I am hoping you were able to tune in to the Fire against LA last night on ESPN 2. If you did that means in Houston you have electricity back. As for those of you in our hurricane stricken city and around the country what did you think? Here are my thoughts:
What we needed to know heading into this gamw was that Chicago was a team with serious issues coming into last nights game.
There proud defense had been getting riddled with goals and they had lost 3 out of 4 and the question of even making the playoffs has come up.
In Houston they were emotionless a few weeks ago and last Sunday were embarrassed by FC Dallas to the point that they were booed. (Which by the way, we need more booing of home teams if you don’t think your team is putting in the EFFORT).
The BRIAN MCBRIDE trade has turned into a new coaching challenge for DENIS HAMLETT that needs to be figured out quickly. More on that in a minute.
Back to HAMLETT he made some interesting moves last night that could reap benefits. The GALAXY may not be the team to judge these moves on just yet……CUAUHTEMOC BLANCO is fatigued from the long season and was moved into a deeper role behind MCBRIDE…limit his running and hope to get plays out of him. They did, he had less influence in the game overall and you sometimes wondered if he was there yet in the end he produced a goal and a beautiful flick that unbalanced the LA defense and led to a CHRIS ROLFE goal. Two plays , two goals, economical running and HAMLETT looks like a genius. Overall Chicago defending better but one wondered if LANDON DONOVAN was even at TOYOTA PARK last night? GALAXY attack for the most part tame and you have to credit the FIRE yet the GALAXY have not been the best of road teams.
The goals CHICAGO scored clearly all came off poor defending from LA. The first CHICAGO goal ROLFE was allowed to move his away to the top of the box. A feeble ANTE JAZIC, hesitant defenders who clearly did not look confident or protective of this area of the field and Rolfe is allowed to shoot. 1-0 FIRE
The second FIRE goal gets created because of the poor communication between JOSH WICKS and LA defenders BLANCO sticks it in and empty net. Gifted goal 2-1
The third goal is a BLANCO backheel with a sucked in center back taken out of the play and ROLFE is found and scores his second 3-1
The overall night was exciting with a packed house at TOYOTA PARK and the place rocked. Tremendous atmosphere thanks to the arrival of BECKHAM, the playoffs looming and the FIRE fans lived up to it in a big way.
MCBRIDE TRADE REMAINS AN ISSUE
Here is why……..As a target player BRIAN MCBRIDE last night was wandering around aimlessly almost disconnected from his team. He got a little service from JUSTIN MAPP who remains in my humble opinion the key to McBrides (run of the play) future in Chicago. He has had only a handful of balls in front of him to attack since his arrival in Chicago. This is his lifeblood and you can sense his frustration
To beat the better MLS teams the FIRE are going to need to get something out of the legendary US striker. The Dynamo, Revolution and Crew will not present and gift opportunities to the Fire like they got last night if they encounter them upon getting into the playoffs .
DENIS HAMLETT has to pray that MAPP can find some of the best soccer of his career or MCBRIDE and his impact will not include goal scoring.
This is a trade that is still being worked out but credit Hamlett for coming up with something different last night pushing BLANCO higher up the field. Mapp and Rolfe as wide players in midfield must bring it in the attack from wide areas in order to get the best out of McBride. In short the team needs more width in their attack. Playing both Mapp and Rolfe wide brings some questions with the balance of defending and attacking in midfield which teams have identified.
A simplified version of what I think are the FIRE issues.
It’s all getting interesting. As for LA the win at home against DC was a nice moment of hope, maybe a tease. Can’t see this team making the playoffs even with Donovan and Beckham.
Has McBride been effective in your eyes and is he getting the correct support?
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The Fire has the talent to provide McBride the service he needs. Unfortunately, Justin Mapp has to be one of the worst underachievers in recent memory. He has the speed and technical ability to make incisive runs down the flank, but he lacks the hunger to be a truly great player. I think the injury he suffered last year really made him lose his ambition.
Everyone is being entirely way to kind to Mapp. I never thought he was worth a call up by Bradley. Now that you have a striker like McBride in the mix you need to raise the talent level or change abilities. He probably had moments when he could make runs along the flank but I never thought of Mapp as a primary service guy. Someone needs to be in that spot that can serve up that ball to McBride as soon as he receives it. The guy doesn’t have to be speed racer along the line.I don’t think Hamlett has anyone who can do something basic as that.
Kind of off topic, but I’ve been living in England for about 5 months now. My brother, Dad and I are going to the Fulham v West Ham game tomorrow. I’ve been to a few games…all good things to say about McBride from the Fulham faithful. I adopted them as my team honestly for the influx of American players they’ve had over the past few years. They’ve been all but gutted, except for Dempsey, who has been riding the pine. Hopefully he will get some playing time. Glen, maybe I’ll run into you back at Downing street sometime. Tony Johnson lives! (old school dynamo player, only a few folks will get this one!)