Official DC United @ Chicago Fire PRE Match Thread :: Conference Semifinals, Leg 1

SABuffalo786 · Oct 20, 2005

Right, in today's Goff article, the playoff sidebar says that away goals ARE going to count this year.

Anyone know if that's true?

ZoomZip · Oct 20, 2005

SABuffalo786 said:

Right, in today's Goff article, the playoff sidebar says that away goals ARE going to count this year.

Anyone know if that's true?
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According to MLS, that's not true. What's been posted here: aggregate goals, then 30 mins OT, then PKs, is what MLS has on their website.

ButlerBob · Oct 20, 2005

I'm looking forward to the game this friday. After having watched the Fire all season, I think the chances for a United victory here is good. Lately the Fire has looked very inconsistent on attack and very open in the back. It should be a good game to watch. Also, with the call for rain on friday I like our chances even more. I can remember a couple of big games that we have won in rainy games.

grumpydcu · Oct 20, 2005

Does anyone know who the ref. will be Friday night? It probably doesn't matter but some are much worse than others.

nobletea · Oct 20, 2005

I've read a few hundred posts, and it's certainly possible I missed it, but I haven't heard too many people talking about the possibility that the dialogue between Freddy and his teammates, and between the team as a whole this week, might actually produce a more focused and sharpened attitude toward the team's goals and the playoffs.

Similar to the bust up that happened last year right before the good run of form.

Sometimes all relationships are like that, you have to have a knock down drag it out before you come together and put in the hard work.

Let's hope either Adu's comments are the catalyst for that or just simple business to take care of on the way to MLS Cup.

Seems to me Chitcago gives us the most trouble defensively because of size and strength. Sounds like a job for Bobby Boswell.

Shockman · Oct 20, 2005

nobletea said:

I've read a few hundred posts, and it's certainly possible I missed it, but I haven't heard too many people talking about the possibility that the dialogue between Freddy and his teammates, and between the team as a whole this week, might actually produce a more focused and sharpened attitude toward the team's goals and the playoffs.

Similar to the bust up that happened last year right before the good run of form.

Sometimes all relationships are like that, you have to have a knock down drag it out before you come together and put in the hard work.

Let's hope either Adu's comments are the catalyst for that or just simple business to take care of on the way to MLS Cup.

Seems to me Chitcago gives us the most trouble defensively because of size and strength. Sounds like a job for Bobby Boswell.
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Freddy's comments will tear the team apart before bringing them together because he is basically saying that someone who is playing shouldn't and that his coach doesn't know how to coach. How does that bring a team together?

tallguy · Oct 20, 2005

Shockman said:

Freddy's comments will tear the team apart before bringing them together because he is basically saying that someone who is playing shouldn't and that his coach doesn't know how to coach. How does that bring a team together?
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The only way it unites the team is to unite the entire team against Freddy "It's All About ME" Adu and his posse. This is a very bad thing for the team to have to go through right on the cusp of the playoffs.

JayRockers! · Oct 20, 2005

From The Weather Channel...

Friday: Partly cloudy. High 59F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph.
Friday night: Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 44F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.

Brrrrr. That's Germantown weather.

I can't remember if anyone linked Charles Boehm's MLSNet article.

article said:

"They've broken us down this whole year," said goalkeeper Nick Rimando. "So I guess we're going to try not to have a high-scoring game for our part, but we're going to try to find the goal as much as we can. They're a very attacking team, and they have some good forwards."

Incidentally, D.C. has never beaten Chicago in the postseason, as the Fire have accounted for half of the losses on United's otherwise outstanding 23-6 overall playoff record.
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Thx,

Jay!

Th4119 · Oct 20, 2005

Re: Official DC United @ Chicago Fire PRE Match Thread :: Conference Semifinals, Leg

Shockman said:

Freddy's comments will tear the team apart before bringing them together because he is basically saying that someone who is playing shouldn't and that his coach doesn't know how to coach. How does that bring a team together?
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What's Josh saying about it?

Bwana · Oct 20, 2005

Re: Official DC United @ Chicago Fire PRE Match Thread :: Conference Semifinals, Leg

Thamlin19 said:

What's Josh saying about it?
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He just waved his cast dismissively and said "Ahh..."

