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Canales Daily: Glory Days
All teams hunger for the glory of etching their names into the history of the game. The Chicago Fire are the one team left in Major League Soccer's playoffs who have ever captured the honor of the championship title, but the Columbus Crew are due.
Nov 11, 2008 10:02:20 PM
By Andrea Canales
It was unprecedented, monumental and a dream debut when the Chicago Fire triumphed in 1998 to claim Major League Soccer's championship in their first year of existence. Not since DC United in the inaugural year of MLS had a team accomplished such a thing, nor has one since. It had to be more than a bit galling for the Columbus Crew, one of the founding squads of the league, to watch these upstarts claim the MLS Cup and revel in the ensuing glory.
Now, ten years later, both teams are fighting each other for that honor. The Crew, with all their long history in the domestic game, have yet to contest an MLS Championship, since they have never advanced to that last match. The Fire, meanwhile, returned to the grand finale in 2003, but a win eluded them and San Jose claimed the title.
The two teams meet in what many anticipate could be the match of the year. It's a cliche, but it is often true that the championship match can be a bit disappointing, as nervous players often prove a bit tentative. In such circumstances, a mistake can easily settle a match, rather than a superlative performance. The excitement engendered by steller play tends to come in earlier playoff rounds.
It was another Eastern Conference final, back in 2004, that some consider the best match in league history. DC United and the New England Revolution traded blows and goals and still found themselves knotted up, 3-3, after extra periods. A dramatic penalty-shootout moved DC on, and the game became one for the ages.
The Crew/Fire clash has all the potential for that as well. Both teams boast midfield maestros. The Crew's Guillermo Barros Schelotto may have learned to develop a sixth sense of someone's positioning playing with his twin brother while growing up. He has an uncanny ability to control the speed of the ball delivery perfectly. Sometimes, one will wonder as he looses a pass, "Where and why is that going there?" until suddenly, a charging Crew teammate just reaches the ball and extends the play. Schelotto also has an underratted ability on set plays, in which he dominates not through sheer power, but through pinpoint placement of lofted balls that are softly, sweetly, dangerous.
Rolfe is enjoying a terrific run of form lately, but he needs to
have something to work with. Rolfe isn't the type of player who can
create something magical out of thin air. He's gritty and crafty, but
it's usually Blanco who sets the stage for him to shine.
One thing in the Crew's favor is how consistent and gelled their squad is. Coach Sigi Schmidt, a long-time MLS veteran who had previously coached Los Angeles to a championship, was given ample time to fine-tune his roster, and the players on the squad perform as tight unit, perhaps more so than any other team in the league except for Houston. It's probably not a coincidence that although Schmidt doesn't speak Spanish, there are important players on the squad, like Alejandro Moreno, who are fluidly bilingual and provide a nice bridge of communication between the speakers of the two languages on the field.
The Fire, however, have been more streaky in their play, turning in a sublime performance one day and then a strangely disconnected one another. It's worth noting that the Fire have a history of performing well in the very first round of the playoffs before fading out in the conference finals. Granted, most of those matches were against the nemesis that they have defeated this time, the New England Revolution. But despite Blanco Rolfe, Mapp and the impressive resume of Brian McBride, recently of England's Fulham, the Fire haven't always fired on all cylinders. Coach Denis Hamlett, will be looking to keep them focused and sharp.
It's interesting that the Fire's moniker is elemental, because it captures to an extent the personality of the squad and the main leaders. The Fire have a collection of personalities looking to get hot and spark off each other, while the Crew are a unit devoted to cool efficiency and execution. That's not to say there aren't sparkplugs on the squad, as defender Frankie Hejduk is as full of all the dynamic energy one could wish for. But the Crew at their best are like well-oiled machinery, making the game look like that's the way it should always be played.
The Fire's talent, though, can seem like a force of nature once the players all get going. They feed off the momentum they start to create and they can overwhelm opponents.
U.S. National Team coach Bob Bradley, who was coach of the Fire when they won their MLS title, saw both a tough challenge and an opportunity for his old squad on Sunday.
"It's going to be a very tight game on Thursday," said Bradley. "It's a great opportunity for Chicago to get back to the final."
Eric Wynalda, a former Fire player, stated his belief that the squad was motivated to confront a foe - former coach Juan Carlos Osorio. "The Fire aren't going to let anything stop them."
It is a pulp-fiction plot twist, the possible MLS final between Osorio and the club who felt betrayed by his departure. Ultimately, though, no motivation of revenge could be greater than the hunger to win the top prize of the league.
It's been a decade since the Fire's astounding feat, and they would love to celebrate the anniversary with a duplication of that effort. Yet the Crew have waited even longer for their turn in the spotlight and seem primed to claim it.
"They've been the most consistent team," said Bradley. "They've got a solid group of players and playing at home gives them the edge."
No matter who wins, anticipation has built for the clash.
"Hard, competitive games where there's something on the line, where you see players raise their level, I'm still a fan of those kinds of games throughout the world," said Bradley. "The more games like that in MLS, the better. I think the playoffs this year have been very good int that regard, They've been competitive and hard-fought. That is still what all top leagues are about."
--Andrea Canales is Chief Editor of Goal.com USA
It was unprecedented, monumental and a dream debut when the Chicago Fire triumphed in 1998 to claim Major League Soccer's championship in their first year of existence. Not since DC United in the inaugural year of MLS had a team accomplished such a thing, nor has one since. It had to be more than a bit galling for the Columbus Crew, one of the founding squads of the league, to watch these upstarts claim the MLS Cup and revel in the ensuing glory.
