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Mon May 05 2008
This Team Might Be For Real
It’s tough to get excited about early season form in MLS. It’s a long season, there is more parity among the teams than any other league, and all that really matters is getting into the playoffs.
That said, it’s getting harder and harder to shrug off the Fire’s 4-1-1 start to the season. A similar start last season all came undone in May after a trip to New England and led to one of the worst string of results in Fire history. This season they again started off May with a trip to New England, facing a Revolution team that had the added incentive of wanting revenge for last months short-handed 4-0 trouncing in Toyota Park. Going in it looked like it would be a pretty tough test. The Fire made it look easy.
Chris Rolfe, returning from an ankle injury and playing striker for the first time this season showed why most people think he should be playing striker fulltime instead of in the midfield with a well taken first goal. His replacement in the midfield, John Thorrington, scored the Fire’s second and looks like, barring injuries, he could be the answer to the right midfield question that’s been plaguing this team for as long as I’ve been a fan. And when your rookie utility midfielders scoring half-volleys, you know it’s a good night.
Last season’s miserable summer was due in large part to a few key injuries. This season, it’s pretty hard to see injuries crippling the team in the same way. Even with both Blanco and Justin Mapp having quiet nights the team was able to score three goals. The defense doesn’t include projected starters Dasan Robinson, Wilman Conde, or CJ Brown but still hasn’t given up more than one goal in a game all season. With the Fire recently signing Lider Marmol out from under New York, there is no problem with depth in the back.
A lot of people were questioning Denis Hamlet at the beginning of this season. And a lot of people have been questioning his lineup choices, particularly that backline and the continual inclusion of Chad Barrett who works his socks off but misses a lot of chances. It seems what he’s been doing so far is choosing a lineup based on chemistry and locker room character, rather than talent alone. It’s meant winning ugly at times, but you really can’t argue with a 4-1-1 start to somebody’s head coaching career.
