The Fire are off to a good start and will have Ratboy back from injury and suspension. Lots of chatter on the Fire Board about playres who were off this week on National Duty being tired and the Revs being tired from midweek games (which I don't buy). Should be a good match up. I see us starting the same lineup again although Cullen got rather badly dinged in KC and might just give way to Hernandez. I don't see SN doing anything different than he's been doing either for starters or subs. This will be a match where the composure of the defense will be critical----STOP RATBOY ! Better yet, let him get another Red Card for one of his antics. Revs 2-- Fire 1 George
With apologies for quoting myself, in view of the LA and KC games, I should have added '-when I'm not there'. However, I'm going tomorrow in spite of this, hoping that their 4 game winless streak in my presence will end. Given how much better the Revs have looked the last 3 games when Hernandez came in, when does Nicol not starting him become cut off nose/spite face?
my buddy works for comcast and he just scored us two press passes so we can shoot highlights for their sports show. i'm so psyched. i think revs 2-1
Who's going to get under Ante's skin first... Heaps or Rusty? I'm betting young-man Pierce. Kevin D. Revs 2:1 Chi (agreeing with above)
Revs 3-1 lets be optimistic. After Taylor scoring that goal in injury time any thing can happen. I do not know if he meant to hit the ball like that. I think he faked the keeper (he went the opposite way) and himself out. Bown Pierce Kante Llamosa Franchino Ralston Shalrie Hernandez Moore Wolde TnT
Great. Now you just shook my fragile faith that the scatter-brained Revs won't show up on the field. Must... retain... hope...
No less than five Fire players made the mid-week trip to Mexico for a match involving their hosts and the U-23 U.S. National Team: Nate Jacqua, Logan Pause, DaMarcus Beasley, Kelly Gray, and Justin Mapp. This will also be Rat-boy's (see"Razov") first game back from both injury and a suspension after giving Jay Heaps a six-studded chest massage at the end of last season. Chicago's had to go with a lone striker through the four matches the team has played thus far, but could switch to a 3-5-2 should Dave Sarachan decided to start both Faria and Razov up-top. This would be an attacking formation that would rely heavily on Williams and Beasley, but it would seemingly leave the Fire with few options off the bench late if they push the tempo early and can't maintain it. Potential starting line-ups... Chicago Fire Thornton Brown-Curtin-Bocanegra-Perez Whitfield-Williams-Pause-Armas-Beasley Razov Faria could start in place of Razov, but he seems to me a better player off the bench. New England Revolution Brown Heaps-Pierce-Llamosa-Franchino Ralston-Hernandez-Joseph-Kamler Twelllman-Moore I'm opting for Hernandez because he's paired up well with Shalrie of late, he's more likely to push forward early, and due to questions as to Cullen's knee which he appeared to hyper-extend against the Wizards on Wednesday. Kante could start or see time for Llamosa: Daouda played quite well against Chicago in the playoffs and it might not hurt to have some fresh legs from the start. Random Thoughts * Carlos Bocanegra defends Steve Ralston better than anybody in the league, and has rendered him ineffective going back through last season... * Joe-Max's been looking a bit ragged over the last two matches, more frustrated than tired. That being said, the Fire didn't get much of a good look at him, and I'd think Moore will come out looking to redeem himself for getting tossed so quickly, and some may argue, unfairly. * Will Rat-boy and Heaps kiss and make-up? Wouldn't it be nice to see Ante get the boot (literally or figuratively) after only being in the game for say... six minutes Should be a good contest. The Magpie
Razov played last week, so this will be his second game back. Also, wasn't it his upper thigh that got the massage, just wide of Heap's treasure?
