The Fire REALLY have to earn their PKs. Out of 10 violations we get one call. It is the MLS way. Didn't we lose two games late in the game in the same month on questionable PKs against us? Oh, I forgot, San Jose does not have to earn their PKs.
Cool. How about those Bears? Another exciting finish for a win. I have rewound the Dema dive and it is possible that Hartman clipped his left foot. But there is no way it would have caused a headlong dive like that. Dema has not contributed much this year and I agree that he's a head case. The Ref had the call right. Actually I thought he was one of the better MLS refs I have seen. I do agree with most of you who think the Fire need some personnel changes for next year. But it occurred to me that they played a great first half and got frustrated in the second and to me, that points to chemistry. This team doesn't have it and thats what happens when you have a rotating squad all year. Liam, I was not refering to you when I made that post, you joined in the conversation. Anyway, 2 games to go. Lets make the best of it. No crybabies and at least in Columbus we can buy beer at the stadium.
You haven't watched too many San Jose games, I take it. They don't get too many calls either. It happens when you've got Landon Donovan and Ariel Graziani on the same team.
The ref was good. The team gave up, either in spite of/because of the ridiculous bad luck we have. And maybe go easy on the coaching staff, alright? I'm sure they're just as angry and disspointed in all of this as we are. Any blame squarely rests on the 11 that were out on the field at the end of last night. Well, and Dema for being such a damned moron. That changed the game right there.
Everyone knows Graziani is the worst diver in the leage and he still gets calls. Hell, San Jose beat us on a very questionable PK, a few weeks after a similar odd incident. The Fire gets 3 PKs in 30 games??? The ref last night was better than the ones we have had recently. I can't be sure of the two most controversial calls beacause I did not have a good angle. I said this already. Lalas should have been red carded for the professional foul in the face. But the ref did finally toss someone for endless hacks on Beaskey. This ref was better and the people who bitch about bad refs help their team.
That was fun. Almost made up for yesterday and was a good Birthday present for me today. Probably not a good place for bears talk but if you want to start a thread in my personal forum feel free!
Don't blame Graziani (this time)...blame Mamadou MLS Penalty Kick Attempts - 2002 1. MetroStars 9 2. Colorado 6 3. Kansas City 5 4. D.C. 4 Los Angeles 4 6. Chicago 3 Columbus 3 8. New England 2 San Jose 2 10. Dallas 1 And Dallas's first PK didn't come until August 21st!!!
Thanks pablosescobar for some data. I think Stoichkov and Kovalenko are divers and should cut it out. I have said that here before.
Some more data... Fire PK's by season... 1998 4 1999 5 2000 10 2001 6 2002 3 Maybe it seems worse, because relative to the past two seasons, we haven't gotten as many PK calls.
Re: Curtin. I think it was more of having a real back four with Boca and Brown playing central and Vaud and Perez on the wings. Re: Grey His name is spelled Gray. Re: Missing the Playoffs Yeah, and with our allocation we could sign a high priced foreigner.... or NOT.
The Fire will win the MLS Cup. All you doubters shall see. It's just a matter of a game or two till we get the offensive explosions we were once so used to. This man shall lead the way just wait.
Re: Re: Gm #26: Chicago v LA - 7 September, 7:30 PM CDT [R] I thought the games were similar.....one team controls the game for the majority of time, and then loses it on two late scores. It was absolutely roasting in Champana today.
We have unfortunately entered a period of time in the team's history where the team's old guard is passing its peak of creativity and athleticism, while the new guard is either not ready to take their place or will never be ready to take the old guard's place. Those who have some talent but still need the older players: Bocanegra (who after Saturday's game appears to me to be ready to move to the midfield) Beasley (the kid has afterburners but he still refused to light them even while we were down) Curtin (why didn't he play? Coach's doghouse?) Perez (stick to your man!) Brown (stick to your man!) Grey (don't be so tenative. Just do it!) Those who should be cut right now: Dema (hasn't helped the club since his father visited from the old country) Daniv (why we took him for Kubik, I don't know?) Vaud (there's nothing left after 50 minutes) Finally, blame should be assessed to Bob. Those late substitutes do not help. It takes time for our players to get into a game. Getting them in 10 minutes before the end of the game is not only useless its dangerous. They have had no time to get aclimated to the player they have to cover. And this has been Bob's way for the last five years. I think he learned this from Arena. As for our forwards, what can you say? Sometimes Razov connects, sometimes he doesn't. Wolff hasn't been around for any period of time the last few years to do much for the team. But they both have potential. So what are you going to do? Where are you going to find replacements? Go down to South or Central America and find the next Ruiz or to Poland to find another Podbrozny? Perhaps. But can you then afford to do it? We are stuck at this time in a no-win situation. The boys on the field have to step it up. No question about it. And if we have some cap room, we have to find a veteran scorer from overseas to compliment Ante or Josh. And get a replacement for Peter. He's going to need one soon. But nevertheless, the Fire is still the only team worth supporting.
Thank God it was a night game! Man, I couldn't believe how much hotter it was inside Cardinal Stadium than outside on Sat. night. Not only does that turf retain heat, but I think the entire east stand does as well. Like everyone else, I've sweltered through some ugly day matches this summer and just wrote it off to summer heat. After Sat. night though, it's clear that Cardinal Stadium is a convection over (to the physicists out there, I know I probably have chosen an incorrect thermodynamic effect here, but allow me a bit of poetic - or prosetic license). Anyway, day games have GOT to go next season during the summer. It's just cruel and unusual punishment to both players and fans. (Refs. could hang around during the day though).
I'd say this is part of the problem. Obviously injuries are again killing us, and I'm begining do doubt they are due to bad luck. The fire played well up until they started to tire around the 65 minute mark, while we were playing one of the hottest teams in MLS. If it wasn't for some poor luck/finishing this could have been a blowout. I blame Bob for blowing what should have been a win. Sure, the players didn't finish and the post got in the way, but there's nothing you can do about that, while Bob's error was a mental/coaching error. It was obvious, around the 70th minute, that the flow of the game was beginning to turn in LA's favor as they began to put pressure on a older, tiring Chicago line-up. It's not like this is the first time Bob has refused to sub some fresh legs on early enough to hold a lead. Sticking to your gameplan is respectable, but refusing to adjust to the game at hand due to your strict gameplan is what seems to be happening with Bradley. Bob is a great coach, but this is an area where is doesn't appear to be doing so well.
Does anyone know why, during the last 10-15 minutes, Beasley was in the middle of the field sending long balls to out attacking left mid - JESSE MARSCH? What a frustrating game, but it's not like we didn't see it coming.
OK, I can take the Fire hitting three crossbars and a post. I can take the 2nd LA Goal not being offside (sitting in section 11, I really thought it was). I can maybe--MAYBE--accept that Dema really did dive and thus earned the 2nd yellow-although, if the ref wanted to be that picky, then he had several opportunities to give Goatboy (aka Alexi Lalas) a 2nd yellow. However, strip all that away, and my buddy said it best the other night-"There is no fire in the Fire." Dammit, if I were a Fire player, I would be pissed beyond belief at what has been happening and would be playing my @ss off so it wouldn't happen again. But we're just lying back and taking it. Totally unacceptable! The effort sucked, and the fans know it. Totally unacceptable! Oh yeah, and was Howard Balson trying to set a new world slow record when he introduced our starters?