Conf Semis 1st Leg :: Chicago @ DC United, Sat 1 Nov, 6.30p CT [Pregame]

HalaMadrid · Oct 27, 2003

Is playoffs.

Chicago Stars · Oct 27, 2003

First off, I think we need to make sure Dema does not get anywhere near Zach!

352gialloblu · Oct 27, 2003

What they are saying...

Copied this from JoeW's post on the DC board (didn't want to troll post there).

I think Chicago should be deservedly favored--they've had a fine season and Sarachan has played the talent/man management on that side like a fine violin by a gifted artist. In short, he's hit the right notes and it's flowed well.

That said...

1. We play them well. The matchups work better for us against them then they do any other side in MLS. Specifically...
--We have a tandem of central defenders (Nelsen, Petke) who match up well against probably the best pair of front-runners in MLS (Razov, Ralph). I know Damani Ralph's numbers have been gaudy but if you deal with Razov, so much of their play is off of him. When you give Petke a marking assignment and tell him to shut someone down, that's his strength.
--As good as DMB is (and my considerable respect for him has only grown this year), the teams that would create issues for us are ones with A-mids who have the ability to hit good through balls, really good vision on the field (say, Cancela or Donovan when he's in midfield). I don't see Chicago with that kind of player.
--A major strength for Chicago is how dominant in the air their defense is (and how it takes away the aerial game from other teams like Metro, NE, SJ and LA). But we make no bones about it--our set pieces and corners aren't how we score and our frontline has trouble beating midgets on headers. In short, Bocanegra and Gray and Co. have a major strength (ability to stiffle our aerial attack in the attacking third) wasted against us b/c we don't try to win matches that way.

2. Chicago was a team that the past year or so, developed into a style of play that made that extremely tough at Cardinal Field (Naperville). Now they've gone from pinball to a much wider field at Soldier Field. I have to believe that makes a difference for this team. Don't get me wrong--I"m not arguing that Chicago can't play on wide fields, only that after they adapted to Cardinal, it became a big advantage for them--a field others had to cope with that they had mastered. Now their game has to change and I think it takes their level of play down a notch or two.

3. The style of play will favor DCU. I think this series has the potential to produce some butt-ugly football. If Chicago fields 2 distroyers in midfield, if we field two destroyers in midfield (which may happen given the formation the last game, the return of Dema), it will be somewhat like the first Chicago-DCU match at RFK this season (the dreadful 0-0 where Chicago sought to bunker and counter only when they had space). Except the roles would be somewhat different this time--Chicago would go forward more and we'd seek to maintain shape and be compact. Lots of players on the field (both for us and for them) who won't back down from a confrontation, will get "stuck in" and view the playoffs as the real game. That isn't likely to produce lovely, attractive soccer but it will produce some all-out, hard running, high workrate, intense, close games. And if it's a 1-0 match, I think that tends to favor this United team. It's the 4-3 shootouts that don't favor us--we don't have the firepower to produce that number of goals unless a team quit on us.
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1. I think he's underrating Damante, DMB and Boca. Jimmy is great in the air and underrated on the deck, but Gray hasn't impressed me one-on-one. The Cunningham/Dallas effect does pose some questions about our ability to deal with people running at us. But that's where Armarsch come in, right? Right.

2. Yeah, we play good pinball, but DC doesn't play anything good, so we'll be fine on a wider field.

3. He's right that it will be a tough, physical midfield contest. We should be ready for Dema, though, because we've played with him. This is the key to the match, and I'm sure we're up to it. It'll be a great quarterfinal!

JeffGMc · Oct 27, 2003

Get your asses out here, you dirty hippies!

HalaMadrid · Oct 27, 2003

Originally posted by JeffGMc
Get your asses out here, you dirty hippies!
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Unless you're paying for me, I'm wiped till LA. :-/

JeffGMc · Oct 27, 2003

Originally posted by HalaMadrid
Unless you're paying for me, I'm wiped till LA. :-/
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You're excused, you were at the last two road trips.

The rest of you need to bring in excuse notes as well.

HalaMadrid · Oct 27, 2003

http://www.chicago-fire.com/pressbox/pressrelease/releasetext.asp?prID=1351

Of Note:

The match will be televised via tape-delay on Fox Sports Net Chicago at 10:00 p.m. CT, but can be heard live via Chicagoland radio stations WBIG AM 1280 (English), WNTD AM 950 (Spanish) and WNVR AM 1030 (Polish).

...

Chicago will be looking for revenge against D.C. after losing the 2003 season series 1-2-1 to United. The two squads fought to a 0-0 draw in their first meeting of the year at RFK Stadium on April 19, but United defended its home turf on June 7 by defeating the “Men in Red” 2-0. United would hand the Fire its only home loss of the season by a 2-1 score at Cardinal Stadium in Naperville on July 12, but Chicago got revenge and its first win against D.C. on Aug. 16 at Cardinal with a dominating 3-1 result. With this year’s results, D.C. took a slim 7-6-3 advantage in the all-time regular season series. The Fire has not fared well in the nation’s capital, going just 2-5-1 at RFK Stadium. The two storied sides have met only once in postseason play on Oct. 25, 1998, when Chicago defeated D.C. 2-0 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA to claim the 1998 MLS Cup title.

