Brimstone Cup is Primetime matchup
Fire to host Hoops in Thursday night showdown on ESPN2
CHICAGO FIRE v FC DALLAS
TOYOTA PARK, Bridgeview, Ill.
7 p.m. CT (ESPN2)
May 17, 2007 (WEEK 7) / MLS Game #40
ESPN Primetime Thursday makes its first visit to Toyota Park for the first Brimstone Cup meeting of the season, as FC Dallas comes to Bridgeview to take on the Chicago Fire. The Fire return home after dropping back-to-back 3-1 decisions on the road, first at New England then last weekend at Toronto. FC Dallas came off a two-week layoff last weekend and rebounded from back-to-back 1-0 home shutouts with a victory in Kansas City against the Wizards.
REFEREE: Brian Hall. SAR (bench): Emiliano Monje; JAR (opposite): Steven Taylor; 4th: Abbey Okulaja
MLS Career: 123 games; FC/gm: 28.9; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 32; pens: 36
Games involving Fire: P20 W9 L9 T2; FC/gm: 31.3; Y/gm: 3.9; R: 12; pens: 9
Games involving FC Dallas: P28 W15 L8 T5; FC/gm: 27.8; Y/gm: 2.7; R: 6; pens: 1
INJURY REPORT: CHICAGO FIRE - QUESTIONABLE: FW Chris Rolfe (L ankle sprain); PROBABLE: GK Matt Pickens (R lateral thigh contusion); MF Brian Plotkin (L quad strain) ... FC DALLAS - OUT: DF Adrian Serioux (R knee); FW Roberto Mina (L knee); DF Michael Dello-Russo (R foot)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: CHI: Diego Gutierrez (through May 17)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: DAL: Carlos Ruiz
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: DAL: Clarence Goodson
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (25 meetings): Fire 10 wins (1 shootout), 44 goals ... FC Dallas 14 wins (2 shootout), 48 goals ... Draws 1
AT CHICAGO (13 meetings): Fire 8 wins (1 shootout), 27 goals ... FC Dallas 4 wins (1 shootout), 27 goals ... Draws 1
• This is the first of two league meetings for the Brimstone Cup this season, the only set for Toyota Park. The lone meeting at Pizza Hut Park is set for Sept. 20.
LAST YEAR (MLS):
4/1: DAL 3, CHI 2 (Alvarez 31; Mina 66; Cooper 70 - Barrett 12; Rolfe 54)
7/15: CHI 2, DAL 3 (Herron 54, 60 - Nunez 8; Rhine 77; Cooper 80)
• A year ago, FC Dallas won both fixtures - winning home and away, both by 3-2 scorelines. It marked the third time in the last five seasons Dallas has swept the season series, also winning both games in 2002 and 2004.
• The clubs play for the Brimstone Cup - awarded by the two supporters' clubs of the two teams so named when it matched the Fire and the Burn (the name of the Dallas club until 2004).
• And Dallas has had the upper hand, winning the cup for each of the last five seasons. The Fire won the first series in 2001, the Burn then claiming it in 2002, retaining it in 2003 when the teams leveled the series, then winning both league meetings in 2004. In 2005, the teams split their league meetings, but the FCD won the cup when they won the U.S. Open Cup semifinal matchup, then Dallas took both league meetings a year ago.
• Chicago hasn't won at Dallas since July 4, 1999, when the Fire claimed a 2-1 victory at the Cotton Bowl. Since, FCD has won eight league meetings in a row and has gone unbeaten at home in three matches in the MLS Cup Playoffs, the only Chicago success a 1-1 draw in 2001.
• Coaches record: Dave Sarachan vs. DAL: P8 W2 L6 D0 ... Steve Morrow v CHI: first game
CHICAGO FIRE
The Chicago Fire went down to defeat for the second game in succession on Saturday afternoon, falling 3-1 to Toronto FC on a historic day north of the border. The Fire are now in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with 10 points from six matches, a point in back of the New York Red Bulls and four points behind the first-place New England Revolution.
LAST MATCH
• Toronto FC came in still looking for their first goal and first point, conceding 10 goals in losing their opening four games, while the Fire came in after their first loss on the campaign, after three victories and a draw to open the season.
