A short message before Sunday's game...

Our club has been fortunate enough to experience many of the joys of glory early in its existence. We have a high standard to live up to by setting the bar so high from the start. This is well known, and we've done an excellent job of reaching for that year after year.

Alas, with every club comes disappointment. Downturns. Missed oportunites. Emotions run the gamut along with results...Every club has to take its place on the bottom of the heap as well as the top, eventually.

In 98 we were fortunate and talanted enough to win the Double. 99, though, produced a disspointing season for what was arguably a more talented and gelled team that cought bad breaks. 2000 even more bad breaks but still led to a MLS runner-up place after a heartbreaking final and the Open Cup championship. 2001, succumbing in the semis on a bit of harsh payback from our fortunate 98 semfinal triumph.

Now, 2002. Only 2000 rivals this season as to the number of bad breaks, bad injuries, and just plain bad luck we've dealt with. No matter. We fought hard and are at the end of the season, unfortunately, facing the brink, standing over the cliff.

If we don't get it done tomorrow, we'll have at least gotten it out of our system. We'll have completed the cycle of possible finishes in the league and we can get back to winning fulltime.

But it won't. It's not our time, now. When we win tomorrow, given the way things are shaping up, we have a damn good chance of taking the whole goddamn thing, and after the crap we've dealt with this year, wouldn't that be something to hold in front of everyone else's face?

One game at a time, first, however. I hesitate to use words like 'most important game in club history' because no matter the result, we'll still be the Fire. It might take a little longer to achieve the heights we scaled out of the box, but there is no doubt we'll be there again.

However, tommorrow is without a doubt the most important, in the present tense. We've had poor form at home? Who cares. Unlucky late in matches? Pssh. No excuses. We're going to be there with them tomorrow, one hundred percent, either real or in spirit, and bring our boys into the postseason on our backs if we have to. Win at all costs. We can do it, we will do it, because we're the goddamn Fire. Always will be, forever.

BRING US TO RED OCTOBER
NO SLEEP TILL FOXBORO