RSL @ Fire Game Thread [R]

[Rover]

Originally Posted by fuegote

for a supporter's club, that was amazing turn out. For the rest of the city, they must have been wasted after the white sox/cubs rubber match earlier in the day.

I never heard the you suck. the only personal chant i heard was fire reject. They sustained some of their chants for 10+minutes. That's awesome. I love watching the games, but I love participating like no other sport allows you to.

As far as I could tell, every goal kick was accompanied by the "you suck" call (it usually includes some additional unflattering remarks as well). That I know of, supporters groups in NE and KC use it too. At least those are the groups I've witnessed using it. I would rather not see it spread.

As for attendance, take out the 54,427 who showed up for Mexico-Poland and were counted for the Fire game, and Chicago is averaging 10,101 a game. That's well below the league average and ridiculous for a team with such a strong history and a quality product on the field. It's not about a one time dip in attendance. Something is going wrong in Chicago. Maybe they're just waiting for Bridgeview to open.

It's great that fans get involved in soccer games and there's no doubt the atmosphere is a result of that involvement. If I didn't believe that I would not be a Loyalist. My point is that it doesn't pay the bills.

Chicago has had tremendous core support from the beginning, and it's to their credit that they still do. But they've got to do better with everyone else, since not everyone wants to be that kind of supporter.

And there's nothing wrong with soccer fans who would rather not stand and chant the whole game. We need them, and lots of them, to make this league work. They're the one's missing in Chicago, and we need them back.

Good for everyone who enjoys the game by being vocal. But remember that not everyone goes to a game for the same reasons.

[Stucki]

with his head! Why do we play to his feet at all?

[clarette]

Originally Posted by mrstucki

with his head! Why do we play to his feet at all?

Why do we play to anyone's feet?

All that ever happens is that the ball inevitably gets stuck between their feet and they get stripped of the ball, rather than using their first touch to direct the ball somewhere useful.

Anyway, we need to be finding space instead of trying to receive the ball with our backs to goal and some gargantuan defender over our shoulders constantly.

Sigh.

[Aerick]

Originally Posted by clarette

Why do we play to anyone's feet?

All that ever happens is that the ball inevitably gets stuck between their feet and they get stripped of the ball, rather than using their first touch to direct the ball somewhere useful.

Anyway, we need to be finding space instead of trying to receive the ball with our backs to goal and some gargantuan defender over our shoulders constantly.

Sigh.

I thought the passing in this game was the best I've seen from RSL on an away game. Tons of one-touch passes. It was great to see. However, this one goes down as one of the "shoulda's" that got away.

[clarette]

Originally Posted by Aerick

I thought the passing in this game was the best I've seen from RSL on an away game. Tons of one-touch passes. It was great to see. However, this one goes down as one of the "shoulda's" that got away.

It was definitely better in this game, but I wouldn't use the word "tons". 😉

[Stucki]

Originally Posted by Aerick

I thought the passing in this game was the best I've seen from RSL on an away game. Tons of one-touch passes. It was great to see. However, this one goes down as one of the "shoulda's" that got away.

We should have at least gotten a point. It was encouraging to see us play well including attacking soccer on the road and on grass. Yes, we got hosed on some calls, but we didn't finish our opportunites.

[Rover]

Originally Posted by mrstucki

We should have at least gotten a point. It was encouraging to see us play well including attacking soccer on the road and on grass. Yes, we got hosed on some calls, but we didn't finish our opportunites.

I agree.

But as I lament the loss and the problems with officiating I don't want to forget that the goal we did score was vintage Jason Kreis. That was a cracker of a goal, worthy of GOTW for sure.

We did play well, and we are showing improvement. I'd like to see us finish better, and sustain the pressure on the ball better. We're also still vulnerable on the wings, so the three back is just not a good idea.

We should have another WCQ opportunity with the July 4th game. We could have a big crowd with lots of first or second timers. We lost out with the WCQ crowd by not playing well and getting thoroughly beaten in every phase of the game by Chicago.

On July 4th, we need to show well and win the game. Metro are not pushovers, but they are beatable and I think we matchup well with them. And they (ironically) have not played well on their own plastic grass, so we may have an advantage there.

[clarette]

Originally Posted by Rover

On July 4th, we need to show well and win the game. Metro are not pushovers, but they are beatable and I think we matchup well with them. And they (ironically) have not played well on their own plastic grass, so we may have an advantage there.

And if Max Bretos is to be believed, Guevara is out on caution points.

:newyear:

[Section 37]

We're being pushed into an artificial rivalry with Colorado. Chicago is the only team that gets my blood boiling. Between Herron's smug "I'm the man" look after being offsides to Jacqua's complete thuggery when they were in SLC, they're the one team I truly, truly dislike.
I may have to wait until next season, but when they come back to RES, they're going to hear from me. And it won't be pretty.

[SoccerPrime]

Thanks Rover for starting this thread and running the PBP for the boards.

Was anyone else surprised that Kreis and Mathis were being played as wingers against Chicago? Have they ever played that position? I think that last night's line up is the strongest we will ever get. I mean we had every main player out there (except maybe Washington for Brown, Dante is under performing). Essentially, if we believe that Mathis and Kreis can play on the wings, it doesn't get any better than this.
I am not convinced that having our best attackers out there is the best idea. Do they have enough in the tank to run that much?

Regardless of the score and the offsides and obvious penalties, the Fire had many chances that RSL got lucky on. On the bright side it was an away game, Watson did well, Kreis did score and of course, we are still an expansion team. Oh and the other canned answer is: We are still ahead of Chivas USA. 😉