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	<channel>		<title>RUWT? News</title>
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		<description>RUWT? News for Chicago</description>
		<language>en-us</language>
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		<lastBuildDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:36:35 GMT</lastBuildDate>
		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:36:35 GMT</pubDate>
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			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[RSL wins on PKs to reach MLS Cup final]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. (STATS) - Real Salt Lake's playoff history may
be brief, but it's known for dramatics.

Gaining its first berth in the MLS Cup final wasn't any
different, beating the Chicago Fire 5-4 on penalty kicks after
120 scoreless minutes in the Eastern Conference final Saturday
night.

Salt Lake reached the playoffs by beating Colorado 3-0 on the
final day of the regular season, making it the second straight
year a season-ending result against the Rapids clinched a
playoff spot.

In both cases, RSL carried that momentum into the conference
final. Last year, the club fell 1-0 to New York despite a 24-11
advantage in shots.

This time, Ned Grabavoy - a Chicago-area native and substitute
in the final minute of overtime - scored the winning penalty
kick in the seventh round as his shot went off the fingertips of
Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch.

"Last year was a little bit of a laugher because we were just so
much better than New York and didn't reach the final," coach
Jason Kreis said. "(This is) really a special night and a
special moment for this club and for everybody involved."

Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando made three saves in the
shootout - all to his left - after stopping six shots through
overtime.

RSL, which joined the league in 2005, will meet Los Angeles in
the MLS Cup final on Nov. 22 at Qwest Field in Seattle. The
Galaxy reached the title game with a 2-0 overtime win against
Houston on Friday.

The Fire have lost three consecutive conference finals, and fell
for the second time on penalties this season. They lost the
SuperLiga final 4-3 via the tiebreaker to Tigres of Mexico on
June 27.

"It's an empty feeling in your stomach right now," Chicago coach
Denis Hamlett said. "I think all season we worked hard and stuck
together to get to this point and to lose the way we lost
tonight; sometimes soccer is a cruel sport."

The game was nearly decided in the final seconds of regulation
as forward Robbie Findley's shot from the top of the box got
through a crowd in front of the net, but was cleared off the
line by John Thorrington.

Fire forward Brian McBride saw his header hit the crossbar in
the 27th minute, and midfielder Marco Pappa had a shot in the
67th minute saved by a diving Rimando.

This was the first conference final to reach penalties since
Rimando stopped two to help D.C. defeat New England in 2004.

"I can't give all my secrets away, but it's something I feel
comfortable with," he said. "Even these guys, before we went out
for the second half (my teammates) were talking 'listen if we go
down to penalty kicks, we've got one of the best ones in the
league.'"

While reaching the MLS Cup final is a first for RSL, it's also a
first for Kreis, who played 12 seasons with Dallas and Salt Lake
before unexpectedly retiring to become coach in 2007.

"I feel awesome," said Kreis, who was the first player selected
by RSL in the 2005 expansion draft and still ranks fourth in MLS
history with 108 goals. "I feel fantastic. I feel rewarded for
all the hard work that's been put in. To finally get here is
awesome."

RSL owner David Checketts stood by the inexperienced Kreis.

"Even as a player, I had picked him out as someday the coach of
our franchise," Checketts said. "I just knew that a guy that
size to lead MLS in scoring had something very special. What he
had special, it turns out, is how much he cares about our
franchise, and he's done some job this year."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/134107-RSL-wins-on-PKs-to-reach-MLS-Cup-final</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/134107-RSL-wins-on-PKs-to-reach-MLS-Cup-final</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:21:52 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Real Salt Lake-Fire Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ANDREW SELIGMAN
AP Sports Writer

Real Salt Lake (11-12-7) at Chicago (11-7-12), 8:00 p.m. EDT

CHICAGO (AP) --  Chicago Fire goalie Jon Busch has enjoyed
watching Cuauhtemoc Blanco the past three seasons and doesn't
want the "circus" to end.

Real Salt Lake would love nothing more than to pull down the
tent.

With a spot in the MLS Cup up for grabs, there is certainly no
shortage of story lines as these teams prepare to meet in the
Eastern Conference finals on Saturday in Bridgeview, Ill.

There's Blanco's pending departure and the Fire's desire to keep
the "circus," as Busch put it, surrounding the Mexican superstar
going a little longer. There's reports that Real owner Dave
Checketts is negotiating to sell nearly half the franchise to
local real estate developer Dell Loy Hansen. And there's the
simple fact that both teams are trying to break through to the
MLS Cup after falling in the conference finals a year ago, with
the Fire going down in the East and Real losing in the West.

"We've been very, very up and down and at times maddeningly
inconsistent," Real coach Jason Kreis said Wednesday in a
conference call. "But what we have shown this year is when we're
good, we're very, very good."

