I’m putting together an MLS Regular- Season Review for a soccer magazine and I wanted to get the supporters’ opinions about the Fire in 2003. I would love it if some folks could answer the questions below. Thanks So Much! MVP: Surprise of the season (player or other): Disappointment of the season (player or other): Game of the season (a few details): Goal of the season (a few details): Young player to watch: 2003 will be remembered for . . . (game, moment, chant, incident etc):
Suprise: Ralph Disappointment: Faria - the closest he ever came to anything was shanking a PK. Game of the Season: I think it was that third or fourth game against KC. Perez got things going with that long bomb and then the boys came back to win it. Goal of the Season: Ralph at C-bus. That turning volley. Young Player to watch: Mapp Memorable: The great breading?
Suprise : Ralph Disappointment: Faria Game of Season: 10-18: 4-3 vs Colorado Goal of Season: Ralph in Columbus Young Player to Watch: Mapp 2003 will be remembered for: For me at least, the most memorable moment I had was switching ends during halftime of the Open Cup semi and seeing our 3 goals right up front in the second half and of course giving Hartmann crap.
Surprise: Ralph and Sarachan (tie) Disappointment: Faria Game of the Season: Fire 2-1 (OT) over the Metrostars on 6/28...Bradley's "homecoming" ends in a loss. Goal of the season: Ralph in Columbus Young player to watch: I still consider Ralph young. 2003 will be remembered for: Defying everyone's expectations.
MVP: Armas (winning 50.1% to 49.9% over Ante) Surprise of the season: The whole season Dissappointment: Faria, and I feel bad for him. Game of the season: The KC game. Went into the locker room down 2-0 at the half and it looked like we were on our way to a rebuilding year that might have some bright spots. Came out in the second half on the road and popped in 3 beautiful goals in quick succession to claim the game and banish all thoughts of a rebuilding year. Goal of the season: Damani Ralph scoring in stoppage time to claim a tie at Columbus. It was magical. Playing with his back to the net, popping the pass to him up just enough to give him time to spin towards goal and slam a volley just under the crossbar. Put every forward in the league in that exact spot and ask them to do the same....how many could even connect on the volley? Young player to watch: Damani Ralph 2003 will be remembered for: Proving everyone (including many of us) wrong.
MVP: Razov (gets 75% of my vote) and Armas (25%) Surprise of the season: Ralph and Damani Ralph Disappontiments: the New Soldier Field management (non-player); Faria (player) Game of the Season: Saturday, October 18, 2003 - W 4-3 vs. Colorado. This game had it all: beautiful goals (on both sides), beautiful, wide open soccer, suspense (Colorado tied twice), great crowd, great cheering ("Who's the best?"), great tifo: streamers, table rolls, flags, Open Cup and Fan Friendliness Award presentations, enormous great winner from MVP who could not get it on goal in a few previous matches on similar occasions, nice weather, nice stadium, lots of happy faces. Goal of the Season: I have a tie here: Saturday, June 28, 2003 - W 2-1 (OT) vs. MetroStars - Razov's game winner and Wednesday, August 18 vs. Columbus - Ralph's spinning shot. Young player to Watch: if Damani Ralph is not young enough, then Justin Mapp 2003 will be remembered for: first of all, pride the Fire players take to be members of the team - great assembly of pure class players: Armas, Bocanegra, Brown, Curtin, Marsch, Ralph, Razov, Thornton (alphabetical order) - no gamesmanship players anymore (Stoitchkov) or crazies/hotheads (Stoitchkov, Kovalenko), growing bond within Fire fans and between fans and organization/players, and what follows, "We Love You, Fire." Additionally, puke bus to Columbus, Section 8 switching ends at halftime of Open Cup semifinal, Soldier Field 2 re-opener games with serious numbers and tifo, KC roadtrip with 3-2 away win, Great Breading of Stoitchkov, and most importantly serious hardware (Open Cup and Supporters' Shield).
MVP: Dave Sarachan, for very obvious reasons. But if you want a player, Jim Curtain whose amazing defensive skills came together this year and won many a game (or at least so I think). Surprise: Damani Ralph and Dave Sarachan. Dissappointment: New Soldier Field. I hate the whole damned place. Expensive shite beer, bad mgmt, bad accoustics, bad design, etc etc. Game of the Season: Chi @ KC, 3-2 W. My first road trip, and a great one at that. Great game, great supporters, good times before and after. Goal of the season: Ralph's volley and spin v. Columbus. Simply acrobatic. Young player to watch: I count four; Ralph, Mapp, Jaqua, and, of course, DIPSY! 2003 remembered for: inception and innaggural season of MDSC, appreciation for the fans from the team, KC roadtrip, the Troubles in Columbus, the Great Breading of aught-3, and an amazing season.
MVP: Ante, not only for his goals, but for his hard work, coming back to help on defense and riding Ralph early in the season in practice to help him be the player he is now. Surprise of the season: That we're that good. Dissappointment: Faria, and I feel bad for him, too. Game of the season: The KC game, which marked the point when the Fire began playing Fire football again. Goal of the season: Damani Ralph's goal in Columbus. Absolutely world class! Though Perez's in KC helped spark the run to the cup. Young player to watch: Mapp. What a steal! Jaqua, too. 2003 will be remembered for: A lot of good and bad things: Team play; discovering new talent; a wise coach; the Breading of Ought 3; saying goodbye to Peter Nowak and Darrien Chapman.
