7/27 @ Chicago .. Naperville Stadium 4:00 p.m. ET on espn2 Right now Chicago has a one game advantage on us and have 24 points and the Metros are sitting on top of the east with 29 points. A win for the Metros puts them in place for a playoff birth and a loss to Chicago puts us only 2 points away with Chicago having the hand with 1 game less played. Chicago's injury report : CHICAGO FIRE - OUT: M Chris Armas (torn ACL-R), M Sergi Daniv (turf toe-R), M Peter Nowak (sprained MCL-L), F Mike Nugent (torn meniscus-L), D Evan Whitfield (torn ACL-L); PROBABLE: F Ante Razov (knee tendonitis-R); Metrostars injury report :METROSTARS - OUT: D Marcelo Balboa (knee bone bruise-R), M Brad Davis (partial tear, plantar fascia-L), M/F Clint Mathis (torn meniscus & sprained MCL-R), M Tab Ramos (torn hamstring-L); PROBABLE: M/F Byron Alvarez (contused wrist-L), F Mamadou Diallo (calf strain-R). Weather out look for 7/27 in the Chicago area : AM T-Storms 97°high/68°low 40 %of rain ..... I think the small field will again play havoc on our midfield and will probably lead to a tough fought match. Don't look for another high scoring game..this one will come down to possesion in the midfield and which team keeps the cooler head after 90 minutes. My prediction is 2-1 Metros in o/t. .... Also is Hristo back in action..he's not on the injured list ?
Chicago likes to use a double team on the dribbler near the touchline. That will give most teams trouble. To beat that you can't stay on the flank after the first touch. You have to move into the middle of the field to avoid that double team or you can use a takeover from the dribbler moving to the flank to the flank player moving to the inside if he gets the ball he beats the pressure then can move the ball forward or to the other side of the field as the ball moves forward. If the flank player waits until his team mate dribbles to the flank. Then he has no place to play that dribbler killed the flank players space to play, and he will most likely lose the ball or make a bad pass and lose the ball. This is the way Chung played and this is the way even Vilegas played. Play this way they will not get caught on the touch line double team. So in and out of the flank they won't get caught in a double team on the flank. Plus once you make this inside move the flank opens up for some one else like a wing back if you need that space. That is also the way to play on a narrow field. It is also a good way to play indoor soccer on a gym floor as well. Richie
Came in as a sub 2 games back in the 91s minute, came in atthe 53rd tonight. Don't expect a full game from him, but he will likely make an appearance. Chicago still isn't used to playing on such a small field, there hasn't been any sort of home field advantage at all. Going to be hot as hell, but should be a great game as always.
Metros turn the table on the Fire, and the home teams wins the 3rd in a row in this series (this year). Metros 3 Fire 2
The next two games are crucial and key to pulling away from the pack. I expect to see a counter-attacking win of 3-1.
Sorta wished ESPN wouldn't show Naperville matches on tv...place looks way too A-League for the MLS. Especially with those gridball lines on it.
As if there's all these would-be MLS fans on the fence tuning in to a mid-season match on ESPN, making their decisions about whether to support the league based on how the turf looks and how big the stadium is. That same rationale leads some clubs to fill up only the side of the stadium the TV cameras see. Try as you might, it's impossible to hide MLS's bush-league-ness. What looks better, a 1/8th-full Giants Stadium with fans blowing plastic horns and "grass" that makes astroturf look good? Or Naperville? It's bush-league whichever way you go.
Giants Stadium, by far. Hard to even try and disguise Naperville as a stadium when any camera shot allows you to see over the stands. Sigh.
There are half empty stadiums all over the world in many leagues that suffer the same problems as the MLS does....but most of these stadiums meet a certain criteria of what a football stadium shoud look like. Naperville just looks like something halfassed thown together in the last minute...which is somewhat the truth and by no means any fault to Fire fans or team personnel. However MLS and ESPN should come to grips with how lowsy this place looks on tv...one game is ok and maybe a playoff match or two but this is around the 3rd time that I can count so far that ESPN has shown a Naperville match... it just doesn't look right. With Gazza now here and more eyes on the MLS and with our ESPN matches being shown in Eire/England we need to portray the best possible image. Giants stadium may look half full, but at least you can say it looks like a nice place to play, where as Naperville might be full and rowdy but the facililty will always look like a step down.
What about your sorry ass field, all I here is how on the sidelines of the field is atleat one inch higher or lower (whatever). The play surface at Giants Stadium is pretty bad to look at on TV too. So once your field starts looking good on TV, you could start ripping the field in Naperville. Atleast the atmosphere at Naperville is alot better then must games in MLS.
Nobody is really ripping on Naperville, read the posts. The truth is, Jeff Bradley is right on when he says MLS should never televise games from NCC.
Even with their injuries, Chicago is still a tough team. Mistakes against this team are punished as shown the last time the Metros and Fire got together in Giants Stadium. Temp. is supposed to be around 95 degrees come game time so it will be like a furnace on the field. If Metros can continue their road magic, they will be in great position with lead in the eastern conference. My initial feeling was for a 0-0 draw despite the weapons that both teams posess. Hopefully Metros get on board first and hang on to win 1-0.