Now, ten years later, both teams are fighting each other for that honor. The Crew, with all their long history in the domestic game, have yet to contest an MLS Championship, since they have never advanced to that last match. The Fire, meanwhile, returned to the grand finale in 2003, but a win eluded them and San Jose claimed the title.
The two teams meet in what many anticipate could be the match of the year. It's a cliche, but it is often true that the championship match can be a bit disappointing, as nervous players often prove a bit tentative. In such circumstances, a mistake can easily settle a match, rather than a superlative performance. The excitement engendered by steller play tends to come in earlier playoff rounds.
It was another Eastern Conference final, back in 2004, that some consider the best match in league history. DC United and the New England Revolution traded blows and goals and still found themselves knotted up, 3-3, after extra periods. A dramatic penalty-shootout moved DC on, and the game became one for the ages.
The Crew/Fire clash has all the potential for that as well. Both teams boast midfield maestros. The Crew's Guillermo Barros Schelotto may have learned to develop a sixth sense of someone's positioning playing with his twin brother while growing up. He has an uncanny ability to control the speed of the ball delivery perfectly. Sometimes, one will wonder as he looses a pass, "Where and why is that going there?" until suddenly, a charging Crew teammate just reaches the ball and extends the play. Schelotto also has an underratted ability on set plays, in which he dominates not through sheer power, but through pinpoint placement of lofted balls that are softly, sweetly, dangerous.
Cuauhtemoc Blanco, however, is at least the match of Schelotto in
terms of passing ability. Blanco has a trickster's bent, though, and he
relies on unexpected flicks and creative changes of pace. His dribbling
ability frustrates defenders, who often foul him, setting themselves up
for his wicked freekicks. Blanco generates impressive power sith his
long run-ups to the ball on set plays, yet he is remarkably consistent
about rocketing such balls into the corner of the net.
These two stars, though, are of such a high level that they may
cancel each other out a bit. It's more likely that the game will be won
on the flanks, with Columbus relying on Robbie Rogers and Eddie Gaven,
while the Fire counter with Justin Mapp and Chris Rolfe.
The boy wonder that Rogers now is was once a label applied to
Justin Mapp. Though Rogers can send a smoother cross, Mapp is probably
still a bit superior on the dribble. Mapp, however, doesn't seem to
show the hunger that Rogers has this season. Still, if Mapp is
inspired, he could turn in a game-changing performance.
One thing in the Crew's favor is how consistent and gelled their squad is. Coach Sigi Schmidt, a long-time MLS veteran who had previously coached Los Angeles to a championship, was given ample time to fine-tune his roster, and the players on the squad perform as tight unit, perhaps more so than any other team in the league except for Houston. It's probably not a coincidence that although Schmidt doesn't speak Spanish, there are important players on the squad, like Alejandro Moreno, who are fluidly bilingual and provide a nice bridge of communication between the speakers of the two languages on the field.
The Fire, however, have been more streaky in their play, turning in a sublime performance one day and then a strangely disconnected one another. It's worth noting that the Fire have a history of performing well in the very first round of the playoffs before fading out in the conference finals. Granted, most of those matches were against the nemesis that they have defeated this time, the New England Revolution. But despite Blanco Rolfe, Mapp and the impressive resume of Brian McBride, recently of England's Fulham, the Fire haven't always fired on all cylinders. Coach Denis Hamlett, will be looking to keep them focused and sharp.
It's interesting that the Fire's moniker is elemental, because it captures to an extent the personality of the squad and the main leaders. The Fire have a collection of personalities looking to get hot and spark off each other, while the Crew are a unit devoted to cool efficiency and execution. That's not to say there aren't sparkplugs on the squad, as defender Frankie Hejduk is as full of all the dynamic energy one could wish for. But the Crew at their best are like well-oiled machinery, making the game look like that's the way it should always be played.
The Fire's talent, though, can seem like a force of nature once the players all get going. They feed off the momentum they start to create and they can overwhelm opponents.
U.S. National Team coach Bob Bradley, who was coach of the Fire when they won their MLS title, saw both a tough challenge and an opportunity for his old squad on Sunday.
"It's going to be a very tight game on Thursday," said Bradley. "It's a great opportunity for Chicago to get back to the final."
Eric Wynalda, a former Fire player, stated his belief that the squad was motivated to confront a foe - former coach Juan Carlos Osorio. "The Fire aren't going to let anything stop them."
It is a pulp-fiction plot twist, the possible MLS final between Osorio and the club who felt betrayed by his departure. Ultimately, though, no motivation of revenge could be greater than the hunger to win the top prize of the league.
It's been a decade since the Fire's astounding feat, and they would love to celebrate the anniversary with a duplication of that effort. Yet the Crew have waited even longer for their turn in the spotlight and seem primed to claim it.
"They've been the most consistent team," said Bradley. "They've got a solid group of players and playing at home gives them the edge."
No matter who wins, anticipation has built for the clash.
"Hard, competitive games where there's something on the line, where you see players raise their level, I'm still a fan of those kinds of games throughout the world," said Bradley. "The more games like that in MLS, the better. I think the playoffs this year have been very good int that regard, They've been competitive and hard-fought. That is still what all top leagues are about."
--Andrea Canales is Chief Editor of Goal.com USA
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