Official DC United vs Chicago Fire PRE Match Thread • Game One

I think Chicago should be deservedly favored--they've had a fine season and Sarachan has played the talent/man management on that side like a fine violin by a gifted artist. In short, he's hit the right notes and it's flowed well.

That said...

1. We play them well. The matchups work better for us against them then they do any other side in MLS. Specifically...
--We have a tandem of central defenders (Nelsen, Petke) who match up well against probably the best pair of front-runners in MLS (Razov, Ralph). I know Damani Ralph's numbers have been gaudy but if you deal with Razov, so much of their play is off of him. When you give Petke a marking assignment and tell him to shut someone down, that's his strength.
--As good as DMB is (and my considerable respect for him has only grown this year), the teams that would create issues for us are ones with A-mids who have the ability to hit good through balls, really good vision on the field (say, Cancela or Donovan when he's in midfield). I don't see Chicago with that kind of player.
--A major strength for Chicago is how dominant in the air their defense is (and how it takes away the aerial game from other teams like Metro, NE, SJ and LA). But we make no bones about it--our set pieces and corners aren't how we score and our frontline has trouble beating midgets on headers. In short, Bocanegra and Gray and Co. have a major strength (ability to stiffle our aerial attack in the attacking third) wasted against us b/c we don't try to win matches that way.

2. Chicago was a team that the past year or so, developed into a style of play that made that extremely tough at Cardinal Field (Naperville). Now they've gone from pinball to a much wider field at Soldier Field. I have to believe that makes a difference for this team. Don't get me wrong--I"m not arguing that Chicago can't play on wide fields, only that after they adapted to Cardinal, it became a big advantage for them--a field others had to cope with that they had mastered. Now their game has to change and I think it takes their level of play down a notch or two.

3. The style of play will favor DCU. I think this series has the potential to produce some butt-ugly football. If Chicago fields 2 distroyers in midfield, if we field two destroyers in midfield (which may happen given the formation the last game, the return of Dema), it will be somewhat like the first Chicago-DCU match at RFK this season (the dreadful 0-0 where Chicago sought to bunker and counter only when they had space). Except the roles would be somewhat different this time--Chicago would go forward more and we'd seek to maintain shape and be compact. Lots of players on the field (both for us and for them) who won't back down from a confrontation, will get "stuck in" and view the playoffs as the real game. That isn't likely to produce lovely, attractive soccer but it will produce some all-out, hard running, high workrate, intense, close games. And if it's a 1-0 match, I think that tends to favor this United team. It's the 4-3 shootouts that don't favor us--we don't have the firepower to produce that number of goals unless a team quit on us.

 

I think JoeW's analysis states the case very well.

At RFK with the crowd behind them, DC United can certainly pull off an upset.

 

This match is going to be a very physical one. I hope whoever MLS selects for refing this series can communicate with the players, and not have a hair trigger on the cards. If we get what wanker we had against the Cow's, I think my head will explode!

 

While the thought of Mr. Brother's head exploding does have it's exciting and entertaining merits, I do hope that guy's done reffing for a while. I thought the wanker we had for KC did a very good job. In general, we usually see less of the refs in the playoffs, they tend to let the guys play a bit more.
What a weird game Chicago played yesterday. Kicked Columbus' startng 11s butts with their bench the first half, then just fell apart, what a crappy backup goalie they have, if we can knock Zach out we'll be to the second round (but who the hell could knock that big dude out, even Dema might hurt himself). I thinnk we only have a fighting chance to win this series because it starts at The House of Payne (tm)
Ray, you have 4 days to teach these guys how to SHOOT THE BALL
DC 2 Chi 1

Oh, and let's hope those fires near LA leave the hotel and stadium standing so we can enjoy the Cup in a few weeks !!

 

I also thought Alex Prus did a good job. I hope we get him as the ref in the playoffs.

The last time DC United and Chicago met in the playoffs was in MLS Cup 1998. I hope they get some revenge for that game.

 

JoeW says:
--A major strength for Chicago is how dominant in the air their defense is (and how it takes away the aerial game from other teams like Metro, NE, SJ and LA). But we make no bones about it--our set pieces and corners aren't how we score and our frontline has trouble beating midgets on headers. In short, Bocanegra and Gray and Co. have a major strength (ability to stiffle our aerial attack in the attacking third) wasted against us b/c we don't try to win matches that way.

I disagree here. We do try to win matches this way. We barrage the box with crosses. We were shorter than the KC defense so it didn't work - aside from Stoich's goal, which came from a Convey cross. The only way our approach will have any chance against Chicago is with Martins in.

