Saturday night’s match between Chicago and New England will be a maddening one. Both squads are coming off embarrassing US Open Cup defeats—the Fire in 120 minutes failing to rise up to the passion or quality of the Michigan Bucks and the Revolution switching off before the match was over, conceding three extra time goals, and finally losing in a shootout. For Chicago, the loss to the PDL’s (division four) Michigan Bucks revealed not so much gaps as thinness.
Manager Frank Klopas went with a defensive line of youth, Tony Walls-Jalil Anibaba-Austin Berry-Hunter Jumper, and in the case of Walls and Jumper inexperience. Walls suited up for his Fire competitive debut. Unfortunately, Chicago’s plan of attack was weighted to the left side of the pitch all too often leaving Walls standing completely alone on the right side. This backline needs to have more games under its belt together, because it could well be the de facto MLS backline if grinders Dan Gargan and Gonzalo Segares get injured. Having said that, the four looked out of sorts against Michigan and paid for it. Going into Tuesday night nearly every MLS supporter in every MLS city had the same assumption, “a MLS reserve squad should be able to beat a PDL/USL/NASL team, and if they can’t then why have them on the reserve squad?” With quiet determination, the PDL (Michigan Bucks), USL (Harrisburg, Dayton, and Charlotte), and NASL (Minnesota, Carolina, and San Antonio) all summarily thrashed every MLS that fielded a team of predominately reserve players. Some think that this demonstrates how weak MLS is this year, but the more likely explanation is that US soccer has gotten significantly better at all levels. We’re waking up to this fact now. Will lower division teams still get schooled by MLS? Yes. Will lower division teams still be manned with MLS ready talent? Yes. The upsets, in the long run, are good for the game.
Now, never mention it again.
Defeats highlight weaknesses, symptoms. But stepping back from defeats and looking at a run of form reveals root causes. Both New England and Chicago have been consistently inconsistent, so going head-to-head will be a cluster-cuss. It could be an epic, exciting match or it could just as easily be one of the dullest, sloppiest affairs of the season. If the later, supporters will complain about refereeing and tiring schedules that stuffed a slew of matches in a short length of time. If the later, systemic weakness will be diagnosed.
As of right now Chicago have more than a handful of personnel issues. Rafael Robayo has been given three consecutive starts to prove that he really does belong in MLS. He has proven that he doesn’t belong in Chicago. The consensus among supporters seems to be that Rafael Robayo is a bust. A few weeks ago in a rather tame interview that was blown a bit out of proportion by the Chicago media and fan base, Robayo admitted to being frustrated with lack of playing time and uncomfortable with the style (i.e., quality) of play in MLS. Traditionally, footballers use the media to communicate not just with supporters but with managers and the front office. There’s nothing malicious in it nor is it fair to hack on a player for doing it. From a certain point of view the interview worked, Robayo got playing time. And now supporters can hack on Robayo for squandering that opportunity, failing to live up to expectations, and failing to even live up to his own standards. It seemed as though Robayo was going to be a mercenary signing from the get-go; he wanted to use the MLS as a springboard to somewhere else. A team doesn’t need nor should it want that type of player unless the player is genuinely talented and can contribute.
Riding on the back of supporter’s dismissal of Robayo is a growing distaste or disappointment with Federico Puppo. Unlike the jabs at Robayo, the knocks against Puppo are a bit unfair and knee-jerk. Puppo has played appropriately for a bench player. Unfortunately, we all are judging him as though he were an everyday player. With only two starts this season (203 minutes in league play), Puppo has been adequate if not uninspiring. But honestly, should we really expect bench players to come on and be glorious super-subs every time? The answer is ‘no,’ no we shouldn’t because expecting that is unrealistic to an almost childish degree. If we honestly wanted Puppo to slot into the line-up every week then some rather serious changes need to be made to Chicago’s plan of attack. The fact is, Puppo needs to be deployed like Juan Mata is at Chelsea or David Silva is at Manchester City—I am in no way saying that Puppo is anywhere near the talent level of those two players, so take your grumblings down a notch. Quickness, creative or flair passing, and sudden almost poacher like strikes are the type of game I’m talking about. Puppo can’t be a lone striker, he doesn’t have that sort of game and, quite frankly, he isn’t the type of forward that compliments Dominic Oduro’s style of play.
Oduro has made his name as the fastest man in MLS and he’s been saddled with the reputation of lacking the quality to finish. Last year saw Oduro showcase his speed and prove his detractors wrong about his finishing skills. He surprised a lot of people and earned the respect of a lot more. But he is in danger, this year, of falling into a one-dimensional style of play that will inevitably re-brand him in the negative. In order for Oduro to be successful he needs service from the wings and an attacking partner he can rely on. Sebastian Grazzini has become this partner and when Marco Pappa and Patrick Nyarko play as true wingers, everything usually goes well for the Fire. But when Nyarko is out of the line-up, Pappa away for international duty, or Grazzini comes off in the 65th minute, Chicago has no real backup system. At least, not one that works. Chicago without Pappa and Nyarko become a narrow team that bullies the ball down the very center of the pitch, ignoring anything out wide. This is an impotent attack.
So this is why there is such a hope in the Chicago camp that Chris Rolfe will see some playing time Saturday night. Rolfe has resumed full training and should, fitness-wise, be ready. There will of course be caution. Gillette Stadium’s turf is not the best debut for newly healed ankles or knees, so it would make sense if Rolfe was available as a substitute. Rolfe getting fifteen to twenty minutes in would be a dream for many Fire supporters. A Chicago Fire side with all of its regulars (Johnson; Gargan, Anibaba, Berry, Segares; Pardo, Pause, Pappa, Nyarko, Grazzini; Oduro) looking hungry to capture a win to after two frustrating and poor performances could do serious damage to New England, a serious long-time rival.
(image courtesy of Dave McCauley)
