The Fire's brilliant homestand (they have not been shut out!) continues with a home match against the Red Bulls of the NY/NJ Metro(Stars) area, a minor division of Red Bull GmbH, making an unbelievable fortune for selling over caffeinated liquid candy. Yes, I am addicted to it (well, the ALDI sugar free version), as I don't drink coffee. They plow a lot of their money into "extreme" sports...and the NYRB. This is the second meeting of the two long standing sucky franchises. The first was the scintillating 0-0 draw in the pretty old, but more recent of the, Jerseys. As a reminder, NYRB (and the MetroStars before them) have a spectacular ZERO combined MLS Cups and US Open Cups, appearing in the final for MLS Cup a single time. NYRB are having a pretty great season for them, sitting in fourth in the East 43 points from their 28 matches. The Fire, of course, are getting themselves all nice and comfy at the foot of the table, again, battling Nashville for No. 1 futility spot in division. The Red Bulls have given up the second fewest goals in the East Conference with 35 goals conceded. The Fire, on the other hand, have coughed up 50 goals in 28 matches. New York have scored 44 goals to the Fire's 34. NY are led by Scottish winger Lewis Morgan (or is that Morgan Lewis?), with 12 goals on the season. Aging and ageless Swedish DP midfielder Emil Forsberg is second on the team with 6 goals. Designated Player Dante ("the inferno") Vanzier is their resident Belgian. NY are battling to cement their playoff position are pretty secure. They are 6 points away from third place Columbus, so they are not likely to catch the Crew. They are 4 points ahead of interstate, but somehow intracity?, rivals NYC(FC) and five above Charlotte, both of whom have a match in hand. I guess you could say: Ah, the halcyon days of MLS 1.0!!! The Fire, again, last in the East, tied with Nashville (who have a match in hand) and looking up at, well, everybody. Also, EVERY team battling for the final playoff spot in the East has at least one match in hand on the Fire. The Fire have played 28, every other team 27 or 26. A loss tonight, coupled with a DC United win, would put the Fire 9 points outside of the playoffs with five matches to go (six for everybody else). Atlanta is even a better spot than DC to bury the Fire's chances. We can, however, still "catch" San Jose for the Wooden Spoon. We are 9 points up with 6-7 matches left. The short story is the Fire have essentially win out to have a chance at the playoffs. Can they do it? Well, it is a mathematical possibility, so it is not "impossible." Considering the team has 6 wins out of 28 matches, it is an improbability, and a high level of improbability at that. Not, infinitely improbable, lest we see "a sperm whale suddenly ... called into existence several miles above the surface of into Soldier Field" (yes, a "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" reference) IT ALL BEGINS TONIGHT!!!!! [sorry, that's as much enthusiasm as I can muster] Fire 2-1 Hugo puts one in MHS scores the other Please note: I just received an email from the Fire. For those of you on the fence about taking the ride over to Soldier Field, please be reminded that tonight is "body flag" night The first 5,000 fans to arrive at Soldier Field will receive a limited‑edition Fire-themed body flag. No, I don't know what a "body flag" is, either, but I hope that convinces everybody, well, at least 5,000, to show up tonight. It is the grand reopening of our local tonight. New owners took over our favorite place in July, shut the place down for renovations and had a soft opening last weekend. Should be interesting. It will have lost much of its gritty, dive bar essence, but they are keeping the stage in the back. If they still have my friend there book the revolving selection of metal and punk bands nobody has ever heard of, it should stay a good time. Report forthcoming, if it is worth a report.
Looks like the NYRB have been playing 4-4-2, so Frank will probably match, but it here's some options With our recent poor CB play, I think I like the 4-2-3-1...but it could be called a 4-3-3 with Acosta at left mid
I do, when you have overlapping wingbacks (Lassiter, Gutman, Arigoni can all do it) and a 10 that stays off the sidelines and works with the overloads (which I think Guti can do, but we haven’t seen it run that way yet).
Potato Pah-ta-toe It comes down to what you expect of a 10, the rest of the formation, the rest of the players around them AND someone actually playing the role as prescribed. Takes a deeper more mature roster to be effective and attractive. Shaq should have been able to do it, but he didn't. He could not help himself from disrupting the overloads on the wing and leaving lone the target striker in the middle. So after not willing to give Guti that role, with Shaq on the wing...banging our head on that for 2years...we started experimenting with other formations. Now with Shaq gone, and the addition of a speedy winger (Lassiter), and Gutman returning to form, we should give it another go. Guti is clearly the most creative aggressive passer, that can and will also shoot. He should be given some (more) minutes at the role to further develop his movement to being a "good 10"...and see if this mix of players can generate the strengths of a 4-2-3-1.
JD Vance did not f*ck a couch ALLEGEDLY.... On the couch. I predict a win not because the Fire are better but because: 1) They have a way of stringing us along until the very end of the season to disappoint us in the end and 2) It would be the stupidest thing that could happen. 2-1 Fire win with goals by Cuypers and MHS. Guti with an assist. I have 3 cans of West 6th Pennyrile Ale and some Gumballhead as a plan B should I finish all 3 ales (probable).
The way you can contort anything into your maniacal hatred of Xherdan Shaqiri is something. You must have been in Cirque du Soliel.
That's the point...it didn't make sense...it was a key part of why the 4-2-3-1 didn’t work…and yet it happened incessantly...yet some people consistently argued but trequartista! or the team around him is not good enough! or the 4-2-3-1 and its single striker is bad or Guti can't make it work either. Well, now we have a chance to truly try Guti at the CAM/10...with the wide players needed...he's still maturing/improving on the ball and should be given a run at it.
Not to be…same as last week… Not sure what Frank likes about this, but Kellyn and Arnaud will need to have better than average games for this to work. I do expect the 4 to look more like a diamond with Gaston deep and Kellyn up (dare we say the 10)…MHS and Guti will pinch to provide lanes for the overlaps.
If he won’t back down from the allegations he’s spoken on, no reason to not continue the discussion about his non consensual relationship with couches and the like. Allegedly.
Well, except that is not the starting line up tonight, at all. But you keep up your fever dream. Which means: What in the actual F&CK?
No. Shitty outside backs break the 4-2-3-1. Shaqiri wasn’t out there tripping or tackling the outside back to prevent outside runs. The thought is just non-sensical. We weren’t designed to play that formation and we suck at it.
3-5-2 Gutierrez doesn't make the 18 with a leg injury. Gutman out with another leg injury. Gaston, of course, not out there. Czichos picked up a knock in warm ups and is replaced by Wyatt Omsberg.
Ok, what happened to Gutman? That looks like a lineup that expected to do not much. Edit: Shit, I did not even see Guti not in the 18. Oh well, I'm probably going back to video games at the 20 minute mark. Edit 2: Omsberg is now starting?
The field looks awful, natch. The kits give us a classic ketchup v. mustard aesthetic but it’s that weird artisan mustard that looks kinda funny.