And, after finishing fifth in the Western Conference, Real
looked sharp in knocking off Columbus in the Eastern semifinals,
scoring the final three goals in a 3-2 victory on Nov. 5 to take
a series win on a 4-2 aggregate.

Now, they'll try to take out Chicago, the runner-up to Columbus
in the East during the regular season with 45 points and a loser
in the conference finals the past two years.

This time, the Fire are looking to advance to the MLS Cup and
delay the departure of Blanco, who signed with Chicago in 2007
and is headed back to Mexico to play for Veracruz.

"Everywhere we go, people want to come out and see him," Busch
said. "They don't really want to see us, but they want to see
him. It's pretty cool to see that circus that follows him
around. He's been great in the locker room with the guys, just
trying to be one of the guys. Obviously, on the field, his
vision that he brings, not many people can do that. Obviously,
that helps us in the game situations. I think all in all, it's
been a good situation for the Chicago Fire to have over the last
two years."

Blanco didn't play in the two regular-season games against Salt
Lake. Even so, the Fire got the better of Real.

Chicago pulled out a 1-0 win at home on Aug. 1 on Patrick
Nyarko's header in the 76th minute, and played to a 1-1 tie at
Salt Lake on Sept. 12. Now, Real will have to contend with
Blanco, who has come on strong after being limited by nagging
injuries.

The veteran midfielder was at his best in a 2-0 victory over New
England last week that gave Chicago the series win, scoring one
goal and setting up another, to lead the Fire back to the
conference finals for the third straight year.

"They have a good midfield group, and not only Blanco, but we're
going to have our eyes on all the attacking options," Real
midfielder Andy Williams said.

Starting with Blanco.

"He's a player that sees passes and can make plays that the
majority of players can't, to be completely honest," Kreis said.
"You've got to be aware when he's on the ball, what else is
happening? What are the other runs? Who's getting in behind you?
He can see those passes and complete those passes a lot of
people can't."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/133037-Real-Salt-Lake-Fire-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/133037-Real-Salt-Lake-Fire-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:42:20 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Fire reach Eastern Conference final, blank Revs]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[BRIDGEVIEW, Ill.(AP) -- John Thorrington and Cuauhtemoc Blanco
scored as the Chicago Fire advanced to the Eastern Conference
final, beating the New England Revolution 2-0 Saturday night to
win on 3-2 aggregate.

Chicago entered the match trailing in the two-game, total-goal
semifinals series after a 2-1 defeat at New England on Sunday.

Thorrington scored in the 35th minute of Game 2 with Marco Pappa
and Brandon Prideaux getting assists. Blanco sealed the win with
six minutes remaining in regulation.

It's the second consecutive season in which Chicago has
eliminated New England from the playoffs, and fourth in eight
all-time postseason matchups.

Chicago will host Real Salt Lake, which beat Columbus 4-2 on
aggregate two days ago, next Saturday.

This will be the Fire's third consecutive appearance in the
conference final, where they've lost each of the previous two.

Chicago outshot New England 21-12, but also had 13 shots on net
compared to four for the Revolution.

---=

Story from: STATS LLC, http://www.stats.com.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/132242-Fire-reach-Eastern-Conference-final-blank-Revs</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/132242-Fire-reach-Eastern-Conference-final-blank-Revs</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:21:22 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Revolution-Fire Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
STATS Senior Writer

New England (11-10-9) at Chicago (11-7-12), 8:30 p.m. EDT

The New England Revolution will have to put aside their historic
problems in the Windy City if they want to advance in the MLS
Cup playoffs.

The Revolution have lost all six previous playoff road games
against the Chicago Fire, and will need at least a draw Saturday
night when the bitter rivals play the second leg of their
Eastern Conference semifinal series.

New England and Chicago are meeting for the eighth time in the
last 10 postseasons, and the Revolution won 2-1 at home last
weekend to put themselves in good position to advance. In order
to do so, they will have to overcome their complete lack of
success in Chicago in the playoffs.

"Every game is tough on the road - there's not an easy game on
the road," coach Steve Nicol said. "But obviously, the rivalry
we have with Chicago - we say we certainly have an advantage at
home in Gillette, as they probably will do at their place. But
it's up to us to go in there and try to take that advantage away
from them."

Chicago has outscored New England 15-2 at home in the playoffs
with three straight shutouts. Last year, the Fire won 3-0 at
home after the teams played to a scoreless draw at New England.

The Revolution are in better shape this time around thanks to
Shalrie Joseph's match-winner in the 75th minute in the first
leg. Emmanuel Osei tied it for New England seconds before
halftime after Chris Rolfe opened the scoring for Chicago in the
17th minute.

"I thought we started very well," Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch
said. "We got the goal and we had a couple of other chances.
It's disappointing to give up that goal right before halftime."

New England felt it played aggressively throughout the first
leg. It's hoping to take that same approach on the road.

