UnitedMania.com

Ever since Chicago figured out the best way to derail the DC trophy train was to pummel United’s various skill players into submission, the fixtures between these two highly successful MLS squads has steadily degraded into more of a steel cage death match than the beautiful game, with Chicago winning more than their fair share of the spoils. However, the Black and Red has begun to turn the tables on that lately by standing up to their nemesis with some fiery play of their own.

While there are plenty of intense rivalries throughout MLS, there are a bare handful that rise to the level of a bare knuckles brawl between teams that truly dislike each other, and DC against Chicago clearly fits in that category given the way the Fire have chosen to stock their roster and the style they have chosen to play over the years. Actually, when you think about it, there’s a clear theme to these vicious rivalries when you consider the Revs and the Fire might be the most physically contested rivalry in the league and the Brimstone Cup ranking right up there too. So, it seems the Fire have made quite a few mortal enemies since their creation. Coincidence? I think not.

However, back to the matter at hand, whether it’s Eddie Pope punching Jerzy Podbrodzny after MLS Cup 1998 or Blanco punching Clyde Simms in the Open Cup last year. Christian Gomez decorating CJ Brown’s face with spit or John Thorrington getting away with a studs up assault on Jaime Moreno the last time the two sides met. Whatever the occasion, it seems the thin veneer of respectable soccer can erupt into full scale warfare at any moment whenever these two teams meet.

Considering the stakes in this match as Chicago looks to get back to their winning ways and solidify their lead at the top of the East after two painful losses at home, while DC is looking to build upon their first win in over a month in order to overtake the Fire at the top. Plus, both teams being pretty evenly matched on the field, separated by a mere two points, and statistically with both teams having scored 20 goals and given up 17 in MLS to date. So, this match certainly has the makings for an intense affair.

Chicago will be welcoming back their international players, although Blanco might be a bit winded having played the full 90 for Mexico in the midweek, and Segares is still nursing a sore leg injured before he left to sit the bench for Costa Rica. However, Bakary Soumare still has to serve his suspension received just before leaving to play with Mali.

United has their own suspension concerns though with Emilio out for kicking some water bottles unto the field in frustration after being subbed out in the win over NY. Also, United will likely still be without the services of Ben Olsen as it doesn’t seem likely Soehn risks further troubles rushing him back from his hamstring problems, especially given the opponent.

Soehn unveiled a pretty creative solution to replace United’s talisman though as he moved rookie Rodney Wallace inside to play that holding role with remarkable success. Granted, it was against a woeful NY side, but he looked comfortable in there. The Fire’s midfield will surely be a much sterner test though. As for Emilio, N’Silu might get the nod to start alongside Quaranta at forward with Moreno certain to come off the bench, or maybe it will be the other way around. Either way should work well enough to replace United’s frustrated former MVP striker, especially if United’s midfield can disrupt Chicago’s rather lopsided alignment.

With Fred, Gomez, Wallace, Pontius, and Simms DC is far better balanced in midfield than anything Chicago has trotted out this season with or without Blanco. With the Mexican Maestro ostensibly in midfield, they are stuck needing a lot of players to cover for his lack of neck…..er, athleticism, or interest in defending. Without him, they lack any real ball control through the middle and often strand their forwards to create on their own, as well as waste Rolfe completely playing him far away from goal.

Either way, but especially playing at home, DC should dominate possession and be able to crack Chicago’s defense for at least a few good opportunities. There’s no real matchup advantages for DC, but Gomez could be the swing vote if he shows a lot more of the form he’s only shown flashes of so far. Chicago likes to get Ward and Segares way up field, so if Gomez and DC can expose those positions by switching quickly for example, then DC should get some good looks at goal, it’s just a matter of capitalizing on them.

That is the key for sure, though as scoring against the Fire is imperative. Even though Josh Wicks has pitched two shutouts in the past three matches and the Fire have been shutout twice in a row heading into this match. Chicago’s recent scoring slump has been a bit of an aberration on their season and Wick’s shutouts have come at home against the two worst road teams in league history, so expecting another goose egg is a stretch.

In fact the Fire have been notably more efficient away from home than they have at Toyota Park. They are undefeated at 4-0-4 away from home with a signature win over league leading Chivas in the Toolbox a mere two weeks ago to go along with wins in Toronto, NY, and Dallas. They also have the most goals scored on the road in the league by far with 13 in those 8 games, but they have also given up 9 and have shutout only NY and a depleted Toronto away from home.

United has done almost as good playing at RFK so far this season, where they are undefeated as well going 3-0-4 with a signature win over Houston to go along with more recent wins over lowly NY and Dallas. They’ve scored a respectable 10 goals in those seven games and only been shutout once (RSL), so there’s a reasonable chance they can crack the Fire’s very good defense.

The game really is too close to call unless the Fire come out as anemic as they have the last two weeks. If they lay an egg, then no question DC should easily beat them, but the Fire have rarely laid an egg in RFK, and certainly not recently. Then again if Chicago comes out strong and DC reverts back to their old split personality, then it’s anybody’s game at best, and another bitter loss against a hated foe at worst.

It was a typical Jekyl and Hyde performance the last time the two teams met as DC was all over them in the first 45, but shrunk back into their shell in the second half and gave away two points in that 1-1 draw in RFK the second game of the year. However, DC has put together some pretty decent 90 minute efforts of late, so there’s hope they’ve begun to break out of that pattern, although the NE loss showed that hideous lack of effort can show up at any time apparently.

In a lot of ways, this should be a classic DC-Fire matchup. Plenty of tough play on both sides, DC expecting to dominate possession and control the pace of the game and score through quick plays in and around the box. The Fire on the other hand, will be looking to absorb pressure and counter effectively with Pappa, Rolfe, and Nyarko, or go long over the top to McBride for him to flick on, or hold on for the foul that moves the Fire upfield.

In past years, those long balls and speedy counters caused outrageous problems for DC’s accident prone defenses of late. However, since the insertion of the very calm and collected Jakovic, DC has handled the vast majority of dangerous counters smoothly and effectively. It helps that the five man midfield cuts out trouble before it happens most of the time, but it’s gloriously obvious that DC’s defense has put a lot of those painful defensive mistakes behind them which is huge because the Fire have the guys to burn you if you make mistakes.

Now, DC should have the edge being at home, but that’s not really the case as the Fire haven’t actually lost in RFK since 2007. In fact, DC is 1-2-2 against the Fire at RFK over the past 5 games. Prior to this year’s tie, the Fire beat DC here in the only meeting in RFK last year and split the games the year before. So, even though DC holds the edge overall at 9-5-4, the intangibles don’t really favor the Black and Red going on recent events.

There you have it. It’s as good as it gets in the regular season in MLS, two teams fighting for the top of the Eastern table, both healthy and effective in their own way and pretty much healthy and full strength. It could go either way.

It could be a huge win and confidence boost to a fairly young DC side looking for its identity, or it could be another setback as this team struggles to show it can play at a high level for more than 45 minutes at a time. However, there’s no question that DC had better show up with as much or more fire than the Fire, because if not they almost certainly will get smoked by one of the best teams in the league.