Everything Chicago fans would need to know about Sunday’s match against the worst team in the league would come in the first 30-odd seconds of the match, when Vancouver LB Jordan Harvey would serve up a ball to Eric Hassli that was mishandled Chicago CB Yamith Cuesta, giving Hassli a wide open opportunity on goal that he didn’t squander, putting the Whitecaps up 1-0 in less than a minute, and effectively ending any thoughts or chances Chicago had of mounting a run towards the playoffs. With Sunday’s loss, the Fire end the 2011 campaign against expansion sides Vancouver and Portland an abysmal 0-3-1, with a goal differential of -5.
Chicago would answer back in the first and second half, but none of it would matter, as Chicago’s typically stalwart defense would appear shaky and disorganized the entire game, as indeed the entire team would. In fact, the last time the team seemed this disorganized was against the other MLS expansion side Portland Timbers, in their early season match that saw an equally frustrating 4-2 result. This game, however, served as a tipping point, not only for the Fire’s playoff chances (if they still existed up to this point), but also for many Fire fans who have voiced displeasure in the wake of a crushing defeat at the hands of the struggling expansion Whitecaps.
With the loss, the Fire now sit at the bottom of the MLS table with the second-least points in the league, sandwiched between Toronto FC above and Vancouver below. That’s little consolation, however, for an organization that just weeks ago showed themselves impressively against Manchester United, one of the best teams in the world, and a side who has played the fewest league games aside from DC United, hopefully equating to a more rested squad, especially in the wake of a nearly-three week layoff from MLS play. None of that seems a factor now, and none of it seems to have done any good for a team that looked disjointed and lost together on the pitch Sunday night.
Chicago did try to fight back, albeit selectively amongst their starting XI. In the 23rd minute, Dominic Oduro took a perfectly placed pass from midfielder Sebastian Grazzini, beating Vancouver defender Alain Rochat down the field to slot a low drive, one that I described at the time as an “angry” goal, past Vancouver GK Jay Nolly to bring the match even. Oduro’s tie-inducing goal was immediately answered by Vancouver, however, as Gershon Koffie would blast a bouncing shot from some 35 yards out that would find its way past Sean Johnson, again giving Vancouver the lead.
The Whitecaps would almost take a 3-1 lead in the 1st half, as Yamith Cuesta would again make his presence known for the wrong reasons, this time bringing down Camillo Sanvezzo in the box. Sean Johnson, equal to the PK chance, stopped Eric Hassli’s strike, temporarily stopping the bleeding for the Fire as they entered the half.
That PK stop would only delay the inevitable, however, as in the second half, again just minutes after the restart, Vancouver would eventually go up 3-1 on strike from Camilo that made its way past Johnson again. Although Chicago would score at the hands of second half sub Orr Barouch, it had little effect, as Vancouver had already gone ahead 4-1 by the 72nd minute, thanks to a Whitecaps team that seemingly got to take turns shooting on Sean Johnson inside the six off a set piece while Chicago’s defense decided to ball watch rather than play.
For their part, Dominic Oduro and Orr Barouch both seemed on a mission with their respective goals. Barouch had numerous scoring chances that he threatened on, and while Klopas made some definitively suspect substitution moves in the match, one of the best was bringing on Orr and placing him up top, moving Oduro to the wing slot he’s played most often this season. The moves took place when Grazzini and Pappa were subbed out for Barouch and Colombian Cristian Nazarit, and it seemed to work far better for Chicago in the latter minutes of the game. It’s apparent that Klopas likes the 4-5-1 formation, but the formation and lineup, identical to the Philly lineup save Yamith Cuesta, looked in disarray for 90 minutes. While Chicago scored one of their two goals with a lone striker up top in Dominic Oduro, Oduro and Nyarko seem to be the most consistently dangerous wingers on the Fire, and Oduro is better served streaking up the wings, giving room up top for Nazarit or perhaps Barouch. Barouch is young, yes, but he in on loan from Tigres with a supposed option to buy. Putting Barouch up top at this point in the season in a starting role, in either the 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 formations, couldn’t hurt. If there was a time to experiment, seems now that this would be that time.
Chicago walked away from the match with more questions than answers. It seems that Fire nation is asking the lion’s share of them, as they should. The Fire showed in 90 minutes the culmination of why Fire fans are frustrated with the Men in Red this season. The team, admittedly rebuilding, shows promise for the future with their young core and obvious potential, but they need a few things if they hope to make this a one-year rebuilding, rather than multi-year rebuilding:
1) Coaching. The Fire need a manager on the sideline who doesn’t have the word “interim” in front of his name. That’s no slam on Frank Klopas. Klopas put this team together, yes, but he is the Fire’s Technical Director, not a coach. The Fire need someone who can take their collective talent and best utilize it to change the scorelines and put more than one (or zero) points in the standings column.
2) A team leader. The Fire need someone different wearing the armband. Logan Pause is a consumate professional. He’s a class act on and off the field, and a wonderful human being. That said, he doesn’t show the visible passion on the pitch that is necessary for a team captain. If he gets on his teammates and tries to rev them up, no one’s seeing it. If he steps up to defend his teammates when things get chippy on the pitch, no one’s seeing it. Pause’s elevation to wearing the armband at the beginning of this year seemed more a result of a team that was thin on tenured Fire players more than it was a result of someone who could captain the team and motivate them properly. It’s done the Fire a disservice, but I believe it does Pause a disservice as well.
3) The final push. After Sunday’s match, the final push has nothing to do with making a run towards the playoffs. It ties in with point #1. Chicago needs to figure out how to make these “almost” chances finished chances. They have to learn how to get a lead and keep it, rather than surrendering an early or first goal, putting themselves in a position of playing from behind. The team needs coaching direction that will strengthen them in the final third. And yes, if need be, they need to cut out some of the weight that’s been holding them down.
At this point, seemingly the only thing left to look forward to for the Chicago Fire in the 2011 campaign is their US Open Cup run that continues on August 30th against Richmond Kickers. Chicago is just two wins away from being 5-time Cup champions. While it’s possible that the Fire can get past Richmond in their end-of-the-month match at Toyota Park, the Fire would face the winner of the FC Dallas/Seattle Sounders match. With the play of both potential teams, and the current run of Chicago, it’s hard to imagine them winning against either of those clubs unless those clubs treat the game as seriously as New York did in last month’s match against Chicago (which is to say, not serious at all). The chances of that aren’t likely though, especially for Seattle, who has won the Cup two years running. Time will tell, but one can hold out hope, as it seems the only matches Chicago has been able to win this season have been US Open Cup matches.
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