Pappa debuts for depleted Fire squad
Guatemalan midfielder could replace suspended superstar Blanco vs. Chivas
Captain Cuauhtemoc Blanco will miss Saturday's game due to yellow card accumulation. It will mark the first minutes he has missed all season long, as he has played all 1,530 minutes in the 17 league games this season.
Blanco also did not play Wednesday in the Fire's exhibition match against Everton, so the 35-year-old Mexican superstar will have a full two weeks off from competitive soccer in the middle of a very warm Chicago summer and a long MLS season.
His next game will be Aug. 9 at New England in what could end up being a key Eastern Conference contest.
"This definitely affects us," Hamlett said of Blanco's absence. "He has been our leader all season. But I still think we have a good team."
Veteran Diego Gutierrez will also miss the game for the same reason, but Hamlett is still loaded with talent on his ever-improving roster.
While the Fire fan base is excited about the acquisition of forward Brian McBride, he won't be available until Aug. 16 at the earliest. But the Fire also made another acquisition this week that could turn out to be valuable immediately, as quickly as Saturday.
Marco Pappa, a 20-year-old Guatemalan midfielder, took his first run with the Fire in the Wednesday exhibition. He played the first half with the first team and accounted himself well, with noticeable speed and a youthful desire for the ball.
"He is just so eager to play," Hamlett said. "Plays simply, and he is always looking to attack. It was good to see him in a real game. He gives us another option."
"He looked good," midfielder Logan Pause said. "He did look comfortable out there, it was exciting to see him get the ball and make things happen. He can play either side, as you saw [Wednesday]. He was all over the place."
In Wednesday's exhibition, Hamlett used two totally different lineups, first half and second half, and the first half players were his usual starters, sans Blanco. Pappa played in his place, which might or might not be indicative of the kind of playing time he will receive Saturday or the rest of the season.
With Gutierrez out as well, Hamlett will likely use reserve Stephen King, who has three starts this season, in the midfield.
Forward Chad Barrett was traded to Toronto in the McBride deal, so the Fire is down a man up top until McBride shows up. With the midfield being rearranged, Hamlett might put Chris Rolfe in an attacking midfield position and place either Andy Herron or youngster Patrick Nyarko up front.
The Fire have a five-game unbeaten streak, although the overall record in those games is 1-0-4. But draws do bring points, and the Fire are now four points clear of a four-way tie for fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings. The Fire are five points behind second-place Columbus and seven behind first-place New England.
Chivas USA is tied for fourth in the tight Western Conference race but stands tied with five other teams for the seventh and eighth places in the overall table, which are the final two playoff spots.
Kent McDill is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
