OTF Roundtable: Chicago Fire Week Nine

April 24, 2013

Nyarko: He played like a champion. (photo: chicago-fire.com)

Each and every week, OTF’s writers and contributors chime in on the state of the Fire…

Was the victory vs. Columbus more a function of Chicago’s successes or Columbus’s failures?

Daniel Casey

The victory over Columbus wasn’t some kind of fluke or due to some lapse in ability by the Crew; this was exactly the kind of team the Crew are. Columbus is a team that wins when their opponent’s focus is elsewhere, they are a vulture team not a beat-you team.

What was fascinating about the match was how dominant the Fire were in controlling the tempo of the match. Control, not necessarily possession, is what makes a team successful.

It’s too easy to grumble about the lack of finishing, about how the Fire didn’t score enough goals. The fact is you don’t have to score a lot of goals to win. We all need to remind ourselves that you win a match by not giving up goals and scoring one more than your opponent—this is what the Fire did.

 The second clean sheet of the season and the first in a win is a big deal. It was a series of pairings that made the victory possible and suggest a formula for future wins. Berry/Anibaba, Nyarko/Thompson, and Pause/Larentowicz were the pairings that shone well, whereas Lindpere/Segares and MacDonald /Rolfe continued to be lopsided, with the latter player of each duo carrying all the water.

Emanuel Corpus

The Fire did a lot of work to figure things out the past few weeks and it’s finally beginning to show. Last Saturday against the Crew, the Men in Red found their first win off of a clean sheet, albeit a fairly effortless one for Johnson. This defensive fortitude will only be bolstered by the (hopeful) re-emergence of Arne Friedrich.

(photo: chicago-fire.com)

While Oduro and Higuain are a potent attack force, Chicago forced them out of the penalty area for most of the game. If dedicated and disciplined play continues, the Fire will come out on top more often in close contests.

On the other end, the attack is beginning to take form. Although Columbus’s ‘keeper Gruenebaum was in superhero mode on Saturday, Chicago created chances. Expect them to be converted with more frequency as the season goes on.

MacDonald, however, remains a puzzling choice as the starting striker week in and week out. With summer approaching, there’s even more pressure on him to perform. If last week is evidence, he hasn’t handled it well.

It is encouraging to see some heart and persistence in the Fire, but that attitude must be consistent. The Men in Red appear to have found their grit; let’s see if it sticks around. If so, the wins will come.

Lucas Hammer

Chicago got another win, which is always a good sign. The midfield and defense did a good enough job that Dominic Oduro’s speed did nothing to help Columbus, leaving them without a single shot on goal over the entire match.

On the other hand, Chicago is still lacking in finishing. Chris Rolfe had a beautiful shot on target that, among others, was miraculously saved by Columbus goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum, leaving the only goal for the Fire to Jeff Larentowicz off a combination header.

Sherjill MacDonald has left me wondering when he’s going to start earning his DP check. Perhaps the pressure to perform is affecting him? With the way he exited the field on Saturday, it’s becoming obvious he doesn’t respect the team. His ego seems to be getting the best of him. Being upset with the game is one thing; time-wasting when your team is on the offensive and looking for a win at home isn’t acceptable.

Overall, when you pepper the GK with as many shots on target as the Fire did, you’re bound to get a goal. So the attacking mindset prevailed in the end despite poor finishing for most of the match.

With Montreal hosting Chicago this Saturday after a bye week in MLS action and a Canadian Championship game in Toronto midweek, the Fire might be rested enough to beat a Montreal team that’s performed well so far this year… if the Fire can find someone who can consistently score.

Mark Rogers

I’ll be optimistic this week and credit the Fire for a well-earned win. Columbus didn’t really come to play despite the even split in possession. They looked listless throughout the 90, generally unable to string together anything threatening. Oduro was absent and Higuaín may have just been fighting a camera all night for all I could tell.

(photo: chicago-fire.com)

I know Pause has a lot of haters in Chicago, but for me he’s the difference maker defensively. He’s honest, holds possession, and calms the nerves of the rest of the squad. He shut Higuaín down the majority of the night, making life easier for our makeshift back line.

On offense, Nyarko and Lindpere finally gave us width. Both of them worked tirelessly down the flanks, getting chalk on their boots and creating space for our midfielders to work. Lindpere wants to play centrally, but he’s a strong wide player. We’re simply better when he commits to working that left flank.

MacDonald was in beast mode the majority of the evening, and really deserved to play the full 90. This is what Klopas’s strategy truly depends on. The counterattack style he implements needs someone big up top to receive the ball, hold it up, and find the feet of streaking midfielders.

The only crucial negative for me this week? The Fire gained possession a couple of times without a counter opportunity and looked downright lost. That aside, things are looking up!

Juan Santoliva

A 14-5-7 home record against Columbus makes it very difficult to take anything away from Chicago’s continued success against the Crew, and Saturday’s match only helped prove what the record showed.

Good decisions were made on Saturday; from Frank Klopas starting Nyarko over in-form Paladini, to the Fire playing compact and opening back up on the wings.

The defense was at its best and the stats show it. Zero shots on target and zero corner kicks allowed will make any goalkeeper a happy guy. The back four, along with the midfield, was able to disrupt Higuain and Oduro and made their partnership a failed one.

The offense, particularly Nyarko, created many chances to give the home side more than a one-goal win. Again, the stat sheet: 21 attempts on goal and 10 corner kicks. If Gruenebaum hadn’t played out of his mind Saturday, the Fire would have certainly scored one or two more goals.

This was one of the few games where Chicago put in an all-around team performance, and what better way to instill some confidence in the Fire Faithful than to score in front of Section 8 against such hated rivals.

Rob Thompson

Personally, I’m not too concerned that Columbus Crew did not live up to their performance expectations or that Chicago Fire exceeded their expectations. What is important is that Chicago played a highly entertaining offensive second half that had Fire Nation biting their fingernails for a goal. Eventually, the Fire won the match when unexpected goal scorer Big Red Larentowicz finally beat a hitherto perfect performance from Crew goalkeeper Gruenebaum.

(photo: twitter.com, via Vanessa Fonseca)

Did Columbus play its best game? Certainly not. I expected a grittier performance from a team that had beaten or taken points from some of the stronger teams in the league. The ever-feisty CAM Higuain was effectively held in check by Pause. Oduro was quiet save for a screaming knee-high shot early in the match that missed the frame from around 15 yards out. Gaven, did he even play? The only bright side of the Crew’s performance was that Gruenebaum made the score line respectable with his numerous goal-stopping saves.

The second half was without a doubt the Fire’s best performance to date this season. The usual suspects of Nyarko, Rolfe, and MacDonald all had good chances denied. In an inspiring change, the Men in Red created multiple chances and totaled 21 shots.

Chicago seems to be improving, but I harbor concerns about team chemistry. MacDonald acted like a prima donna when subbed out, and there wasn’t much love on the goal celebration (review the tape).

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