Bootsy Collins · Oct 20, 2005

Re: Official DC United @ Chicago Fire PRE Match Thread :: Conference Semifinals, Leg

JayRockers! said:

I can't remember if anyone linked Charles Boehm's MLSNet article.
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Well, you certainly didn't!

Raven49er · Oct 20, 2005

Re: Official DC United @ Chicago Fire PRE Match Thread :: Conference Semifinals, Leg

So wait, who is actually going to the Chicago game? I'll be there tomorrow, cheering on DC. These fire fans stink. I was happy to see a good number of United fans make the trip to chicago last time. If I see a corner full of United fans, I'm going to join them this time, instead of sitting in a sea of dopey fire fans. Last game in Chicago, Kovalenko scored, and I stood up and cheered, and then I realized I was the only one cheering. A bunch of Fire fans looked at me in anger. I say, screw them. So I kept on cheering.

nobletea · Oct 20, 2005

Re: Official DC United @ Chicago Fire PRE Match Thread :: Conference Semifinals, Leg

Raven49er said:

So wait, who is actually going to the Chicago game? I'll be there tomorrow, cheering on DC. These fire fans stink. I was happy to see a good number of United fans make the trip to chicago last time. If I see a corner full of United fans, I'm going to join them this time, instead of sitting in a sea of dopey fire fans. Last game in Chicago, Kovalenko scored, and I stood up and cheered, and then I realized I was the only one cheering. A bunch of Fire fans looked at me in anger. I say, screw them. So I kept on cheering.
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A little off topic for the thread, but I had to mention that I've noticed more and more people like you in the stands at RFK. Nearly every game this season there were pockets of 1-10 fans for the visiting team somewhere. Maybe they were cheering specific players, but still. This does not include the mindless zombie groupies that follow guys like diaz arce and guevara.

Anyway, maybe they should start to actually set aside and actively promote away fan sections for people buying tickets outside the supporters groups.

I guess that would require TicketScalper-- I mean master to do something other than make money hand over fist however... like, say, customer service.

Red&Black · Oct 20, 2005

Re: Official DC United @ Chicago Fire PRE Match Thread :: Conference Semifinals, Leg

Raven49er said:

So wait, who is actually going to the Chicago game? I'll be there tomorrow, cheering on DC. These fire fans stink. I was happy to see a good number of United fans make the trip to chicago last time. If I see a corner full of United fans, I'm going to join them this time, instead of sitting in a sea of dopey fire fans. Last game in Chicago, Kovalenko scored, and I stood up and cheered, and then I realized I was the only one cheering. A bunch of Fire fans looked at me in anger. I say, screw them. So I kept on cheering.
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section 101 i believe is where our group will be.

jason1551 · Oct 20, 2005

grumpydcu said:

Does anyone know who the ref. will be Friday night? It probably doesn't matter but some are much worse than others.
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According to the Fire's board, it's Brian Hall.

And here's the link:

http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/mls_...20&content_id=46362&vkey=mlscup2005&fext=.jsp

REFEREE: Brian Hall. SAR (bench): Greg Barkey; JAR (opposite): Rob Fereday; 4th: Terry Vaughn
MLS Career: 103 games; FC/gm: 29.3; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 27; pens: 33
2005: 15 games; FC/gm: 26.1; Y/gm: 2.6; R: 4; pens: 3

Bootsy Collins · Oct 20, 2005

Re: Official DC United @ Chicago Fire PRE Match Thread :: Conference Semifinals, Leg

nobletea said:

This does not include the mindless zombie groupies that follow guys like diaz arce and guevara.
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Or the hundreds of people who show up when Dallas is in town who couldn't give a sh1t about Dallas, but wanna root for Ruiz.

newXgate · Oct 20, 2005

Re: Official DC United @ Chicago Fire PRE Match Thread :: Conference Semifinals, Leg

Shockman said:

Freddy's comments will tear the team apart before bringing them together because he is basically saying that someone who is playing shouldn't and that his coach doesn't know how to coach. How does that bring a team together?
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"When the routine bites hard
and ambitions are low
And the resentment rides high
but emotions won't grow
And we're changing our ways,
taking different roads
Then love, love will tear us apart
again" ...

