vs. 5/17/07 7:00 PM TV: ESPN2 In case you've forgotten, we do still in fact have a rivalry with this team. We need a good bounce back game after losing to new england since we did not play a game this past weekend, especially on Saturday. Dallas is weaker this year and they're already having locker room issues with the fish. This is the second game back from suspsion for their keeper dario sala (who has apparently been a Fire fan since before joining the league). Make sure you light a candle, do some hail Mary's, rub Budda's belly, whatever you have to do to make sure Rolfe (AKA Fire's offense) is able to play. We've never lost three in a row under Sarachan. Fire win 2-1 This baby hates rednecks. Who can disagree with a baby?
In case you've forgotten, we suck. 2-0 FCD. Teams are going to start to figured out that if you simply mark Rolfe out of the game we're screwed offensively and that if Mapp is playing a wing in a 3-5-2, you attack his side mercilessly and enjoy the space in the box for a cross while players are scrambling out of position. Our only chance to win games is to bunker and find a way to nick a goal like we did against Houston and New England. Basically unless the crossbar is MOTM, we're in trouble. Our failure to address our dreadful wing play in the offseason has doomed us to missing the playoffs as Mapp simply can NOT play outside in a 3-5-2. Sarachan OUT!
BTW, pulled from the dallas pregame thread: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Little do they know our arsenal of DM's.
That seriously made me laugh to the point of tears. Lack of Dmids. They don't breed for brains in Dallas obviously.
Since the other thread seems strictly an outgrowth of the Rivalries form... If we play like we have the last two weeks, we're so ********ed it's unbelievable. Diego's out and while we all bitch about the 2-d-mid set up, we've now seen what happens when we try to play with only one d-mid. I'm not sure what I want to see out there on Thursday. We don't have any formations that make me even remotely excited. Still, something has to change. We could do worse than this: Carr, Rolfe Guerrero, Armas, Mapp, Bedrossian Segares, Curtin, CJ, Robinson Pickens Sadly, I fear we'll see this abortion because we've learned over the years that Dave is apparently not capable of changing the blatantly ineffective: Barrett Segares, Mapp, Rolfe Armas, Pause CJ, Curtin, Robinson Pickens
Dave's going to try 10 players? Guess I'm not surprised. One thing Dave continues to get a pass on is his complete and utter inability to develop players after their first year in the league. Its been well documented that he has been one of the best drafters in MLS history. However, once you get by that initial "surprise package" season, its been all garbage. Barrett looks the same promising kid we drafted out of the youth national program. Rolfe has actually gotten worse and has settled into this tweener role as support striker. His numbers have been great, but his positioning has completley clogged our offense as he jams up the middle of the pitch. Sega is the same exact player with the same knack for mental lapses we drafted. Logan Pause is pants. Sarachan couldn't convert Mapp into a wide midfielder and as such exposes us to a massive defensive liability when he throws Thiago and Mapp on the pitch together. If I've said it once I'll say it a million times, make DS our head of scouting or something, but get him the ******** away from this team. He's ruining the squad and almost every player has stagniated in development after his first season.
hey guys my name is Alan and I've been a Fire fan since the very first year and have gone to many games before at Soldier Field but not to Toyota Park. Which makes me mad cause I didn't go to a single game last year, and yet I still call myself a huge Fire fan. Anyways, I just bought tickets to the game thursday, they are in section 117 row 3. First question is this, am I allowed to bring a 3ft x 5ft city of Chicago flag to the game? To go along with this question would it be gay if I bought black electrical tape and wrote on the flag We Love You Fire? Also since my section is right next to section 118 how crazy is it going to be? I'm hoping it gets really nuts. Final question, are they going to sell any scarves at the game? Specifically the scarves that were on the section 8 website? Thanks for all the help guys. I'm always looking at the forum and have lots of repect for you guys because you guys truely know your shit, and are really proud to be Fire fans. We need more fans like you guys.
While I disagree with some of your assesments, this one I think is flat out wrong. Rolfe has been coming back because Mapp turns into Mr. Invisible on the field and the only way for us to attack is for him to start it from farther back. Wait for Cuauh to come and Rolfe will be where he needs to be.
Chicago Fire/AthletiCo "Recovery Room" :: May 14 Rolfe, Chris - L ankle sprain - QUESTIONABLE Pickens, Matt - R lateral thigh contusion - PROBABLE Plotkin, Brian - L quad strain - PROBABLE Pray harder for Rolfe's health, people! If I need to I'll get him 16 vestal virgins.
Mapp turns into Mr. Invisible because A) He's been carrying a nagging injury B) He's been playing out of position C) Everytime he makes run he runs right into Rolfe or Thiago (watch the NE game again to start the season). I don't think this has much to do with Cuah, I think it has to do with the fact that Rolfe is a fairly limited player. He might have one of the best striking abilities in MLS, but he roughly had that coming in, he stilll can't run at defenders and he still can't hold the ball up with his back to goal. Someday, some MLS coach is going to figure out that if you mark Rolfe out of the game with a DM, the Fire have NO chance of scoring.
Mapp has faded in and out of games long before A, B, or C. Didn't we win in Houston exactly because Rolfe ran at a defender?
He ran out of d-mids. OK, here is what I meant: Barrett Segares, Mapp, Thiago, Rolfe Armas, Pause CJ, Curtin, Robinson Pickens It's just that Thiago has sucked so bad, I keep wishfully thinking he isn't on our team.
Nope. Rolfe comes back because that's our offenseive scheme. He drops back and someone else (Pause, Guti, or Guerrero usually) slots in his place. Mapp is supposed to get the ball, make the run behind the defense and cross the ball into Barrett and whoever has sneaked into the place Rolfe should have been. It's waste of talent as I suspect Rolfe could be the only other person on our team besides Mapp who has the balls to run at people rather than make suare passes, back passes or hopeless Route 1 balls. It's also obviously not working and as other teams have now figured it out, both Rolfe and Barrett are now having to drop back to try to receive ANY kind of pass. Unless Dave decides to use Mr. Descending Eagle as our second forward. And no, I wouldn't put it past him to try it.
I think this has more to do with the fact that Mapp is actually a winger so when he makes runs or recieves the ball his instintively looks to the outside, which then leaves a big gap that Rolfe tries to fill. If Thiago played consistently, then there'd be better linkage to the attackers. That is why I think Temo will be a godsend to the forwards. Oh, come on.
Mapp is supposed to push the ball out wide. If this created space, then Rolfe would not have to drop back. He'd be running at goal to receive a pass to his feet or a cross to his head. But he's not doing that because Dave has him giving way for a midfielder. Thiago has abeen a huge disappointment in the midfield general role. That said, if everyone on the team would play better, we'd be undefeated despite Dave's screwball offensive scheme.
Oh BTW, not only is Rolfe doubtful, but guess which asshole is going to be reffing this game. That's right, our favorite son of a bitch, Brian Hall. I'm suddenly very uncomfortable about this game.