I'll go on a limb here - 0-0 first half with Chicago having the better of the chances. Second half we insert Martins who scores on a header crossed to him a la Stoich this week. Then Razov spins Ivanov two minutes later and we end with a home tie, 1-1.

DHS

 

Taking a trip down memory lane here and sometime it fails me as I am getting old, but I believe that we qualified last in the inaugural season and played the top seed (supporters shield winner) Tampa and thoroughly trounced them. Then we took down the Metroscum in two brutal games. Then came that glorious come from behind win in the rain against the LaGals in the final.

Substitute Chicago for Tampa and could it happen again - would be lovely to see history repeat itself.

I think we could take Chicago though I wish we had Olsen healthy. I think Martins needs to play and soften up the defense. Maybe he could pick up a foul and Histro will make the fire pay. Also think the Demanoator will come up big.

I would like to believe that the new field in Chicago will take away some of their home field advantage, at least we won't be playing on plastic.

-The Far Side

 

It's been so long that United made the playoffs, that I had forgotten the playoff format had changed since last United made the playoffs

 

I was barely old enough to remember, but I believe we trounced the Metros in the first round then stunned Tampa in the second. Either way, how fvcking sweet would it be to do it again?

1-0 good guys. Dema knocks DMB onto South Capitol, takes the ball 25 yards from goal, and lets Thornton know how Hartman felt last month.

 

I have a feeling Kovalenko and Hristo will come up big against their former squad. Prediction for Game 1: DCU 2, Chicago 1

 

30 minute period of Golden Goal, then PKs.

http://www.mlsnet.com/special/mlscup/2003/mlscuppo_format.html

 

I'm looking at a 3-5-2 for this game. We need to do whatever possible to disrupt Chicago's passing and an extra midfielder will help clog the lanes and cut off service to Razov and Ralph.

Also, Martins has to start. While he alone can't beat Curtin and Boca, he should be able to distract them enough with his size to open up space for the midfielders to crash the goal.

If our midfielders are not willing to take shots from outside, we have very little chance of winning this game.

 

The difference between the '96 team and this one are glaring to say the least. After the famous hurricane game agains Tampa that DC won, DC had the best record from that point forward in the league. They were on a major roll going into the play-offs.

This version of DC is not any of those things. We'll give Chicago a good series but I think in the end they will prove too much for us. We have heart, but Chicago has that plus skill and speed in more position on the field that I don't think we match up very well.

 

We haven't had any quick interplay all season long. So while Curtin, and almost any defender, is vulnerable to this, we actually have to do it. Given our history of interplay in that part of the field, I just don't see it magically turning on because it's the playoffs.

 

I have been behind this team all the way. I will be there again on Saturday night but to say I think that our championships from the past will in any way help us beat Chicago would just be crazy. I hope we win but if we do I will be very surprised. We do not match up well with them at all given the lineups that will be there Saturday night.

 

I say 3-5-2 like so:

--------Cerritos---Martins-----
-------------Etch------------
Convey------Dema--------Stewart
------------Namoff-------------
Prideaux-------Petke-------Nelsen
-------------Warren---------------

This gives us some flexablility on subs. If we need a goal late, you can bring on Q2 and Hristo, if we need defense, you have Ivanov (play him at D-mid if he comes and and slide Namoff back, that way when Ivanov misses on a takle, there will be some covering). Or if you want, put Q2 on the right and move Stewart up top, but I wouldn't do that until late in the game.

 

This is actually a very good line up!

 

Which is why I'm optimistic that we can win at home. Hell, a 2-0 or 2-1 win and then bunkering at Chicago (and I mean like a 4-5-1) would get us through. This is the playoff matchup that is the most difficult to place a bet on. The first game will be huge and I feel that our boys can pull off an upset.

 

Perhaps someone can elaborate on why T. Martins should play at all- first, Hudson made a mistake putting a new element on the field when the rest of our team had worked so hard to develop what little offensive chemistry there is- since his arrival- and in no way is Thiago to blame- but we have just sucked offensively, and he has not produced. Size has so little to do with it. Think speed.

 

Chicago has big, physical defenders in Boca and Curtin. Other than Martins, we have small, wimpy attackers. We need someone up top willing to take them on.

I disagree that adding Martins into the lineup hurt our offense. Look at his, and the team's, performance in his first game against the Metros in Giants Stadium. I think you're overlooking the absence of Olsen as a main reason why the offense began sputtering as soon as Benny got injured.

 

He may not be the offensive juggernaut he was in the A-League, but he has shown that he can disrupt defenses and maintain possession. He does that better than any of our other forwards. I say start him in the first game and then use him as a sub in the second.

 

I agree.