"We have a lead, which is what we wanted," Nicol said. "So again
we have to make sure that we're tight and don't give anything
away. If we do that, then we're good.

"But at the same time, we know we can't go there and sit and
defend for 90 minutes. We have to start the game solid and well,
and then start pushing them back and create chances of our own.
Hopefully at the end of it, we'll put a ball in the net."

If Chicago fails to win, this could be the final MLS game for
Mexican star Cuauhtemoc Blanco, who has announced that he will
join Veracruz of Mexico's second division in January once his
contract with the Fire expires.

The Fire are confident that they can prolong Blanco's current
term with the club after an encouraging performance in New
England.

"Yeah, we created a lot of chances and I thought that it always
comes back to finishing off your chances," coach Denis Hamlett
said. "We didn't tonight, but we feel very confident heading
back home."

The winner will host Real Salt Lake - an upset winner over 2008
MLS Cup champion Columbus - in the conference final next
Saturday.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/131810-Revolution-Fire-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/131810-Revolution-Fire-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:53:40 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Revolution beat Fire in playoff series opener]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (STATS) - Shalrie Joseph scored in the 75th
minute to lift the New England Revolution to a 2-1 victory over
the Chicago Fire on Sunday in the opening game of their Eastern
Conference semifinal series.

Chris Rolfe opened the scoring for Chicago in 17th minute, and
Emmanuel Osei tied it for New England seconds before halftime.

The teams conclude the two-legged series at Toyota Park on
Saturday.

"We didn't start particularly great early on," Revolution coach
Steve Nicol said. "But we got the win that we wanted."

The Fire tested the Revolution defense early, as Brian McBride
headed a pair of passes that went wide of the net just before
the 10th minute.

The Fire finally capitalized when Marco Pappa went down the
right side and sent a wide-angled shot that Revolution
goalkeeper Matt Reis failed to smother. Rolfe captured it and
scored to put Chicago ahead.

McBride nearly made it 2-0 just two minutes later when he took a
pass from Pappa and rocketed a shot that beat Reis but clanked
off the left post.

New England started to carry the play offensively after the 20th
minute, with Jeff Larentowicz sending a pair of close shots as
the Revolution kept the pressure on the Fire through 30 minutes.

One of Larentowicz's opportunities came in the 26th, when
Chicago goalkeeper Jon Busch journeyed well off his line to
challenge Joseph on a long ball. Busch fell down and Larentowicz
had a clear shot at the unmanned goal, but sent a shot through
that ricocheted off the far post.

"We didn't do much for the first 10 to 15 minutes - we got
frustrated," Nicol said. "But after that, we began to play
loose."

The Revs continued to attack and Osei nearly recorded his first
MLS goal in the 40th minute when his 25-yard shot skimmed off
the near corner of the net.

Osei didn't have to wait long for another chance. Two minutes
into extra time, Kenny Mansally delivered a free kick that Osei
deflected past Busch for the tying goal.

The Fire battled back early in the second half and nearly went
ahead when Pappa's long-distance shot hit the bar and bounced
off the goal line in the 71st minute.

The Revolution quickly took advantage of their good fortune.
Four minutes later, Larentowicz directed the ball toward Joseph,
who fired it through to give his club the lead.

New England withstood Chicago's push for the tie in the final 15
minutes.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/130651-Revolution-beat-Fire-in-playoff-series-opener</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/130651-Revolution-beat-Fire-in-playoff-series-opener</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:42:56 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Cuauhtemoc Blanco to leave Chicago Fire for Mexico]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[MEXICO CITY(AP) -- Mexico star Cuauhtemoc Blanco will leave the
Chicago Fire and return home to rejoin second-division Veracruz.

In a statement on his Web site, Blanco said Thursday he will
start playing again for Veracruz in January.

"We respect his desire to continue playing in Mexico during the
MLS offseason and continue preparing for the 2010 World Cup,
which is a top priority for him," Fire technical director Frank
Klopas said in a statement. "We will continue our dialogue with
his agent regarding Blanco playing for the Fire in the second
half of the 2010 season and beyond."

The 36-year-old forward last played for Veracruz in 2004.

"I had a great experience in the MLS, where they treated me very
well, but at this stage of my career there were some clubs from
the Mexican league that wanted me to come home," Blanco said on
his Web site. "I will start a new stage in Veracruz, a place
where I used to play and I promised to come back."

Klopas said Blanco "remains focused" on winning the MLS Cup this
year and is still "a valuable member" of the team.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/129928-Cuauhtemoc-Blanco-to-leave-Chicago-Fire-for-Mexico</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/129928-Cuauhtemoc-Blanco-to-leave-Chicago-Fire-for-Mexico</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:09:43 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Fire beat Chivas USA 1-0 to clinch playoff spot]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. (STATS) - Solving a leaky defense may be what
the Chicago Fire needed to return to the playoffs. A fortuitous
goal also helped.