Picking nits Actually, Razov played last week against SJ. He could, but he probably won't. I'd be surprised if he did. Or when either Franchino, Pierce or Heaps kills DaMarcus Beasley. Agreed. If Razov is healthy and Faria starts over him, I'll run to Foxboro from my house and make it there by halftime to throw a chicken salad sandwich at Dave Sarachan. But you have Brian Kamler whom Steve Nicols has hypnotized into thinknig he's Ronaldo lately. Was that goal against LA sweet or what? I hope the Fire remember to mark his ass but good. The straight red card was bogus. Having seen a couple Revs games on TV, I must admit JMM has been a disappointment. He has the second lowest goals per shot ratio on the team behind only Joseph. Still, he demands respect. What they do in their private time is not our business. Well, if they want to distract themselves by kicking Razov while DMB runs wild, that's OK with me. The trouble is that the league has let it be known that Hack-A-Beez is completely OK with them so if/when Franchino or Pierce breaks someone's leg, it will probably be DMB's. DMB has the most fouls suffered per game and that's just counting the stuff that got called by MLS's blind refs. On the plus side, I guess we can take that as a twisted mark of respect. Let's hope.
Re: Picking nits Well he's gotta keep shooting, the way I see it. Cuz he can, and cuz if he doesn't establish himself as a threat, then well, Twellman will get as badly mugged this season as he did towards the end of last, and there goes the Revs main offense. Not that TT's not getting mugged this season at all - he is - but JMM likely worries defenses enough to reduce it and make them both more effective. Well then, get yer coach to tell him to slow it down a notch. Stop being a threat. Okay? I don't think Pierce is a leg-break kinda defender. He's agressive, but fairly clean. I don't feel I can defend Franchino similarly... he does worry me at times. Kevin D.
If Beasley winds up leading the league in fouls suffered, he'll only be taking Twellman's crown in that regard. It will also make more sense, since so few defenders can cope with Beasley's speed. I remain mystified by your obsessive animus against Franchino and Pierce. Care to guess how many Red Cards they have between them? Here's a hint; it's half as Kovalenko and Stoichkov got in their time with the Fire. And Franchino and Pierce haven't broken any legs yet. I can easily see how they would strongly annoy fans of the other team, but they are very ordinairy as far as MLS misbehavior goes. Based on what I saw on TV on April 13th, I said that I thought it might be a long, painful summer for Fire fans. Of course, they're still undefeated, so who knows. I think it will mostly come down to who shows up tomorrow. Will the Revs be the team that beat LA or the one that looked so miserable against Columbus? Will the Fire be the guys who got 3 against KC or the ones who got 1 against everyone else?
Yeah to put the jinx on Razov, the unholy duo of Pierce and Franchino (*shiver*) are going to sacrifice a rat before the game. With Whitfield, Razov, Brown, Buffy (Curtin) on their team, I can really see why Fire fans are so quick to deem opposing players as thugs. Demarcus Beasely is clearly the next Ronaldo - the 117 lb. model. I just looked up his impressive stats for the season: 1 goal, two shots on goal, 22 fouls suffered. Well at least he'll lead the league in something. And apparently "Hack-a-Beez" has replaced the "highest number of man-games missed" as this year's Windy-City-Whine. Oh well, guess we'd better get used to this one... Never make predictions (and probably jinxing the Revs by doing so), but what the hell: Revs 2, Goons 1 Just wishful thinking - it depends on which Revs team shows up.
