Returning from the six minute roller coaster ride that propelled the Fire to an unlikely comeback victory Saturday night at DC, the last three days have provided a nice interlude before the unfolding of the club’s playoff fate begins again Wednesday night.
The backdrop will be the same as it was for Saturday’s Capital Comeback, just with a different co-star as D.C. United welcomes the expansion Portland Timbers to RFK Stadium with both teams sitting outside the last Wild Card spot with two matches to play.
If you’re a Fire supporter watching tonight’s match you should also hope for an outcome differing from Saturday’s wild finish. A drab deadlock would be just fine according to Chicago Fire defender Gonzalo Segares.
“I think a draw tonight works and would give us one less team to worry about,” he said Wednesday. “All the guys are talking about the next two nights, we’ll definitely be watching. If we’re still alive come tomorrow morning, then it’s on to pulling for Philadelphia Thursday night.”
The Fire may feel a heightened sense if it gets to the Thursday’s game, with former Fire player Peter Nowak at the Union helm. With a win, the club’s first captain and former teammate of current Fire head coach Frank Klopas has a chance to put his second-year side at the top of the east going into the postseason while helping his old team stay alive going into the weekend.
Peter, just so you know, we have a five-goal differential needed to make up to win a tie-breaker with New York, so going for offensive gusto to lessen the team's offensive burden Saturday vs. Columbus would be appreciated. Of course this is all moot with a Portland win tonight.
Impossible Scenario?
As unlikely as the scenario by which the Fire would make the 2011 MLS Cup postseason seems, it’s almost fitting given the position the Fire were in exactly two months ago: bottom of the Eastern Conference with only two victories from 24 games.
Having ridden the wind of a 6-2-2 record from their last 10 matches, the Fire find themselves just three points out of the MLS Cup playoffs. That feat is all down to the team continuing to believe according to Segares.
“It’s been a tough season and very frustrating when things weren’t going well for us but we worked hard throughout and that’s why we still have a chance today. The last couple of months we’ve put a lot into it and its showing with our play. In August it seemed unlikely to be in this position but we’re still alive.”
The playoffs certainly seemed unlikely in the 88th minute Saturday as the Costa Rican international was whistled for a questionable foul in the box on United substitute Santino Quaranta. League-leading goal scorer Dwayne De Rosario stepped up to the spot and converted what seemed likely to seal the Fire’s postseason fate.
Looking to make up for the foul, Segares pushed forward and eventually provided helpers on both Fire stoppage time goals, marking his first two-assist effort in 146 regular season matches for the side. The comeback also marked the first instance in 529 all-time competitive matches that the Fire scored two goals in stoppage time.
“It was a rollercoaster. Those last five minutes were pretty crazy. I don’t think I’ve seen a finish like that since the [1999 UEFA Champions League Final] with Bayern Munich and Manchester United. It was a rollercoaster and I’m really glad we were on the right side of it.”
One Result?
If the undesirable occurs during one of the midweek matches or the Fire make it all the way to Saturday and still miss out, a lot of notice will be paid to the team’s league-record 16 draws. What a goal here or there could have done if it comes down to goal difference or head-to-head tie breaker.
“There are many games you can look at. We have 16 ties. Ten of those could have easily been wins for us. There are plenty of games that come to my mind this season where we could have had a point or three, that’s the hardest part of it all. Frank always said the only time we can do something about our position is during a game, afterwards we can’t do anything. At this point we can’t do anything about our first 33 matches, we have to hope results go our way this week, work hard and do our part on Saturday.”
While there are plenty of draws to look at for missed opportunities, it’s also important to remember late victories at Columbus (June 12) and against Chivas USA (September 17) that contributed to making Saturday’s game and end result meaningful.
Whatever may come from the run of season-ending matches that begin tonight, there are three things that are clear to me no matter what: this season’s big acquisitions of Cory Gibbs, Dominic Oduro, Sebastian Grazzini, Pavel Pardo and Dan Gargan have proven big, Frank Klopas has done an admirable job in turning the side from a midseason league bottom-feeder to a potential playoff team and anyone that thinks MLS should switch to a single table without a postseason isn’t actually paying attention.
Jeff Crandall is the Team Writer for the Chicago Fire. Follow him on Twitter @JefeCrandall.