The Fire clinched their fifth consecutive playoff appearance in
their season finale Thursday night, getting an own goal to beat
CD Chivas USA 1-0 at a rainy Toyota Park.

Heading into their finale, the Fire (11-7-12) were mired in an
0-4-2 stretch that saw them allow seven goals while getting shut
out three times.

A renewed focus on defense helped boost Chicago while Chivas'
Eduardo Lillingston did the Fire's scoring after they were
blanked in the last two games.

In the 68th minute, Lillingston headed Cuauhtemoc Blanco's
corner kick - Chicago's 14th of the game - past goalkeeper Zach
Thornton as the Fire went on to clinch the Eastern Conference's
second seed.

"It took us 30 games to get to this point, but we're finally in
the playoffs," Fire coach Denis Hamlett said. "When we start to
limit (an opponent's) opportunities on goal, that's when we
become a very dangerous team. To be able to win championships,
you have to have a good defensive mindset.

"It takes an own goal, but we'll take it."

The Fire's playoff opponent is unknown as six teams are vying
for the final two berths heading into the final weekend of the
regular season.

"We're in the playoffs. That's all that matters," Hamlett said
when asked who he'd prefer to face in the postseason. "There are
so many different teams, so I can't sit here and tell you who."

Chicago has been without its entire starting backline from its
season opener. Wilman Conde (illness and hamstring) has missed
the last two games, while Gonzalo Segares (knee) and Tim Ward
(foot) have been out for over two months. All-Star Bakary
Soumare was sold to France's US Boulogne in August.

Losing those four has moved defenders C.J. Brown, Dasan Robinson
and Brandon Prideaux into starting roles, while midfielder Mike
Banner has replaced Segares at left back.

"The team has focused as a team to get around the ball," Brown
said. "Our back four has been pretty organized. I think the
stretch before these last two games has been a meltdown. We just
weren't on the right page."

Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch made two saves to get his 10th shutout
and tie his career high set with Columbus in 2004.

Chivas' loss also allowed the defending MLS Cup champion Crew to
clinch the Supporters' Shield for having the best regular-season
record.

"I thought 0-0 was probably a fair result," Chivas coach Preki
said. "Maybe they had a little bit more opportunities than us. I
thought both teams would settle for a draw because it's a rainy
night and a heavy field. Not really good conditions for a game."

Chivas has already clinched a playoff berth and is tied with
Houston and Los Angeles atop the West while Seattle is one point
back in fourth place.

Chivas (13-10-6) hosts the Dynamo on Sunday, a day after the
Galaxy faces San Jose and the expansion Sounders meet Dallas.

"We need to take care of business and we haven't," Preki said.
"We lost that chance, but hopefully we regain our form on Sunday
and put ourselves in a good spot to get home-field advantage, at
least in the first round."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/128276-Fire-beat-Chivas-USA-1-0-to-clinch-playoff-spot</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/128276-Fire-beat-Chivas-USA-1-0-to-clinch-playoff-spot</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:16:46 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Chivas USA-Fire Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

Chivas USA (13-9-6) at Chicago (10-7-12), 8:00 p.m. EDT

The MLS playoff picture may be muddled heading into the final
weekend, but the Chicago Fire can book their fifth consecutive
trip to the postseason by winning, tying or waiting. Honoring
former captain Chris Armas could help them gain some
inspiration.

The Fire will try to solve CD Chivas USA's stingy defensive play
Thursday night when the teams meet at Toyota Park.

Chicago (10-7-12) needs a win or a tie to gain a berth in the
MLS Cup playoffs as the second seed in the Eastern Conference. A
loss Thursday would put the club in danger of missing the
postseason for only the second time in its history, as six other
clubs are also vying for the final three playoff spots.

The Fire could have clinched a trip to the playoffs with a win
Saturday, but played to a scoreless tie at New England - one of
the other teams still alive in the race. That draw is part of an
0-2-4 stretch that turned Chicago from Supporters' Shield
contender into potential playoff absentee.

"These games are never easy," coach Denis Hamlett said. "There's
a lot of pressure on both teams trying to get in the playoffs,
and it makes for good games."

A ceremony honoring Armas' storied career could help Hamlett's
team gain a mental edge.

The midfielder will be inducted into the team's Ring of Fire,
joining former teammates Peter Nowak, Lubos Kubik and Frank
Klopas, coach Bob Bradley and general manager Peter Wilt. Only
Klopas is still with the organization as technical director.

Armas helped the Fire win the 1998 MLS Cup, four U.S. Open Cup
titles and the 2003 Supporters' Shield, while ranking second in
franchise history in assists (42) and third in games played
(214). He also had two goals in 66 games with the U.S. national
team.

