Total and complete domination by the Fire in the first half, yet only a 1-0 lead. Kovalenko should have finished the chance just before time, but shot right a Howard. Hey! Fire score again making it 2-0. Chronolopous with a pathetic attempt at a tackle, Wolff runs free, passes to Razov who finishes. Hard to see the Metros getting back in this one. Diallo out about the 40 minute mark, reinjuring his leg.
Petke with a horrendous blunder, heading back a long ball directly to Razov who easily chips Howard. 3-0 Fire. If Petke's an All-Star, I'm a 16 year-old soccer phenom. Petke was largely responsible for lazy marking on the first goal, scored by Curtin (his first ever!). Metros didn't come to play today.
Howard the sole reason this game isn't 7 or 8 to nothing. 108 degrees on the field. I thought it was hot here in San Diego when it was 82.
'82 minute mark, Howard and Hristo in each other's face. Not sure why. hard to tell what happened. Don't blame Howard for being frustrated. He's been under barrage the whole game. Players just walking around now. It's too hot and the game's out of reach. Hey! Metros' best offensive combo of the game leading to Thornton stuffing Faria at about the 86 minute mark. Barnburners continue to sound great.
Game mercifully over for Metros, Barnburners putting on a show. Major air time for them. The East continues to be a big muddle.
This game should also put to rest (but won't around here) all these theories that Taylor Twellman is better than Josh Wolff. Wolff has better passing skills than most midfielders. Can take players 1v1 better than almost anyone (Landon, maybe Clint), and while he didn't get the chance to today, can finish. The ONLY thing that Twellman has on him is heading ability. To me, it looks liek Twellman is Brian McBride on a hot streak, but with less passing ability.
The Metros were terrible, but the first goal wasn't due to poor play so much as a blown offside call (if Wolff got a head to the ball, which from replays he appeared to), and the backheader wasn't the problem on the second goal-- it was that Zadie and Jolley (and mainly Jolley) left Razov totally alone. Neither Curtin nor Bocanegra would leave a forward with ten yards of space on either side of him, even in an innucuous situation like the one today. I'm not sticking up for Petke-- he was puke. So was Chronopolous. Of all the Metros defenders, only Joe Addo has any reason not to slash his wrists in the locker room. But even if there were no defensive errors, the Metros deserved no points at all today. I wonder if Zambrano ever rethinks his career every time Bob Bradley outcoaches him (practically every game). It would be sort of funny if I didn't support the Metros.
I'll reserve judgment on Twellman, but Wolff is a fabulous player. Razov is good as well (better than McBride, in my opinion). Chicago is always a joy to watch. A real pleasure, and proof that MLS can produce some high quality soccer.
i know Ty kept on saying this but I never saw the flick on the repeated replays. but it may have happened. i can see why the linesman would miss it though since i couldn't even see it on repeated replays maybe. i don't think petke was trying to backhead it. i think he was trying to head it forward, as did Jolley, and hence it caught everyone by surprise, explaining why jolley was 10 yards waay from razov. i could be wrong though they looked like they were going to puke from heat exhaustion by the end of the game i sympathize.
Razov has something that none of our younger players have and thats goal scorer's smarts. He knows the easiest way to get a ball into the bacl of the net. I don't think Landon, DMB, Eddie Johnson, or any of our kids would have tried to chip that ball over Howard. They probably would have brought it down and blasted it at him.
The big question is, "Did he whine to the media after the game about Chicago's style of play?" I mean, he's only been doing that since 1998.
At least for the Chicago-metro game The crowd looked nice. It's nice to see a stadium full, too bad it's on that pitch. I feel soooooo sorry for those guys to play on that evil turf. I just wish they could build a stadium soon where the Fire fans could sit right on top of the team. Well any of the MLS teams that need stadiums for that matter. Just my $.02
Landon didn't score against South Korea. That was Mathis. Landond scored vs. Poland when he picked up some loose garbage in the penalty area and a running header off of one of the nicest crosses, courtesy of Eddie Lewis, that I have ever seen.
well he flicked his head at the direction of the ball....i don't know if that counts. But Josh Wolff recieved no credit for an assist. Just Ante
Thanks for the confirmation that Ty did not know what he was talking about (not that we don't already know that about Ty).