Jermaine Jones update on Fire Weekly
We’ll start off with the current news of the day being a report from Goal.com which says Fire target signing Jermaine Jones has reportedly turned down a two-and-a-half year, $6 million dollar offer from the club. The report claims the club’s bid was considerably higher than other clubs in MLS and Jones, who as a free agent is not bound by the transfer window, will look for other options to emerge.
Myself, Fred Huebner and Kevin Egan spoke at length about the Jones situation as well as previewed tonight’s match vs. Columbus on this morning’s episode of Fire Weekly.
We also spoke to Crew Radio play-by-play man Neil Sika to get a look at Columbus ahead of today’s match, listen to the podcast.
Columbus Crew Record at Toyota Park
With the Fire sitting a 3-5-12, the time hasn’t been better to grab a win against a Crew side that sits five points ahead of the Fire in the final playoff spot in the East. A win would make that gap two, with the Fire holding a game in hand, while a loss would make things difficult with an eight point difference.
- TICKETS: Fire vs. Crew seats still available
The good news for Fire fans is that the team hasn’t fallen to Columbus at Toyota Park since October 7, 2006 – a stream of 12 matches across all competitions in which the team is 8-0-4. The Fire have won their last seven competitive matches at Toyota Park against the Crew.
Larentowicz continues at center back?
Fire assistant coach C.J. Brown said he and the technical staff were impressed with captain Jeff Larentowicz’s shift to center back in the past week. The longtime MLS vet made the move after the team conceded five goals last Wednesday in San Jose and standing next to partner Patrick Ianni, helped the Fire to the team’s third clean sheet of the season in Wednesday’s 0-0 draw vs. Vancouver.
- TACTICAL: Balancing the midfield to stop Higuain
“I thought he did well,” Brown said of Larentowicz’s performance “It’s not easy to just changes positions like that and it was kind of a last minute deal anyway. I would think it would be difficult for someone to do that. I thought he controlled it pretty good – he was in the right spots, he was big in the air and he came up big on a lot of plays.”
All signs point to Big Red continuing his run on the back line tonight vs. Columbus.
Military Appreciation/TrueCar giveaway
Saturday is Military Appreciation Night at Toyota Park, presented by TrueCar.
Veterans and active military can receive discounted tickets to the match as well as concessions savings by presenting their military ID at the box office and at stands inside Toyota Park.
For more information on the full events of the night, please click here.
Food Trucks are Back!
If you love grilled cheese the way I love grilled cheese than you’ll be delighted to know that Cheesie’s Food Truck will be on hand at Toyota Park tonight.
Fire Chief Operating Officer Atul Khosla will buy meals for the first 20 fans in line beginning at 6:00pm… See you there, AK.
