Chicago heads north of the border Sunday night to face Vancouver in what has become a familiar scenario. The Fire, coming off a 1-1 draw with Philadelphia Wednesday night after nearly 3 weeks off from MLS play, are in desperate need of a win. Fortunately for the Men in Red, Vancouver has had an equally rough go of things, posting a 0-5-1 record in their last six matches.
Chicago saw strong performances from their newcomers Pavel Pardo and Sebastian Grazzini on Wednesday night. Pardo scored his first goal in a Fire uniform to bring Chicago even with the Union, and Grazzini showed positive signs, as he has lived up to the scouting reports touting his strong left foot, good footwork, and excellent field vision. None of the positives mean much at this point in the season though, unless the result is three points, and Chicago knows it.
Chances are good that Klopas will again institute a 4-5-1 formation against the Whitecaps. One issue with such a lineup seems to be the striker position, but Klopas has many options to choose from. It’s possible that Dominic Oduro again gets the start up top for the Fire, although he seems more comfortable, and more effective, on the wing than in the striker slot. Klopas seems to like the idea of Daniel Paladini alongside Pavel Pardo in the holding mid positions, with Sebstian Grazzini in front of them in the attacking mid role. It’s possible that Klopas would slot captain Logan Pause next to Pardo, although there’s not much rationale to support such a move, as Paladini is equally competent in the holding mid role, and can push forward in support of Grazzini when needed, as he did in the Fire’s midweek match.
Logan Pause played his best game of the season against Philadelphia, sitting at right back in lieu of his midfield role. Pause did well for the most part, although a few of his overlapping runs and crosses into the box seemed unfit for a wing role. Still, Pause played well against Philly, and could reprise his role in the Vancouver match. He’ll have to deal with speed on the wings in the form of Shea Salinas, an issue he didn’t face against Philadelphia. Pause will have plenty of support, however, as Josip Mikulic, starting his first match in some time Wednesday, made an impressive showing with some aggressive play. Yamith Cuesta, who sat out the last match due to a red card back on July 16th against Portland, will likely see the start again in the absence of Cory Gibbs, who came off injured early in the game Wednesday night.
It would seem that Chicago’s defense is continuing to be it’s strongest asset as we enter the latter part of the 2011 season, and the midfield already looks better than it did just a few short weeks ago. Klopas will likely go with Dominic Oduro or Cristian Nazarit up top if imploring the 4-5-1 formation, although a game against Vancouver could be a good time to slot Orr Barouch, who in spite of his recent misfortunes with targeting crossbars, has been Chicago’s most viable threat up top. While it seems a draw is more likely than any scenario against the Whitecaps, Barouch has proven dangerous, and while he lacks the speed of a Nazarit, Oduro, or Nyarko, he can create chances when the ball reaches his feet, and put a dangerous shot on target. With finishing now being the primary issue, it may be the time to give the youngster another start up top to see what he can do against a Vancouver defense that has allowed 34 goals in 22 matches this season. Doing so would inevitably mean sitting either Oduro or Nyarko, as Marco Pappa would be sure to get the start on the left wing, but it’s a chance that may pay dividends if Klopas decides to take it.
Injury Notes
Neither Cory Gibbs or Diego Chaves traveled with the team to Vancouver. Gibbs sustained a groin injury in Wednesday night’s match against Philadelphia. While it does not appear to be a long-lasting injury, Gibbs did not train Thursday or Friday. Chaves sustained a knee injury after coming on in the 82nd minute Wednesday.
CHICAGO FIRE — OUT: DF Steven Kinney (R Achilles repair); MF Marko Maric (L posterior capsulitis); DF Mike Banner (R knee meniscus tear); DF Cory Gibbs (L groin strain); DOUBTFUL: FW Gabriel Ferrari (R ankle sprain); QUESTIONABLE: FW Diego Chaves (R knee irritation)
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC — OUT: FW Atiba Harris (R knee surgery); PROBABLE: MF Davide Chiumiento (R calf strain); DF Jay DeMerit (R adductor strain)
Image courtesy of Getty Images
