Fire Thu Sep 02 2010

Flaming Journal 09.02.2010 - Freddie Got Fingered and Fredy got 2

By Jordan Brown

It was a tough week to be a week-long Fire fan. Suffering a devastating loss in stoppage time, and losing our DP for next week's match against the LA Galaxy isn't the way I wanted to cap my Saturday, but these are the breaks.

This was my second viewing of a televised Fire match, and I have to say that we didn't look so bad -- it took some genuine heroics by Seattle's Fredy Montero to see the Sounders wrestle a respectable draw point away from us. The Montero brace had an hour between each goal, and the story of the loss was really the story of most our losses this season -- shaky defense. To be fair, we were without choice centre back Wilman Conde, but the archives I've pored over of Fire games this season show a sieve-like back line as a running narrative.

There were some highlights for us -- John Thorrington (the one with the soft eyes right on top here) looked creative on the left side, and he managed to give us an early lead by converting a penalty on the spot given from a Sounder handball. The call was questionable, the intent by Parke wasn't really evident, and it also hit his thigh; but as a true fan I'm going to call it definitive and well spotted by the referee.

Bright-eyed Sean Johnson deserves some praise and some stick: he made a solid save on a dangerous Montero free kick, but young or not, a goalkeeper has to keep his defense organized. The marking was poor throughout, and especially bad on Fredy Montero's second goal, which came off a gorgeous cross from Nathan Sturgis -- it had such placement, curving just down into the dewy locks of Montero's head.

Freddie Ljungberg picked himself up a yellow card in a slight collision, which leaves him with one too many and on the bench against the Galaxy. That alone is disheartening enough, but to pile on the woe, Marco Pappa will be away for International duties. Losing a DP is bad enough, but Pappa is a contributor as well, and their combined absence against an LA team on the roll will taste like piss in our collective Diet Coke.

Coach Carlo de los Cobos (dopest name on the team) says that Nery Castillo could be fit for Saturday's game, but he's also not sure what formation he's running against the Galaxy. Tie that in with the fact he was musing "maybes" to the press about player selection, and this is looking like a fingers-crossed type of fixture for the Fire.

All is not shitsicles for Chicago this weekend though, if you're a superfan (like me) and you've got $25 (plus $4.50 shipping) just kickin' around your pocket, you could be the extra-proud owner of a Chicago Fire Cookbook -- subtitle: Fire in the Kitchen *Guitar Riff*!!!

The official Fire blog -- En Fuego -- has been posting daily player recipes on the site, but don't go thinking these gastronomical delights are limited to Player/Chef's; word is that the staff got in on this too. In five to seven business days you could be nomming down on the Masseuse's fave spice cake, which you have tastefully chosen as a follow up to Patrik Nyarko's Jollof Rice!

If you've got $100 to get rid of, you can get a commemorative edition, signed by all the talented chefs. I suggest you pick one up and make whatever looks good for the game on Saturday. I'll be missing the live show, as I've got important business in Detroit (possibly the only business actually taking place in that city...ever), but believe you me, I'll be taking in the action at a down-river sports bar.

I'll leave you with something to meditate on before the big fireworks this Labor Day weekend: Cobos means Snail in Spanish...smoke on that Chicago.