The Fire could also get a boost from having Cuauhtemoc Blanco
back in the lineup. The playmaker played 22 minutes as a
substitute against the Revolution after helping Mexico qualify
for next summer's World Cup earlier in the week.

Blanco has five goals and a team-leading eight assists, but has
managed just one of each over his last seven games. He hit the
back of the net twice in a 3-2 win over Chivas USA (13-9-6) on
May 28.

The Fire are 4-4-1 all-time against Chivas, splitting four home
meetings.

Chivas USA has already clinched a playoff spot, and is tied with
Houston and Los Angeles for first in the West while holding a
game in hand. The club has also played one less contest than
league-leading Columbus, which it trails by four points in the
race for the Shield.

Chivas hosts the Dynamo on Sunday to conclude the regular
season.

Chivas USA failed to gain sole possession of the conference lead
Saturday, but extended its unbeaten streak to six games (3-0-3)
by tying last-place San Jose 2-all at home.

The club is riding strong defensive play anchored by goalkeeper
Zach Thornton, a possible contender for league MVP and
Goalkeeper of the Year honors.

Thornton, a member of the Fire from 1998-2006, is 12-7-6 and
leads MLS with a 0.78 goals-against average and 12 shutouts -
both career bests.

Chivas has had to rely on the 6-foot-3, 230-pound Thornton since
it hasn't managed to score more than two goals in any game this
season.

The club will also be without defensive midfielder Jess Marsch,
who played in Chicago from 1998-2005, after he was injured in
practice earlier this week.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/128056-Chivas-USA-Fire-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/128056-Chivas-USA-Fire-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:09:31 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Fire, Revolution waste opportunities with 0-0 draw]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (STATS) - The Chicago Fire blew a chance to
wrap up a spot in the postseason. The New England Revolution put
their chances of getting one in jeopardy.

The Revolution lost control of their playoff fate and the
Chicago Fire wasted an opportunity to clinch a postseason berth
in a 0-0 draw Saturday night.

While Chicago (10-7-12) remained in second place in the Eastern
Conference, New England (10-10-9) fell into a tie with Toronto,
D.C. United and FC Dallas for the league's eighth and final
playoff spot.

The Revolution don't have the tiebreaker over Toronto because
they lost the season series. New England closes the regular
season at Columbus on Oct. 25.

"I think we're more disappointed because we really needed those
points," defender Jay Heaps said. "We put ourselves in a bind."

The Revolution appeared to take control in the first minute when
Kevin Alston pushed up the right channel and snapped a cross
through toward Kheli Dube, but the striker lost his balance and
fell to the ground as the ball sailed away.

New England continued its pressure in the 24th minute when Jeff
Larentowicz fed a ball through to Sainey Nyassi, who charged
ahead unmarked and fired a quick shot that Jon Busch saved.

"Last week, nobody went for the ball," said Revolution coach
Steve Nicol, whose team was coming off last Saturday's 1-0 loss
to Columbus. "This week, everyone went for the ball. So there
were some positives."

Chicago began to find its form later in the first half. In the
30th minute, Chris Rolfe delivered a ball ahead to Patrick
Nyarko, whose shot skipped wide of the far post. About 8 minutes
later, Rolfe escaped two Revolution defenders and caught
goalkeeper Matt Reis well off his line, but the midfielder
lobbed the ball ahead and it bounced wide of the post.

The Revolution reclaimed the momentum in the second half,
peppering Busch with shots from Dube and Kenny Mansally before
the 50th minute.

"We had enough balls in the penalty box, and created a lot of
havoc," Nicol said. "But you have to have the instinct to pounce
on it. And we didn't have that."

The Fire nearly took advantage of a mistake in the 63rd as
Revolution defender Emmanuel Osei misplayed a ball in his own
area. Rolfe pounced on it and went in alone on Reis before the
keeper broke it up with a swipe at the ball and Rolfe's boot. It
appeared Reis might be carded and a penalty awarded, but referee
Jorge Gonzalez instead issued a yellow to Rolfe for
embellishment.

"From where we were standing, it was definitely a penalty,"
Chicago coach Denis Hamlett said. "I thought the referee was far
away from the play - so he decided to card (Rolfe) for diving.
I'm still trying to figure that one out."

With 10 minutes to play, the Fire issued another challenge when
Brian McBride went down the right and sent a cross to Baggio
Husidic, but the pass evaded the midfielder's left foot at the
last moment.

Neither club lodged a serious threat in the remaining minutes.

Before the match, the Revolution announced assistant coach Paul
Mariner had resigned to pursue a coaching position abroad.

