Thursday night hurt. There’s no getting around that. Not solely because of the 3-0 score line, but because we also saw Raphael Wicky’s group really take it to Columbus and force them into a deep block for close to 40 minutes following the Derrick Etienne goal in the 20th minute with ultimately no goals to show for it.
The Chicago Fire will look to regroup and rebound on Tuesday, when FC Cincinnati visits for the Club’s long-awaited return to Soldier Field.
Wicky and the entire organization want to get off to a good start when they come home to one of America’s most celebrated chapels of sport.
A short memory will be crucial if the Fire are to re-enter their old digs as victors.
PATIENCE
Jaap Stam was a world-class defender. His team can defend. Go figure.
It’s not hard to tell that this FCC side frustrates teams. They did it to the New York Red Bulls and Atlanta United in Orlando. Now it is Ben Olsen’s D.C. United who are the third straight team to not score a goal on FCC in regular season play. 270 minutes of clean sheet football for a team that gave up a league-high 75 goals last year.
It has been quite a transformation defensively under Stam.
Kendall Waston has been the stalwart of that defense. He is a veteran’s veteran who is more than physically imposing and has a great teammate to his left in Tom Petterson.
The Dutch coach has been implementing a 3-back system similar to what we saw from the Fire in Orlando but a bit more defensive. It more times than not looks like a 5-back with the two wing-backs in Andrew Gutman and Joseph-Claude Gyau sitting a bit deeper and not as much leeway.
However, against DC United, they played with four defenders because of the absence of Haris Medunjanin. They decided to spread things out a bit more and go with an extra striker/winger up top.
Even with the change in formation, FCC still looked compact and cohesive.
We saw a lot of spells from the Fire in which they were patient in possession, trying to chip away at the low Columbus block. They got through on a couple of occasions in clear possession but couldn’t find the required final piece to the puzzle.
No matter what formation Stam rolls out, Chicago will face an extremely stubborn opponent who does not bend easily.
SMASH AND GRAB
Because of the (newly-developed) DNA of this side, Cincinnati doesn’t generate as many chances. However, when they do go, they can go. We saw a great example in FCC’s match against D.C. on Friday night.
Allan Cruz came on as a sub in the second half and picked up a ball in the middle of the field about 15 yards inside of D.C.’s half. There was virtually no forward pass for Cruz to make, and then -- almost in a millisecond -- Jurgen Locadia gets on a full sprint and motions to Cruz for the ball to be played. D.C. were caught flat-footed thinking there was no option for Cruz. The Costa Rican then played a fluid, wonderfully-weighted ball through the defense and directly on Locadia’s foot, who had left the nearest defender a solid 10 yards behind him.
Locadia struck the post from about 13 yards out and missed the best chance of the game for either team.
This all was triggered off a simple entry pass from Waston into Cruz. They have the quality to create these types of opportunities and the Fire will need to be wary of that when they throw numbers forward.
Gyau is a bulldog out on the wings, whether as a wing-back or a winger. He is very fast, and pairs it with quick feet to make the opposing centerback slide over and provide cover in any one-on-one situation with the outside back.
Frankie Amaya has shown us he can strike from a long way out per his first professional goal versus Atlanta United in Orlando.
Medunjanin truly sets the tempo for this team and does a lot of good things defensively and his presence will definitely impact the game.
There are pieces there to punish teams and win games.
PLAY INTO THE MOMENT
Outside of all the tactical mumbo jumbo, this is a massive moment for the club. Going back to Soldier Field after being away for 15 years…This has been a long time coming. The players are well aware of this -- From Bolingbrook native Mauricio Pineda to Argentinian DP Gastón Giménez -- they understand the moment.
Using this emotion and extra dash of “will-to-win” is critical. The boys just might have a bit more bite that can get them across the finish line. Channeling this energy into little moments like 50-50 challenges and staying switched on during set pieces will be the difference.
On a personal note, this is a massive moment as a broadcaster to be able to call a game inside of the hallowed walls of such a revered sports venue. We got a tour of the stadium a few days out of the broadcast and I couldn’t help but feel those chills coursing through me while I walked around the concourse with a perfect view of the skyline. The same feeling permeated as we peered out from the broadcast booth onto the immaculate field below…Envisioning thousands roaring after a Robert Berić header ripples the net. We will have that day.
It’s a colossal moment for ALL involved with the Club and I am firmly believe this group will do the moment justice and play for the fans who have waited for their beloved Fire to return to the familiar confines of downtown Chicago.