• But the crowd at Exhibition Place didn't have to wait long this time. Marvell Wynne hooked in a cross from the right, and after it bounced off a few bodies, Edson Buddle gathered it at the corner of the goal area. He pulled back a low centering pass and Danny Dichio knifed in to stab it home, and set off the raucous celebration which delayed play for a few minutes. The first goal in TFC history, it ended their scoreless run at 383 minutes, the 10th-longest in league history.
• The Fire pulled level 12 minutes later. A corner was headed clear, and Chris Rolfe -- much like as he did the weekend previous in New England -- settled it outside the area and hammered home a long-range drive. It was his fourth goal on the season, and his fourth in the last four games. Rolfe has been involved in the scoring on every Fire goal this season.
• The game then turned just before the break, when Dichio and Fire midfielder Diego Gutierrez were both sent off after they were involved in a larger fracas in the Chicago goalmouth.
• TFC was able to adjust more quickly, and retook the lead just six minutes after the break. A neat passing sequence saw Andy Welsh find Edson Buddle with a nifty touch, and he poked it wide to Kevin Goldthwaite all alone in the area. Goldthwaite ripped a left-footed drive past Matt Pickens for his first professional goal.
• The home side finished off the match 15 minutes from the end. A long ball down the right found Andrea Lombardo behind the Chicago defense, and his cross into the area found a wide-open Maurice Edu. The No. 1 pick from January's SuperDraft also made no mistake for his first professional goal and sealed TFC's first win.
• Fire head coach Dave Sarachan made two changes to the team that lost 3-1 to New England the Sunday before at Gillette Stadium. Logan Pause returned to the lineup, coming in for Chris Armas, while Justin Mapp also made his first start since April 21, coming for Ivan Guerrero.
• Here's Sarachan's team (3-4-1-2): Matt Pickens - C.J. Brown, Jim Curtin, Dasan Robinson (Calen Carr 70) - Justin Mapp, Logan Pause, Diego Gutierrez, Gonzalo Segares - Thiago - Chris Rolfe (Ivan Guerrero 59), Chad Barrett (Pascal Bedrossian 82). Substitutes Not Used: Jon Busch, Floyd Franks, Brian Plotkin, Osei Telesford
• "I felt really good about today as far as having control of the game. Other than their emotion, and their physical play - I didn't think their soccer was going to beat us today, I think our mistakes beat us today," Sarachan said. "They did a good job though, I give them credit - they put a lot into the game."
TEAM NEWS
• The Fire started the season with two shutouts in their first four games, allowing only two goals over that time. They've now allowed six goals over their last two games - four of those scored inside the goal area.
• "We started the season so well, limiting teams and now we've given up goals over the last two games," Sarachan said. "We haven't made these plays - whether it's a lack of concentration or positioning, we still have to look at the tape and work on these plays."
• Despite being at 1-1, the game changed with Dichio and Gutierrez were each sent off as a result of the skirmish just before halftime.
• "We had a good meeting at halftime talking about what we wanted to do," Sarachan said. "We felt really confident we could exploit Toronto with only 10 men. It actually worked against us. I thought Toronto did a good job of possession and they limited our chances."
• The Fire return home for the ESPN Primetime Thursday matchup before going back on the road to Giants Stadium on Sunday, the third successive weekend Chicago has played on an artificial surface. Sarachan said his comments regarding the BMO Field turf were mis-interpreted.
• "Everything was blown out of proportion. ... For an artificial surface it's as good as you're going to get," Sarachan said. "I thought it played very well. The environment was very loud and passionate. If you're a player and you don't get excited playing here, you must be dead."
FC DALLAS
FC Dallas returned to action after two weeks off and ended a two-game losing skid, going to Kansas City and coming away with a 2-1 victory against the Wizards at Arrowhead Stadium. FC Dallas are now in second place in the Western Conference with 10 points from seven matches, a point behind the Colorado Rapids.
LAST MATCH
• The Wizards came in riding a three-game winning streak where they hadn't allowed a goal for 307 minutes, while FC Dallas were returning following a two-week layoff after having lost back-to-back 1-0 decisions at home.
