There’s a big game
being played downtown this week and believe it or not Manchester United isn’t
involved.
In some small precursor to Saturday’s World Football Challenge match at Soldier
Field, the Chicago Fire PDL side will host long-time rivals the Michigan Bucks
Wednesday night at 7pm at the UIC Soccer Field.
After two seasons in
which each team missed out on the playoffs (Michigan in 2009, Chicago in 2010),
the normalcy of having the two teams at the top of the division has returned in
2011. The two storied PDL franchises sit tied atop the USL Premier Development
League’s Great Lakes Division on 32 points and with just two matches to play,
Wednesday’s winner (if there is one) will more than likely take the divisional
crown.
The 2011 division
title is meaningful as the Bucks (who were founded in 1996) hold a slight 8-7
divisional title edge over the Fire PDL (founded in 2001). The two teams are
also competing every year as the division’s representative in the Lamar Hunt
U.S. Open Cup (the Fire PDL won that battle this year).
More than just competing for results, there’s
also the competition in recruiting the same players to suburban Chicago or
suburban Detroit for the summer…
History and differing missions
The Michigan Bucks
began as the Mid Michigan Bucks in 1996 in Saginaw, MI. Though they played
matches in suburban Detroit throughout their early years, they moved downstate
full time in 2004 and have established themselves at Ultimate Soccer Arenas in
Pontiac, just a mile south of the Silverdome. The team has brought along the
likes of current MLS players Pat Noonan (Seattle), Kheli Dube (New England),
Jacob Peterson (San Jose) and Zarek Valentin (Chivas USA).
The highest level of
outdoor soccer in Detroit, the Bucks have done a good job over the years of
mixing up-and-coming college players with guys that have played professionally.
As an example, Bucks striker Kenny Uzoigwe became the PDL’s all-time leading
scorer earlier this year and has been the focal point of the team’s attack
since 2006.
The Fire PDL began in 2001 as the Chicago Fire Reserves. Differing from the
Bucks, the avowed goal of the team is as a developmental and research project
to identify potential draftees for the first team the following year.
Despite losing the
first-ever meeting between the two sides a 1-0 loss on May 27 in Chicago, the Fire
PDL went on to dominate the rivalry, running off nine consecutive wins from
2001-06.
Fire defender Dasan
Robinson experienced the early years of the rivalry, playing with the team between
his college seasons at the University of Dayton from 2003-05 along with the
likes of Chris Rolfe (AaB; Denmark), Brad Guzan (Aston Villa, England), Matt
Pickens and Drew Moor (both Colorado).
“The Bucks are
always a tough opponent,” he said Tuesday. “They put out a great squad whether
its college All-Americans or guys that are a bit older and still playing.
They’ve had a good collective of guys who are very talented. I knew that was
one game I always had to be ready for and whenever I played them, we never
lost.”
The tide shifted a
bit as the Bucks defeated the Fire PDL 4-1 in the 2006 Divisional playoffs on
their way to the PDL North American championship that year. That started a six
match Bucks unbeaten run which went through the end of 2008. In the last five
matches between the two sides, the Fire hold a 3-2 edge, with the Bucks taking
the most recent game, a 2-0 victory earlier this season on May 30.
“That game was
ironic,” said Fire PDL head coach Mark Spooner. “We had the chance to go up 1-0
when we were awarded a penalty. I felt like we were in control of the game at
that point. Unfortunately we missed the penalty and it seemed to lift them. It
was hard to deal with that because they play with a lot of energy and have a
lot of experienced players in that team, while we have some very young players
in ours. That experience saw them through in that match. I’m hoping going
through that match will help us Wednesday night.”
For the record, the
Fire PDL holds a 12-8-1 all-time series lead.
Target on Your Back
A now veteran coach
in the PDL, Spooner holds quite a distinction as the coach of the only team to
ever beat out both the Fire and Bucks to a divisional crown when both were in
the same division. That came when the Derby, England native led the Kalamazoo
Outrage to the 2009 Great Lakes Division crown.
Having had that
experience and now in his second year with the Fire PDL, he understands what’s
at stake when the two teams clash.
“I say it with us
all the time. We have a target on our backs because of the Fire name. The Bucks
are the same because they’ve always been successful. As a coach of another team
in the division previously, I can say teams get up for games against both of
our clubs. It’s a weird rivalry because in the PDL you get different players
every year that don’t necessarily grow up with your program. Still, they know
right off the bat that these games are special. At the same time, there’s not
hatred there. It’s a rivalry of mutual respect and always makes for a competitive
game.
Connections
As a former employee
of the Michigan Bucks and a current employee of the Chicago Fire, I find these
games more compelling than ever before. I joined the likes of Raushawn
McKenzie, Simone Omekanda, Nate Norman, Kyle Russell and Boyzzz Khumalo as
someone with connections with both clubs after coming to the Fire last year.
After a year in
which the Fire PDL team missed out on the playoffs for the first time ever, I’m
excited to watch my former team take on my current one in a match that will
decide the division and playoff positioning.
Tonight’s match at
UIC at 7pm CT is FREE and open to the public!
Jeff Crandall is the Team Writer for the
Chicago Fire. Follow him on Twitter @JefeCrandall.
