Terry Dunfield made a run through box and connected with a Darren O’Dea cross to steal a point for his team.

San Jose v Colorado

The Earthquakes got two goals each from Simon Dawkins and Alan Gordon to demolish the Colorado Rapids 4-1 and extend their home winning streak to 14 games. Gordon continued his stellar play which resulted in a call up to the United States National Team earlier this month. He now has a career-high 11 goals. San Jose remains the top team in MLS with a 15-6-5 (50 points) record. For the Rapids, at least they were able to pad on more air miles to their account. It was a truly dismal effort, even with it being on the road, for the Rapids.

Vancouver v Portland

The Portland Timbers finally got their first win under Gavin Wilkinson (0-5-2 in the previous 7 matches) and also went to the top of the Cascadia Cup standings after beating the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 Saturday night. Darlington Nagbe became the first Timbers player to get a goal in three games in a row and Franck Songo’o scored his first career MLS goal off a free kick to lead the Timbers. The Vancouver Whitecaps continued their struggles on the road this season and are now in the midst of a six match winless streak on the road. Read more about this match on the GFT Portland Timbers blog.

Seattle v Chivas USA

The Seattle Sounders put on a goal-scoring clinic and thoroughly embarrassed Chivas USA in a 6-2 drubbing at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA. Fredy Montero’s first MLS hat-trick propelled the Sounders to an easy victory and their fourth in five matches. The Sounders are now 2nd in the Western Conference standings and their recent form has put the rest of the league on notice as one of the teams to beat in the MLS Cup Playoffs. Despite some promising trades and signings this summer (Danny Califf, Juan Agudelo, Shalrie Joseph) and having one of the top goalkeepers in MLS, Chivas USA can’t seem to right the ship and there’s no doubt that Robin Fraser is on the hot seat.

FC Dallas v Los Angeles

Galaxy take sole possession of the Western Conference’s fourth position by punishing FC Dallas mistakes to win 2-0. Read more about this game from our LA Galaxy blogger, Vincent LaRosa.

Sporting KC v New York

As if Sporting KC’s 1-1 draw to the New York Red Bulls wasn’t disappointing enough, Coach Peter Vermes also had to deal with the news that Teal Bunbury would miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL injury. Read more about this match from Sporting KC blogger, Brian Sanders.

UPCOMING MLS ACTION:

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Finally!

The First and Second Cities

Sporting Can Secure Eastern Conference

MLS Weekend Wrap-Up: “It’s the San Jose Earthquakes Supporter’s Shield To Lose” Edition

MLS Weekend Wrap-Up: “The Sounders put MLS on Notice” Edition

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