MVP: Chris Armas or Ante Razov Surprise of the season (player or other): Damni Ralph and/or Dave Sarachan Disappointment of the season (player or other): Rodrigo Faria Game of the season (a few details): Not sure yet. Goal of the season (a few details): Ralph in Columbus: Spinning half volley to draw even in the closing minutes. [Aug 13th] Young player to watch: Damani Ralph, Justin Mapp, and Nate Jaqua 2003 will be remembered for . . . (game, moment, chant, incident etc): A new coach, a spectacular rookie, a great team, entertaining game play...and anything else will be filled in come Nov. 24th.
MVP: Ante Razov (51%), Jim Curtin (33%), Jesse Marsch (16%) Surprise of the season (player or other): Ralph, Only 7 losses on the season - unlike other doomsayers, I never doubted we'd make the playoffs, but to run out as Supporters' Shield winners never entered my mind Disappointment of the season (player or other): Faria, and the way Bradley's Metrostars played against us. Looked just like the team Hamlett punched out last year. Game of the season (a few details): Hard to argue with 4-3 over Colarado, or 3-2 over KC, so I'll vote for both, with a slight edge to the KC game which raised expectations after a slow start (plus, SteveDM provided the food and drink) Goal of the season (a few details):all the goals mentioned are fantastic, but I'd like to vote for Ralphs goal against LA 9/13 - great pass out of the back from Boca, tremendous run and determination from Gray, wonderful vision from Razov to find ralph in tight space, and a clinical, laser-beam finish from Damani make it some of the best soccer you'll ever see Young player to watch: All of them? Go with Mapp since Ralph's already scooping all the other mentions. 2003 will be remembered for . . . (game, moment, chant, incident etc): making B.O.B. irrelevant. (please don't hurt me PW) Actually, I vote TBD - don't wanna jinx anything. m
MVP: Razov Surprise of the season (player or other): Ralph Disappointment of the season (player or other): Faria Game of the season (a few details): (that I was actually at) 2-1 OT victory over MetroStars June 28th. Goal of the season (a few details): Ralph versus Columbus August 13th. Young player to watch: Mapp and Jaqua 2003 will be remembered for . . .everything. What a great year.
MVP: Jimmy Curtin Surprise of the season (player or other): Jesse Marsch - Everybody gets lucky with a rookie here and there, but Jesse really came into form this season not only as a defensive machine, but as a "hockey-style" enforcer and as a goal scorer. Think back all of you to how much we all disliked Jesse after the 2000 season, and think now of how much we needed him this season. Did any of you believe it was possible? Disappointment of the season (player or other): Dallas' season - wait, who am I kidding? That was awesome! Game of the season (a few details): CHI v COL - Retutrn to SF match. I had just moved to CA, and the game, for some reason, was not on MLS SHOOTOUT. So, a good friend of mine found it on internet radio somewhere, and we got drunk and IM'ed each other through the match passing updates and commments back and forth. Geeky? Yes...but exciting nonetheless. ARMAS SCORES!!!!!!!!! Goal of the season (a few details): Hands down, Damani's "Cyclone" in Columbus to tie in extra time. Young player to watch: Kelly Gray, Justin Mapp, Dipsy Selowane, DMB (he's still young!) 2003 will be remembered for . . . (game, moment, chant, incident etc): Proving the entire soccer world wrong. Not only did the preseason predicted division winners not make the playoffs, but the team they said wouldn't do anything are on top of it all. Brain who? Landon who? Clint who?
MVP: Ante Razov. He's been scoring like mad, assisting when needed and back on defense like never before, he's doing it all and not being a diva. Surprise of the season (player or other): Ralph (I remember thinking when hearing about the draft: "Another forward?" Disappointment of the season (player or other): I knew Faria was going to disappoint, so I have to go with... well, I don't have one, the season was absolutely amazing Game of the season (a few details): While not part of the actual season, I have to go with USOC final at GS because it's one of the too few I was at in person. I remember coming back from halftime to have PW cheering with us in the corner, proving (yet again) he truly is a fan, I remember being despondent, I remember Ralph sticking a leg out and after that, it's all so hazy. Marching around the stadium to cheer the team while medals were gotten. Following the bus to the bar, ruckus in Times Square at 2 AM. It was a hell of a night. Goal of the season (a few details): Ralph. Columbus. So hard to describe, it really has to be seen. Cross in from Jaqua, back to the goal, Ralph hits it up with the right, spins, knocks it into the goal with the left. Beautiful Young player to watch: Most everyone is going with Mapp, but I'm going to go with a rookie: Capano 2003 will be remembered for . . . (game, moment, chant, incident etc): Supporter's Shield, US Open Cup, possibly the Cup, the return to Soldier Field, the open mockery of all those that said Bradley was the team and the open mockery that is currently Bradley's team.
MVP: Ante Razov Surprise of the season (player or other): Damani Ralph Disappointment of the season (player or other):Faria Game of the season (a few details):2:1 Overtime win against Metroscum and Bob "the trader Bradley (But it looks like it worked out pretty good for us in the end, I hope Bradley has fun coach the Metroscum.) Goal of the season (a few details): Damani Ralph against Columbus, but the one he scored against Metroscum were he took on half the team a blasted a rocket of a shot into the upper left corner of the net Young player to watch:Ralph,Mapp,Jaqua,Dipsy 2003 will be remembered for . . . (game, moment, chant, incident etc):Supporter's Sheild, Open Cup, Going 4-0-1 against Bradley, when the BB followed Hartman to the other side of the Stadium, the Robin Fraser chant when he scored on his own goal,and the bread throwing at Hirsto