• But by halftime, the Hoops were two goals to the good. In the 19th minute, from a throw-in, Dax McCarty hooked a cross into the area where Kenny Cooper rose up and acrobatically sent a looping snap header toward goal. Wizards goalkeeper Kevin Hartman could only flap at it and it sailed over him into the far corner.
• Then in stoppage time before the break, Ramon Nunez swung in a big cross from the right touchline. Juan Toja came racing in ahead of his defender, and after a touch while falling, sent a rolling shot past Hartman to double the FCD lead.
• Dario Sala, making his start after a six-match ban to open the season, had a remarkable night, making nine saves. He nearly held out for the clean sheet, but into second-half added time, Michael Harrington rose up to flick home a free kick for the second goal of his rookie season, but it wasn't enough for Kansas City.
• FC Dallas head coach Steve Morrow made four changes to the team that lost 1-0 to New England on April 29. Dario Sala came off his suspension to make his 2007 debut in goal, while Alex Yi returned from injury to come back into central defense, Drew Moor moving to right back as Bobby Rhine went back to the substitutes' bench. Pablo Ricchetti made his MLS debut, coming into the heart of the midfield for Aaron Pitchkolan, and Abe Thompson made his first start of the year, coming to attack in place of Carlos Ruiz.
• Here's Morrow's team (4-3-1-2): Dario Sala - Drew Moor, Clarence Goodson, Alex Yi, Chris Gbandi, Dax McCarty (Bobby Rhine 84), Pablo Ricchetti, Juan Toja - Ramon Nunez (Marcelo Saragosa 74) - Kenny Cooper (Carlos Ruiz 73), Abe Thompson. Substitutes Not Used: Arturo Alvarez, Shaka Hislop, Dominic Oduro, Blake Wagner
• "I thought it was a good team performance. We defended well when we had to. If I'm going to be critical, I thought we could have kept the ball better at times. They put us under a lot of pressure the first 10-15 minutes of the game, but for the rest of the first half and for periods of the game we moved the ball well," Morrow said.
TEAM NEWS
• Of course, the man of the match was goalkeeper Dario Sala, who made nine saves in his return to action following the suspension to begin the season.
• "He came up with some great saves. That's what we've come to expect of Dario. At times when you need your goalkeeper to come up big and make big saves, he did it for us tonight," Morrow said. "I thought he made three or four really, really big saves and kept us in the game."
• Still, Morrow said the entire team effort defensively was a good one. Harrington's stoppage-time goal spoiled the bid for what would have been the first shutout of the season.
• "I thought they did well defensively. Eddie Johnson and [Yura] Movsisyan both played very well and were a big test for us tonight, and Davy Arnaud played well too," Morrow said. "I thought it was a really big test for the back four, and I was really disappointed to not get a clean sheet to be honest. I thought our defensive performance over 90 minutes deserved a clean sheet."
• Also making his MLS debut was Pablo Ricchetti, who finally secured his work permit in the two weeks between FCD's last game and the trip to Kansas City.
• "I thought he did very well, and I think he's a long way away from full fitness. It's his first game for us and he hasn't played for a couple of months and I think he showed what a good player he's going to be. He's very good in possession, passed the ball well at times for us, and I think he's only going to get better when he gets more fit," Morrow said. "I think he held his own. I didn't expect him to play 90 minutes in his first game, and I even questioned whether I would start him or leave him on the bench tonight. He's a naturally fit guy and wanted to play 90 minutes and I thought he got through it well."
• There was another debutante: forward Abe Thompson, making his first start of 2007 after Carlos Ruiz started the game on the bench after missing two practices earlier in the week.
• "I lot of credit to Abe Thompson. We know what he gives us and he's deserved his chance cause he's worked very,very hard at practice and in reserve games as well," Morrow said. "Every time we play him we know what we're going to get, he's very reliable, he works very, very hard for the team, and he holds the ball up very well for us. I'm just very pleased for him because he deserved his chance and he took it well."
• While Ruiz went a fifth consecutive appearance without scoring after coming on for the final 17 minutes, Morrow was pleased with his effort.
• "He did a good job when he came on. I wanted him to come on and hold the ball. Kenny (Cooper) worked hard for the first hour of the game, and I thought he got a bit tired and his touch started to go a little bit and I thought it made sense to get Carlos on," Morrow said. "For him to help us as a team, hold the ball, I thought he did well."