Actually, Razov played last week against SJ. Reall? Damn, my bad... (quickly checking out the match stats) four shots, three on net, but no goal? Sounds like vintage Razov. Or when either Franchino, Pierce or Heaps kills DaMarcus Beasley. Hey, Joey, Rusty & Jay will stop playing aggressive when Jim Curtin turns twelve. Seriously, I mean... Peter Wilt's an excellent G.M. and all, but even he can't get around child labor laws. If Razov is healthy and Faria starts over him, I'll run to Foxboro from my house and make it there by halftime to throw a chicken salad sandwich at Dave Sarachan. Give it to Beasley, he could use the protein in his diet: it would help promote stronger muscles so maybe he won't get blown over by a slight breeze. I mean, the only player to hit the turf more regularly was Jesse Van Saun, but then, he needed liquids rather than something courtesy of Purdue. But you have Brian Kamler whom Steve Nicols has hypnotized into thinking he's Ronaldo lately. Was that goal against LA sweet or what? I hope the Fire remember to mark his ass but good. He's like Imad Baba, but thankfully, has at least one more testicle than the original. The straight red card was bogus. Having seen a couple Revs games on TV, I must admit JMM has been a disappointment. He has the second lowest goals per shot ratio on the team behind only Joseph. Still, he demands respect. For my money, JMM's still in the process of defining his role with the team. He was the Revs version of Taylor Twellman before there was a Taylor Twellman, and never really enjoyed the benefit of a true strike-partner of equal or better caliber, something he enjoys at the moment. He's been disappointing only to those that expected him to come out of the gate scoring like he did in 1996, or more recently for Everton. Fact of the matter is, the current Revs are a much different team and play a much different game, and once Moore finds his comfort zone I think his on-the-field efforts will improve. Well, if they want to distract themselves by kicking Razov while DMB runs wild, that's OK with me. The trouble is that the league has let it be known that Hack-A-Beez is completely OK with them so if/when Franchino or Pierce breaks someone's leg, it will probably be DMB's. DMB has the most fouls suffered per game and that's just counting the stuff that got called by MLS's blind refs. On the plus side, I guess we can take that as a twisted mark of respect. Well, Twellman's right behind Beasley in terms of fouls suffered, and in terms of fouls committed, only Franchino's amongst the league-leaders, and even his game has been toned down somewhat. We shall see, but for my money, I'm most scared of Andy Williams come tomorrow. The Magpie
Re: Picking nits DMB may get fouled a lot, but unless this game's different from the Rev/Fire games last year and last month he'll get in at least as many cheap shots as any of the Revs. The only reason he doesn't get called for all of the fouls he commits is due to his slight stature.
Does anyone else still get a giggle out of Soccer America Daily's continuing to list TFIII as a 'key player out'. Or do they mean the player with the key to laundry room? The only other player listed for either team is Jesse Marsch. How long has he been out? I will truly miss the opportunity to boo my all time least favorite Fire player.
DMB is by far the leader in fouls suffered per game, ahead of Martino who has suffered slightly more fouls but also two more games. Twellman is a distant fifth in this stat far behind DMB & Martino and just baaaaarely behind Ching and Mathis. Could it be "Because I know it will get your goat."? Naaaaahhh... Actually, I do think Franchino is a dirty hack. I certainly remember him almost breaking Bocanegra's ankle in 2001 (costing us Boca's services for much of that season) in a tackle just as reckless and stupid as Dema's tackle on O'Brien this year even thought the result was thankfully not as bad. Look, I know damn well that every fan thinks his team's defenders are simply "hard-nosed" and I don't expect you to have any other opinion of Franchino. I don't exempt myself from this way of "fanthink" either, btw. Still, in all seriousness I'm mystified as to how Joey hasn't broken any legs so far even though he came so close against Boca. btw, since you're taking me strictly at face value, I feel it is only fair to let you know that I'm not really going to run from Chicago to Foxboro in 45 minutes to throw a chicken salad sandwich at Dave Sarachan. I mean, why waste perfectly good chicken salad to do something so silly? Well, things aren't as bad as Fire fans feared they might be but they could be better. For a team in a complete rebuilding year, including a new coach, I'll take the results so far considering we've played both last year's runner-ups (that would be you lot) and MLS's current hottest team (did I really have to say that about the Quakes? Really?). At some point, however, Dave will have to start playing for wins instead of simply not to lose and then we'll see how good this team really is. Given the situations with Razov and Faria, however, playing it defensive so far wasn't a bad idea to gets some results and build confidence. With several players on both teams likely to be a bit more tired than usual on Saturday, I don't expect a "classico" tomorrow. Still, the teams are surprisingly well-matched and I hope for a good, clean game.
