WHERE: Gillette Stadium WHEN: 10/30/08 TV: ESPN2 Well here we go. We begin our quest for MLS Cup, and we do so against our long time rivals the Buffa... I mean, New England Revolution. Naturally, it's fate that we face them. Good and Evil will always find each other. This will be the eighth time in the last nine years, seventh in a row, that one team will have ended the other's season. As you all know, we have owned the Revs this year with a 3-0-0 record and 9 goals for, and 1 against. But the playoffs are an entirely different animal. Unfortunately, New England has ended our season the last four seasons in a row. But that will not happen this year, the gods will not allow it. And when I say the gods, I mean that quite literally: All of our players should be healthy for this game. Our legendary veterans, Blanco and McBride, have been on a tear for over a month now. Rolfe is always at his best in big games. Thorrington and Segares return to the line-up after a week's rest. Our boys will be ready. Here's some things to keep in mind. In the 11 games that our teams have played in the postseason, there has not been a single tie. In fact, the home team has won every single time. Going by that, we should lose the first game, but I refuse to accept that. We have the better roster, better chemistry, better health, and better momentum. We better win. We've all felt from the beginning that this should be our year. Now is the time to take what is ours! For the glory of Chicago... Tradition. Honor. Passion.
The team with homefield always wins in this series. And nearly always goes to the final. Just sayin'.
In general, the Fire have done well with these first round series -whether we have had the home field or not. I feel pretty optimistic about this series, obviously on the heels of the beauty of a game we just played against the red bulls (we are all hoping this is the team hitting the stride at the right time), but also because of our history in the first round. Now, about that Eastern Conference Championship matchup... Here's to wistfully wishing I still lived in Chicago so I could make the home game.
So does Hamlett put out a defensive lineup and play for a tie, or does he have balls and put out a lineup that could beat them like the 3-0 whopping we did earlier. Here's our lineup from that game: Chicago Fire -- Jon Busch, Brandon Prideaux, Bakary Soumare, Diego Gutierrez, Gonzalo Segares, John Thorrington, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Logan Pause, Justin Mapp (Daniel Woolard 78), Chris Rolfe (Stephen King 69), Chad Barrett (Andy Herron 83). So we put in Conde instead of Gutierrez and Mc Bride instead of Barrett! Mapp been playing good lately, but do you think Pappa gets the call for this game or does Hamlett stay with Mapp (And bring in Pappa as his sub in the 60-65th minute. So I hope that the lineup will be something like this: ___________________________Busch__________________________ ____Prideaux_______Soumare_________Conde________Segares____ ____________________________Pause_________________________ ____Thorrington____________________________________Mapp____ ____________________________Blanco_________________________ ____Rolfe________________________________________McBride____ Subs that should get inappa (60-65th), Nayarko (75-80th) and Woolard/Robinson (80-85th).
This looks acceptable to me. I don't really care for Mapp anymore, but you cannot deny that he is playing better these days (he still doesn't show up on the defensive end).
I like that lineup for the first game on the road. This should probably be our most balanced lineup as well. I'd still rather see Pappa over Mapp, but as you said he has been playing a touch better lately.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA F***** those F********ers!
I'd like to see this: ___________________________Busch__________________________ ____Prideaux_______Soumare_________Conde________Segares____ ____________________________Pause_________________________ ____Thorrington___________________________________Banner____ ____________________________Blanco_________________________ ____Rolfe________________________________________McBride____ Unfortunately, we'll probably see this: ___________________________Busch__________________________ ____Prideaux_______Soumare_________Conde________Segares____ ____________________________Pause_________________________ ____Rolfe____________________King__________________Mapp____ ____________________________Blanco_________________________ ____________________________McBride________________________ And you can bet that Herron will make an appearance before this series is through. To repeat something I've said a few times this season, despite my criticism of Blanco over the season I'd start him for the rest of our season because he does seem to rouse himself for big games. I'd have preferred him to have been rested more over the season and I'd prefer us to not be so dependent on him or for him to come on in the second half when his lack of mobility will be partially mitigated by the opposition's tired legs, but oh well. It's crunch time and we need him to earn all that $$$ Best Buy is putting up.
Well, NE are down a Ralston, but now they will miss Badilla and Smith for the first playoff game... I recommend watching NE/KC, if you aren't. And Stott is making no friends in NE tonight. Heh heh heh.
Here's my lineup prediction... -------------------Busch----------------- -Prideaux---Baky---------Conde----Sega-- -----------------Pause------------------- --Thor----------------------------Mapp-- -----------------Blanco----------------- -----------Rolfe--------McBride--------- Then after the whistle blows...McBride will become the lone target man up top...Rolfe will float around the right 1/3...Thor will move more central...Blanco will go where ever he wants to go...Mapp will be instructed to move to the right side, and then back to the left, and when that tires him out sufficiently, Pappa will be subbed in...Pause will try to keep the game in front of him...Prideaux and Sega will push up in the attack...and Conde will move into the attack up the middle... At least that's what it appears to be lately... Fire 4 ne 1 (twaylers 100th MLS goal and consolation prize)
I would like to update everyone: Ralston's leg is still broken. Oh, and New England has still never won MLS Cup.
This reminds me of how the Bulls got knocked out 3 years in a row by the Detroit Pistons from in 1988 , 89, and 90 and then the Bulls finally swept Detroit in 1991, the same thing is going to happen in this series. This is the Fire's time. Even if the Fire was to tie or lose game one , they are going to trounce NE in Toyota park. I say the Fire wins game one 2-1 and the Fire wins game two 4-1. No matter what,the Fire will outscore NE in this series and that will be enough to adavnce,things look very good.