I’m a huge movie buff and often times when I think about
soccer, or anything else for that matter, movie dialog seems to filter its way
to the front of my mind. Now that the Fire have completed nearly a third of the
season, the following Bill Paxton quote, from the second greatest science
fiction film ever made, Aliens, came to mind:
“Hey, maybe you
haven't been keeping up on current events, but we just got our asses kicked,
pal!”
I’m not sure things at Toyota Park are as bad as Ripley
(Sigourney Weaver) and company had it stranded on a planet filled with killer
Aliens, but I fear that many a Fire fan would disagree.
After 10 games, the Fire have eight points, one win, four
losses, five draws, 13 goals for and 17 against. The Men-in-Red are currently sitting in 8th
place in the weaker of the two conferences and are tied for second to last
overall. The team started strong enough with a tie against the 2010 MLS Cup
runners-up and an exciting win against the newly rebranded Sporting KC. However,
a tough stint in the Pacific Northwest and pair of Canadian catastrophes,
followed by a flop against Philly have left the Fire faithful reeling and
demanding answers. I have no answers to give but I can provide a little
(retro)(pro)spective.
Retrospective: The
first third of the season has been a journey of self discovery for Carlos de
los Cobos and the Fire. Let’s not forget that they are coming off a
disappointing 2010 campaign and the loss of some serious talent in C.J. Brown
and Brian McBride. The Fire organization responded well enough by scouring the
globe, mostly the southwestern hemisphere, and brought in 16 new players.
Diego Chaves has been great!
His knack for finding the goal has been uncanny. Hopefully he can
sustain himself through an extremely physical and tolling 34-game plus
season.
Gaston Puerari has been a positive as well. His darting runs
and ability to draw the foul served him well early on but MLS is a small world
and I’m afraid that his game has been sniffed out. If he can adjust to the league’s
forgiving referees and keep his feet under him, he will continue to pester
opposing defenses. The former slaughterhouse man needs to find his finishing
touch as well, otherwise he may find himself back in the boiler room.
Finally, Dominic Oduro has been another great addition to
the team. Despite his reputation as an incompetent finisher, Oduro has only
been positive for the Fire. Yes, he blasted one over the bar against Vancouver,
but he has scored two goals and is one of team’s only consistent attacking players
during the run of a game. He has also meshed well with his newfound
brothers-in-arms and has linked up nicely to provide some attractive assists. To
those of you who still are not believers in Oduro’s worth, I only point you to
his stats, his Best XI honors for Week 10 and his performance in comparison to
Calen Carr, who has still yet to play in Houston, following the player swap on
March 23.
Another seldom praised member of the Fire is the coaching
staff led by Mr. de los Cobos. The
results have not come, but they are not sitting idly on their hands. After
attempting a few formations and combinations, it seems that CDLC has a fondness
for the 4-1-4-1. It has been the team’s
most stable and successful formation to date.
Of course, there will continue to be tinkering to see which combination
works best, but I am impressed with the staff’s willingness to make difficult
player decisions and tactical changes when called upon. A good example is the
recent addition of Colombian potential star Cristian Nazarit. I have witnessed many-a-coaching staff simply
stand by as their season slips passed.
Prospective: This weekend’s matchup is another opportunity
for the Fire to come away with three points. Yes, the Quakes have found a bit
of form as of late, but coming off of a USOC victory and playing at home should
give the Fire the edge. Chris Wondolowski and Bobby Convey are the players to
watch for San Jose, but look for the Fire to expose San Jose’s weak back line.
Looking further down the road, the Fire face a difficult
June. Not only do they take on a Seattle squad that bested them weeks ago, but
they have match-ups against league powerhouses New York Red Bulls and Duke
managed and coached (GM Garth Lagerway and Coach Jason Kreis) Real Salt Lake. These
would be difficult tasks for a fully manned Chicago Fire, but to face these
teams without Marco Pappa, who will be with Guatemala at the CONCACAF Gold Cup,
may prove to be a terrifying thing.
But where some see crisis, others see opportunity. Hopefully
the Fire bench will see the absence of Pappa and the corresponding formation
shift to a 4-4-2 that will likely occur with it, as an opportunity to come in
and take the reigns. Cristian Nazarit has hopefully shed the remaining rust and weight from his dormant winter and
is ready to be Diego Chaves’ strike partner; and a healthy Patrick Nyarko
complimenting Oduro on the opposite flank could prove to be a deadly
combination.
In retrospect, yes, the side has taken a bit of a beating as
of late. However, we have the players and ability to be better than we have shown
so far. The staff successfully addressed the possession problem that initially
plagued this team. The next big hurdle is beginning a game with the requisite readiness
to give ourselves a chance at victory.
Battle for every ball, score first
and maintain the lead for 90 minutes.