...

The MLS Conference Semifinals have switched this year to a home-and-home, aggregate goals format. As opposed to the MLS regular season, there will be no five-minute overtime periods should a match end in a tie. However, if the two sides are tied on aggregate goals at the conclusion of the second match, a 30-minute, golden-goal overtime period will follow, to be played in two equal 15-minute halves. Should the 30 minutes of extra-time not produce a victor, the series winner will then be decided by penalty kicks. The MLS Conference Finals and MLS Cup will each be conducted as a one-game knockout round, with the same extra-time and penalty kicks procedure in place should a match end in a draw after regulation.

...

The Chicago Fire has announced that the club will honor a pair of figures instrumental to the success of the Chicago Sting and the North American Soccer League - founder Lee Stern and forward Karl-Heinz Granitza - during a ceremony before its Eastern Conference Semifinal game on Sunday, Nov. 9 at Soldier Field.

...

Chicago Fire ACE/Tru-Fit Injury Report
Ring, Henry - R labrum tear - IR

...

The Chicago Fire family would like to congratulate midfielder Jesse Marsch and his wife Kim on the birth of their second child, Maddux Jeffrey. The healthy baby boy was born last Thursday and measured in at 8 lbs, 3 oz and 22 inches. Mother, child and father are all reported as healthy and well.

...

The Fire would also like to send birthday greetings to forward Nate Jaqua. The University of Portland product will turn 22 years old this Tuesday, October 28.
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Jesus. I'm older than Jaqua.

Fanaddict · Oct 27, 2003

I wonder if the game will be shown live on mls shootout.

HalaMadrid · Oct 27, 2003

Originally posted by Fanaddict
I wonder if the game will be shown live on mls shootout.
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I believe so, because that is the feed FSW uses. Waiting on info.

Len · Oct 27, 2003

Originally posted by Fanaddict
I wonder if the game will be shown live on mls shootout.
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According to MLSnet, any game not on espn2 or ABC will be on the MLS shootout package.

AriesFlame · Oct 27, 2003

Originally posted by Chicago Stars
First off, I think we need to make sure Dema does not get anywhere near Zach!
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Very observant. We don't need Zach getting banned for life by permanently disabling Dema. From evidence of what he did to Guevara, Dema might get sent into the Potomac.

Fanaddict · Oct 27, 2003

http://www.soccertv.com/foxwo.cfm

This indicates the game will be shown live on fox sports world.

GUTuna · Oct 28, 2003

Originally posted by AriesFlame
Dema might get sent into the Potomac.
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Or the Anacostia. Right next to RFK. Far more polluted than the Potomac, and a far better place to send someone you don't like.

WarrenWallace · Oct 28, 2003

Originally posted by JeffGMc
Get your asses out here, you dirty hippies!
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sorry, did NY for the USOC and Clb over the weekend. Saving up for LA hopefully now.

kebzach · Oct 28, 2003

FSW has a 6:30pm time slot for a playoff game on Saturday, I would have to assume that it will be for the Fire game.

Hattrix · Oct 29, 2003

Trib today says FSN delayed at 10:00. A playoff game certainly should be broadcast live, so I'm guessing (and hoping) the FSW spot will be the Fire - DC game.

HalaMadrid · Oct 29, 2003

Originally posted by kebzach
FSW has a 6:30pm time slot for a playoff game on Saturday, I would have to assume that it will be for the Fire game.
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It is. It's already on FSW's schedule.

HalaMadrid · Oct 29, 2003

http://www.foxsportsla.com/world/pdf/fsw44.pdf

6.30p CT :: DC United v Chicago Fire
9.00p CT :: LA Galaxy v SJ Earthquakes
11.00p CT :: MLS Wrap
12.00p CT :: FSW Report

JeffGMc · Oct 29, 2003

For those of you that want to go, I have posted information about it in the other thread.

HalaMadrid · Oct 30, 2003

The game will be live on MLS Shootout, at least on Dish. It's in the Dish guide as channel 464 at 6.30p CT.

It also appears that if we make the Conference final it will be broadcast locally on FSC.

Lowdiggity · Oct 30, 2003

Watching the game

Any watch parties? My broke ass doesn't have cable.

HalaMadrid · Oct 30, 2003

Someone (here, or somewhere else, I forget) mentioned that it's listed on Ginger's website.

Here it is:

http://www.gingersalehouse.com/

Saturday November 1
9:00am EPL: Manchester United v Portsmouth
11:00am EPL: Leeds United v Arsenal
6:30pm MLS Playoff: DC United v Fire
9:00pm MLS Playoff: Galaxy v Earthquakes
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AriesFlame · Oct 30, 2003

Re: Watching the game

Originally posted by Lowdiggity
Any watch parties? My broke ass doesn't have cable.
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Don't you know anyone who could give you a hookup?

DCU9ted · Oct 31, 2003

How are you Fire fans feeling about this game? Any score predictions?

bunge · Oct 31, 2003

Originally posted by DCU9ted
How are you Fire fans feeling about this game? Any score predictions?
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We were missing so many starting players in our losses to you, I'm having a hard time getting too worried. Hristo can kill any team in one play, but that includes the team he's playing for.