"I can't tell you how much he's helped us," Nicol said. "We'll
certainly miss him."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/127145-Fire-Revolution-waste-opportunities-with-0-0-draw</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/127145-Fire-Revolution-waste-opportunities-with-0-0-draw</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 18 Oct 2009 04:16:51 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Fire-Revolution Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MIKE LIPKA
STATS Writer

Chicago (10-7-11) at New England (10-10-8), 6:00 p.m. EDT

The Chicago Fire can secure a postseason spot and home-field
advantage in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs with a
victory Saturday, but the struggling club will be trying to take
the three points from an opponent that needs them even more.

The New England Revolution enter the important late-season
contest clinging to a small lead for the league's final playoff
spot, and will be looking for more offense as they try for their
second victory in eight matches.

Chicago (10-7-11) hasn't won since Aug. 23, going 0-2-3. The
club, idle since a 1-0 loss at Los Angeles on Oct. 2, is still
in second place in the Eastern Conference on the brink of a
fifth straight postseason appearance.

"The most important thing is we control our own destiny. If we
beat New England we wrap up the second-place spot," coach Denis
Hamlett told the league's official Web site. "Whatever happens
with the other teams, we will deal with it. We don't worry about
what other teams do. We've got to take care of our own
business."

The Revs (10-10-8) can also assure themselves of a playoff spot
without any help - as long as they win both of their remaining
games. But victories have been difficult to come by lately for
coach Steve Nicol's club, which is 1-4-2 since the beginning of
September.

With top offensive producers Taylor Twellman and Steve Ralston
still out, New England has scored one goal in its last three
games, a 0-2-1 stretch capped by a 1-0 home loss to Columbus
last Saturday.

"I think we have to make chances, first and foremost. I don't
think we've made enough chances recently in order to score
goals," Nicol said. "So first and foremost, we need to make
chances, and obviously if we do that, then we're looking for
somebody to bury it."

The Revs lead Real Salt Lake by one point and three teams by two
points for the eighth and final MLS playoff spot. New England,
eliminated from last year's postseason by Chicago, has not
missed the playoffs since 2001.

"It's a huge game," Nicol said. "Three points is vital, and
that's what we're after - three points."

That may be tough considering Chicago is a league-best 6-3-5 on
the road. The Fire won 2-1 in Foxborough in SuperLiga play on
July 15, and they outscored the Revs 5-1 in three visits in
2008, including playoffs.

Chicago may also be aided by the return of midfielder Cuauhtemoc
Blanco, who missed the last two games with a hamstring injury.
With banged-up defenders Gonzalo Segares and Wilman Conde also
potentially available, the Fire are hoping their two-week break
has them in prime form to enter the playoffs with some momentum.

"For us, it was a good time," Hamlett said. "Given our
situation, with all of the injuries we have, it's good. ... It
gives us time to recover and get ready for the final two-game
push."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/126932-Fire-Revolution-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/126932-Fire-Revolution-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 17 Oct 2009 02:03:50 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Galaxy beat Fire, take lead in Western Conference]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[CARSON, Calif. (STATS) - After two years of melodrama and
controversy, the Los Angeles Galaxy are in first place in the
Western Conference with two games remaining.

Landon Donovan scored in the 42nd minute and Donovan Ricketts
recorded his seventh shutout to lead the Galaxy to a 1-0 victory
over the Chicago Fire on Friday night.

With its second victory in three games, Los Angeles (11-6-11)
took a one-point lead over Houston atop the West.

"We'll take it," midfielder Chris Klein said. "It's been awhile
since the Galaxy made the playoffs but it should be standard for
this club. We're on our way to getting it back to that point."

Los Angeles will clinch its first playoff berth since its 2005
MLS Cup championship season if D.C. United loses to or ties
Chivas USA on Saturday night.

The Galaxy are in playoff position following two years of poor
play and internal strife as documented in Grant Wahl's book,
"The Beckham Experiment."

Some of the bickering took place between Donovan and David
Beckham, who publicly found fault with Donovan's criticism of
the British midfielder.

So what has made the difference this season?

"Most games this year, we've competed in the right way on most
plays throughout 90 minutes," Donovan said. "Second is having
some sort of structure and identity. The teams that are
successful around the world have that."

Beckham praised Donovan for more than his game-winning goal.

"His work rate was second-to-none," Beckham said. "He was
chasing balls back, closing people down."

Donovan's goal - his 11th of the season and first since Aug. 19
- came after Beckham started a counter-attack. Klein passed to
an unmarked Donovan, who beat Chicago's Logan Pause and chipped
a 19-yard shot over goalkeeper Jon Busch into an open net.

"In those moments, I'm trying to set up the defender and trying
to figure out where his mind is," Donovan said. "At that point,
I think Logan was a little casual in recognizing the space
behind him, so I took off.

"Chris hit a great ball. I think (Pause) tried to slow me down
but I got the better of that. Then Busch was caught in-between."

