9 May 2008
Primetime Recap: Fire Downs United
Posted by drew.epperley under: Chicago Fire; DC United; MLS .
I guess maybe all along we were completely wrong about DC United. So far this season they haven’t looked at all like the Supporter’s Shield winners of the last two years and I think now more than ever we can stop throwing out the age old excuse of the CONCACAF Champions Cup hangover as to why this club is doing so poorly.
Let’s face it, Chicago looked like the better side last night and in the end they walked away with the three points after another stellar effort. Not to mention the fact that they OWN DC in RFK Stadium like no one else in this league. The 2-0 win looked easy for the most part.
It wasn’t anything special either. The first half, Chicago created chances and in the later stages of the half they were rewarded with a Justin Mapp goal. By the way, that was Mapp’s first goal since 2006. As for DC in that first half, they failed to create any real chances against Chicago. It wasn’t a defensive stranglehold on DC by the Fire defense, it was merely a United team that didn’t look at all comfortable on the pitch with one another.
There it is, this club still hasn’t come together this season as a team.
Chicago on the other hand has. Seven games in and this club is sitting atop the entire league with 16 points, one ahead of idol Columbus.
DC remains the cellar dweller of the east with six points. Ouch. I know they had a slow start a year ago but this may take the cake.
Let’s drop some credit where it is due. Fire boss Dennis Hamlet may easily be the front-runner for this season’s Coach of the Year award. Whatever magic he throws out there seems to work. Seven games and only three goals against. That my friends takes a lot of effort. An effort that only the Fire are putting out right now.
Oh an by the way, the Fire also are tied for the lead in goals scored this season with LA. Major kudos going out right now to that Fire offense who really impressed me last night. The header by Chad Barrett to set up Mapp’s goal was simple and great to watch. As for the goal, it was just something that all you kiddies need to learn how to do out there. Stay calm, cool and collected in front of net. Mapp did just that. It wasn’t a power shot but one that saw placement with some pace. Very nice work.
We talk about how designated players work in this league, well one that continues to shine is Blanco. He scored his third goal of the season and for the most part was the reason why the Fire had the chances that they did last night.
DC on the other hand has a DP who sat out with an injury (Marcello Gallardo) and now another one that still couldn’t make anything happen (Luciano Emilio). But I will say this, there was a couple players for DC who did at least make the effort on the offensive end. Both Jamie Moreno and Fred at least tried to make things happen in both halves of play. Neither really connected on goal but at least someone was trying in a Black-and-Red kit.
I must say the more I see Chicago, the more I am impressed with them. And the more I see DC, the more I continue to question what’s going on with them. Maybe we need more time with them or something but right now things just aren’t what they should be in DC.
Tom Soehn has a lot of work to do. To say that they’ve been here before may start to get old but I think now we are seeing just how much passion this team doesn’t have out there. Sure they miss Ben Olsen a lot but even more so they miss the intensity that he always brought. Right now, they are missing it in a big way.