Ricky_DCU · Oct 21, 2005

Re: Official DC United @ Chicago Fire PRE Match Thread :: Conference Semifinals, Leg

SABuffalo786 said:

Right, in today's Goff article, the playoff sidebar says that away goals ARE going to count this year.

Anyone know if that's true?
Click to expand...

ZoomZip said:

According to MLS, that's not true. What's been posted here: aggregate goals, then 30 mins OT, then PKs, is what MLS has on their website.
Click to expand...

The only thing I see in the Post sidebar is this: "Winner is determined by aggregate scoring of both games". All this means is that total goals from both legs are added together and whoever scores the most advances- it doesn't say anything about away goals. This is just like last year. And as pointed out, the league website is pretty clear on the format and tiebreakers: it's decided by aggregate score and if tied after both legs it goes to 30 min extra time, then penalties if necessary.

JoeW · Oct 21, 2005

Shockman said:

Freddy's comments will tear the team apart before bringing them together because he is basically saying that someone who is playing shouldn't and that his coach doesn't know how to coach. How does that bring a team together?
Click to expand...

Nah, I disagree. I think no particular player will view Freddy's comments as an attack on his starting. What you're saying is logical (if Adu thinks he should have started that means he thinks someone else should NOT have started). But Adu's comments weren't logical, they were emotional, driven by the dreams and emotions of a teenager who's mostly mature but occassionally not.

I think ALL of the players will take them for what they are: a frustrated teenager taking a "me first" perspective. Everyone wants to start. But they also all get that it's stupid to air this stuff before a game, that Nowak won't be influenced by it, and that Nowak changes lineups, roles and tactics all the time b/c of the opposition and the game plan against them.

I think the only way that this comments become an issue is if DCU loses in Chicago. Than the press other than guys like Goff and Haydon will be asking post-game and afterwards "did the comments distract the players?" or "would you have won this match if Freddy had started?" or stuff like that. A win in Chicago and no-one is mentioning this stuff other than Onionsack and Tony Kornheiser.

jaradvary · Oct 21, 2005

Re: Official DC United @ Chicago Fire PRE Match Thread :: Conference Semifinals, Leg

Hey, be nice to Onionsack... he's not that bad

jri, now... I'm not going there.

fatbastard · Oct 21, 2005

Re: Official DC United @ Chicago Fire PRE Match Thread :: Conference Semifinals, Leg

It dawned on me during my drive in this morning that I fully expect to dominate the game this evening. Of course, we've done that and not scored before ......

Everybody should be up in the sky on their way to Chicago ...... be loud and bring us our 3 points back!

TheFarSide · Oct 21, 2005

Looks like Thorton will start for the fire.

It still burns me that he didn't receive a red card and fine for taking out Jiame from behind and in the ankles after Jaime scored on him and tried to retrieve the ball. It burned me even more when Jiame received a red card a few weeks later for tapping someone's calf after the play.

Thorton is a thug and I hope we light him up tonight, and I hope the team in mass goes and retireves the ball out of the net and then present it to Thorton's face.

-The Far Side

Lloyd Heilbrunn · Oct 21, 2005

Knave said:

----------------------------------------------
...
• Date & Time :: Friday, October 21 @ 9:00pm EST
• Television :: Live on DirectKick, HDNet & CSN

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Crap, this conflicts with the rescheduled Dolphins-Chiefs game

Guess I'll have to crank out the Picture in Picture even though it screws up the nice HD.........

DutchFootballRulez · Oct 21, 2005

Re: Official DC United @ Chicago Fire PRE Match Thread :: Conference Semifinals, Leg

Lloyd Heilbrunn said:

Crap, this conflicts with the rescheduled Dolphins-Chiefs game
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You and I both know that game will be over at halftime.

Raven49er · Oct 21, 2005

Re: Official DC United @ Chicago Fire PRE Match Thread :: Conference Semifinals, Leg

Wait, I think I must have confused you. I'm a United fan who lives in Chicago, so I am usually the dope at Fire games who cheers for DC. I actually havent been to a United game at RFK this year because I have been out of town on gamedays.