Ricketts made four saves, including diving stops on 25-yard
shots by Brian McBride in the 27th minute and Marco Pappa in the
37th. Chicago had another chance to tie the game in second-half
stoppage time, but Brandon Prideaux's 5-yard shot got blocked by
the Galaxy's A.J. De La Garza and Ricketts pounced on the ball.

The Fire (10-7-11) saw its winless streak reach five games.

"We never really tested Ricketts," coach Denis Hamlett said. "We
had half-chances in front of the goal and we just didn't do well
with them."

The Fire played without midfielders Cuauhtemoc Blanco (strained
left hamstring) and John Thorrington (strained groin).]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/124116-Galaxy-beat-Fire-take-lead-in-Western-Conference</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/124116-Galaxy-beat-Fire-take-lead-in-Western-Conference</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 03 Oct 2009 06:58:52 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Fire-Galaxy Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MATT BEARDMORE
STATS Writer

Chicago (10-6-11) at Los Angeles (10-6-11), 11:00 p.m. EDT

While the Los Angeles Galaxy or the Chicago Fire may not win the
Supporters' Shield for the league's best regular-season record,
both clubs have an opportunity to make the playoffs this
weekend.

Los Angeles and Chicago meet Friday night at The Home Depot
Center with each needing a win plus some help Saturday to secure
a postseason berth.

With a chance to overtake Houston atop the Western Conference
standings, the Galaxy (10-6-11) lost 2-0 at Columbus on
Saturday.

Los Angeles was 7-0-5 against Eastern Conference teams heading
into Crew Stadium.

"The game had no rhythm," said Galaxy coach Bruce Arena, whose
team trails the West-leading Dynamo by two points. "A lot of
fouls were called, a lot of yellows. Sloppy game, but I think
Columbus for 90 minutes was first to most of the plays
tonight.... They basically won most of the matchups all over the
field."

Los Angeles, though, has an opportunity to wrap up its first
playoff berth since winning the 2005 MLS Cup if it defeats
Chicago while D.C. United fails to beat Chivas USA on Saturday
night.

"We're not comfortable yet and we haven't made it," Galaxy
defender Todd Dunivant said. "We've set ourselves up well,
though, and have three games left. Really, it is in our hands.
If we do our business, we don't have to worry about other teams
and other results."

Chicago (10-6-11) finds itself in a similar position with three
games remaining. A win over Los Angeles plus a loss or tie by
United will secure the Fire's postseason spot.

Chicago is five points behind East-leading Columbus, which has a
league-best 46 points.

"I stopped looking at the scoreboards the last couple of games
so I don't know where we stand (in the Supporters' Shield
chase)," defender C.J. Brown told the Fire's official Web site.
"I do know we need points. If the Shield is still out there,
yes, we are going for it. If not, we still need a win because we
need to gain the confidence so we have a little bit of an edge
going into the playoffs."

Chicago and Brown didn't have that edge in Saturday's 2-all draw
against visiting Toronto FC, playing one of their most
lackadaisical defensive games of the season.

"Tonight defensively, we were no good," said Fire coach Denis
Hamlett, whose club is a league-best 6-2-5 on the road. "We gave
them two goals tonight. Two easy goals. We talk about wanting to
win championships, the defense gotta get better. Individually,
collectively, as a whole."

Chicago's Brian McBride scored his team-high seventh goal of the
season on a header in the 78th minute. It was his first goal
since a 2-0 win at Toronto on May 16.

McBride missed eight games following shoulder surgery in July,
including the 2-0 home loss to Los Angeles on Aug. 19.

Galaxy midfielder David Beckham missed that match - Los Angeles'
first-ever win at Toyota Park - after receiving a red card in a
2-0 loss against Seattle on Aug. 15.

Beckham was a scratch in Saturday's loss with an injured right
ankle. He is questionable for Friday.

Fire midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco, who leads the team with seven
assists, is also questionable after missing Saturday's draw with
a left hamstring strain.

Los Angeles is 7-5-3 at home versus Chicago.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/123660-Fire-Galaxy-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/123660-Fire-Galaxy-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:26:35 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Toronto FC 2, Fire 2]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

Thanks to defensive errors, the Chicago Fire have been in a
giving mood at home, and those miscues may have cost them a
chance at the Supporters' Shield.

Brian McBride helped the Fire overcome another pair of defensive
errors to salvage a 2-all draw with Toronto FC on Saturday
night.

McBride netted his team-leading seventh goal of the season with
12 minutes to play, heading a shot past Toronto goalkeeper
Stefan Frei. The forward, a former star with the U.S. national
team, got away from Toronto defender Nick Garcia as midfielder
Justin Mapp found him alone in the box.

Despite rallying for the point, the Fire (10-6-11) are 4-4-6 at
home and are 1-2-2 in their last five there. That has left
Chicago five points back of Eastern Conference-leading and
reigning MLS Cup champion Columbus, which appears to have its
sights set on a second consecutive Supporters' Shield for the
best regular-season record.