Every month or so my 10 year old asks me whatever happened to "the guy who never plays". "He's still on the team", I tell him. Having seen every Rev game (and all of the players) since Frias joined the team, my son then amuses himself by describing to me how bad a player Frias must be to never get into a game when they played "player X" (he has a list, usually starting with Harkes, Dunseth, or APC). I'd say that's about as much entertainment value any Revs fan will ever get from TF3 being on the team.
I guess we could have a JMM thread to discuss his current form, role with the team and potential but I think it may be more fun, and more valuable to just keep intergrating talking about him in the more general threads. I agree with those that say Moore looks "rusty" and that his shot is off. I think Evan pegged it best--he is worth a lot to this team right now even without scoring. Teaming a player as skilled and energetic as JMM with TnT has got to put the fear of God in most defenses. It's also obvious that the timing between JMM and TnT is still a bit off but getting better every game. When they start to click they will be devistating together. Right now I see JMM as a striker that is pushing to open his account. The harder he pushes the poorer his shots. Anyone who has seen him in his previous stint with the Revs has seen him go through dry spells. But when he starts hitting them (gets the first goal) look out. With an open account and a bit more playing time with the team he will relax and become a real terror. George
Re: Re: Revs--Fire Pregame But could you at least try to do it cleverly? Uh........ yeah. Well the team that proudly won the league's much-coveted Whining Gimp award for the "most man games lost" now makes an early claim to the Most-Abused Urchin award (that being he Beaz, of course). Hell, you guys deserve it. Enjoy. And er Joe, could it be that you've got a bit of a thing for Joey...? Just trying to explain the obsession.
Re: Re: Revs--Fire Pregame Joe, we've been over this before, but obviously it bears repeating. That "reckless" play was one where Bocanegra himself even admitted that it was an honest challenge where they went up for a ball and bumped each other and he came down on it funny and injured himself. But why let facts interfere with anything. You behave here, otherwise Foley might come in here and let you have it. So are you really going to waste a good chicken sandwidge? Maybe you should pack it up and mail it to the starving children in North Korea instead. Tom
I can't get a feel for this one. While SJ is the most prominent team in the league right now, I feel as though Chicago is the steadiest. If the Revs play with some creativity and imagination, they could get the victory. But I see Chicago being the most consistent (if that's at all possible over a long season) team over the whole season. And when they brought Faria in off the bench, they had many, albeit without results, creative and direct threats at goal. This is a totally new addition to the Fire attack. It will be interesting to see if they continue this ploy all season. It's just too tough to call.
Re: Re: Re: Revs--Fire Pregame That's like threatening me with spelling bee against Dumbya. While forwards can complain about getting hacked, what's a defender gonna say? "Aw, he hacked me!" That guy would never live it down. So you're entitled to your opinion. I've seen Franchino play enough times over the years in games having nothing to do with the Fire to know he's a hack. Of course, you'll say he's just "tough" and "hard nosed". And I respect that because when it comes to our respective teams, all us fans are only too happy to drink the Kool-aid. I mean, look at DCU fans. Last year, they thought Dema was a legbreaker. Now he's just misunderstood, Officer Krupke. It's this kind of fanthink that helps sell tickets so hey, why not? It's all good until the chicken salad sandwiches start flying. Which brings me to... Settle down, Beavis. I covered that one already. Maybe after after the US invades NK because they have weapons of mass destruction and an evil dictatorship, I can go there and feed the poor wretches. After all, that's why we invaded Iraq so we have to invade NK soon seeing as how they're even worse and all. Because oil had nothing to do with Iraq. Right? OK, I gotsta jet and I won't be back until Monday. I wish I could stick around to exchange further bons mots with youse mugs but such is life. I hope it's a good game and for the sake of the USMNT I hope neither Beasley nor Twellman get killed. Enjoy yourselves at the game. The stadium was impressive when I was out there last year for the doubleheader and it must be even better this year now that it's done. I'm looking forward to the same feeling in the new (yet hideous) Soldier Field.