Here is some insider knowledge from the press-box: not every soccer match is important. Although the ticket service representatives might tell you otherwise there are indeed some matches that are more important than others. A local game against a rival on a Saturday night is generally going to illicit more interest than a mid-week match between two random teams. It is an unspoken rule among , player, fans, and those men and women furiously typing away their article so they can catch the last bus out of RFK Stadium.
Although this might be the accepted norm for most matches on a Tuesday or Wednesday evening not named UEFA Champions League, Wednesday night’s match between the Chicago Fire (4-5-2, 14 points)and D.C. United (7-3-4, 25 points) does have special meaning. If D.C. United can pull off a result against the Fire then they will set a club record for being unbeaten in twenty consecutive home matches.
Since their last loss at RFK Stadium, a 1-0 defeat at the hands of the Seattle Sounders in June, the club has gone 14-0-6. For a club looking to bring back the culture of dominance of its early years a result on Wednesday night would certainly be a step in reclaiming that former glory.
Chicago also has quite a bit to play for on Wednesday night. After an underwhelming 2014 campaign which saw the Fire earn a league-record 17 draws the club has bounced back nicely in 2015. The club has not won at RFK Stadium since October of 2010 so a victory might give the club the confidence it needs to continue to exceed expectations in 2015.
If United are able to achieve the desired result against the Fire it will be because of their defense. In D.C. United’s 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, United’s defense forced the Union to abandon their crossing game and focus solely on movement at the center of the pitch. United center-backs Bobby Boswell and Steve Birnbaum clogged up the middle part of the pitch forcing Philadelphia forward Sebastian Le Toux to take most of his shots from beyond distance.
Chicago has some solid long-distance strikers in Jeff Larentowicz (4 goals) and David Accam (2 goals). But they will need to get some pressure on the outside to force United’s outside backs inside. The Fire have proven this season that they are certainly capable of scoring from multiple different positions and angles. Despite receiving some heavy criticism for spending heavily on unproven strikers, Fire coach Frank Yallop’s plan has paid off.
United’s defense is not impenetrable though. The club has surrendered two goals in the first ten minutes over the past two games. Poor passing from the backline and a lack of basic marking has exposed United as a squad that takes some time to gel in matches. With Accam and Kennedy Igboananike up front the Fire will be nuisance for D.C. and will look to expose them on a bad play.
While the Fire had been mostly using a 4-4-2 this season, the club went with a 4-5-1 on Saturday against the Montreal Impact. The three-man attacking midfield of Shaun Maloney, Accam, and Harry Shipp used their created space for Igboananike in the center of the pitch and gave the Fire a new dimension to their attack. Look for Shipp to play a crucical role in set pieces during this match.
Injuries will also play a huge factor in this match. With both teams having played difficult matches on Saturday and with both teams having played three matches in seven days neither squad comes into this match with fresh legs. United will be without left-back Taylor Kemp, midfielders Michael Farfan, Nick De Leon, and Luis Silva, and forward Fabian Espindola. Chicago meanwhile are still looking to get Mike Magee back from injury.
Without Espindola and Silva, United will once again look to their strength on the outside to provide the scoring touch. United coach Ben Olsen has been using Conor Doyle to serve as a holding forward alongside Chris Rolfe. Although Rolfe is not your prototypical striker, he does have some and has a deft touch that always seems to find a teammate on the outside. Against the Impact this week Chicago struggled when Piatti would move the ball outside to spread the defense. Chicago’s outside backs Eric Gehrig and Joevin Jones have to do a better job tracking to avoid United exploiting empty space.
Though neither team will be at full strength, Wednesday’s match will provide a good glimpse at how each team can perform under pressure. For United it is the chance to make history while Chicago can continue their move from the bottom.