"It takes everybody being on the same ... page and being
disciplined, and right now we're not," said goalkeeper Jon
Busch, who had no saves as Toronto (9-10-8) converted both of
its shots on goal. "Enough is enough already.

"We're gift-wrapping goals. It's like ... Christmas time. If
they beat us with a good goal, fair enough, but quit giving away
easy goals and putting ourselves behind the eight-ball. That's
the bottom line, again."

The Fire's first error of the game gave Toronto a 1-0 lead in
the sixth minute. Defender C.J. Brown failed to trap a ball at
midfield, only to see TFC midfielder Dwayne De Rosario gather
the turnover, dribble in alone on Busch and score his team-high
11th goal.

Chicago, which had four shots on goal, leveled the score eight
minutes later on a defensive lapse by Toronto, as Garcia tried
to get away from pressure from Patrick Nyarko by attempting to
chest the ball to Frei, but instead saw his pass bounce into the
net for an own goal.

The defensive problems for the Fire were evident again in the
opening minute of the second half, when De Rosario one-timed a
cross to Chad Barrett, who split Brown and defender Wilman Conde
before flicking a shot past Busch for the 2-1 lead.

It was Barrett's fifth goal, which came in his first game back
at Toyota Park since he was traded to Toronto for the rights to
McBride in July 2008.

"Tonight defensively, we were no good," Fire coach Denis Hamlett
said. "We gave them two goals tonight. Two easy goals. We talk
about wanting to win championships, the defense gotta get
better. Individually, collectively, as a whole."

The Fire, though, had an outstanding chance to get a win on the
match's final play. Nyarko dribbled around a defender and sent a
low cross to the back post, but forward Calen Carr's point-blank
shot went wide left.

Toronto, which had its road winless streak extended to seven
matches (0-4-3), has 35 points and is two behind New England for
the final wild-card berth.

"We let ourselves down," said De Rosario, who leads TFC with
seven assists. "Could've came up with three points, but to be
fair, at the end, we could've came with zero points. We got a
point, and we're still not out of it yet, but we put ourselves
in another tough position to look at; three wins in three
games."

The Fire played without forward Chris Rolfe after he was a late
scratch after re-aggravating a left hamstring injury during
warmups. He was replaced in the lineup by Nyarko.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/122616-Toronto-FC-2-Fire-2</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/122616-Toronto-FC-2-Fire-2</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 27 Sep 2009 04:57:50 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Toronto FC-Fire Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MATT BEARDMORE
STATS Writer

Toronto FC (9-10-7) at Chicago (10-6-10), 8:30 p.m. EDT

The Chicago Fire haven't enjoyed much of a home-field advantage.

Toronto FC, meanwhile, hasn't scored a goal on the road in eight
weeks.

Chicago's effort to get to the top of the Eastern Conference
continues Saturday night when Toronto visits Toyota Park.

With an opportunity to tie Columbus atop the East, the Fire
(10-6-10) failed to earn three points Sunday despite midfielder
Peter Lowry giving them a two-goal lead in the opening 35
minutes against the visiting Crew.

Chicago gave up two second-half goals to reigning league MVP
Guillermo Barros Schelotto and settled for a 2-all draw. The
Fire remain three points back of the defending MLS Cup champions
and four ahead of D.C. United for second in the East.

"It feels like a loss," Lowry said. "We did enough to win the
game."

The Fire, 1-2-1 in their last four at Toyota Park, have scored
an MLS-low 13 goals at home this season. They're one of only
three teams in the league that doesn't have a winning home
record (4-4-5).

Chicago has allowed 15 goals at home - tied for second-most in
the conference - but it takes on a Toronto FC club that hasn't
scored in its last 416 minutes on the road.

Toronto (9-10-7) has been shut out in four consecutive road
games (0-3-1) since midfielder Dwayne De Rosario found the back
of the net against New England in a 1-all draw Aug. 1. Coming
off a 2-0 loss at Los Angeles last Saturday, TFC is tied with
the Revolution for fourth in the East.

"We know we have to start picking up wins on the road," said TFC
interim coach Chris Cummins, whose club is 2-7-4 away from home.
"We know we need at least three wins (the rest of the season)
... it's up to us to go in there and perform for 90 minutes."

Toronto is 0-1-1 at Toyota Park, most recently a 2-1 loss July
12, 2008. Forward Chad Barrett had an assist for the Fire in
that matchup but later that month, he was traded to Toronto
along with a first-round draft pick for the rights to Brian
McBride.

Saturday will be Barrett's first match in Chicago since the
deal.

"There's four games left in the season and we have to win them
all," Barrett said. "I have to put all personal stuff aside and
do everything I can to help the team win.

"I hope (Brian) doesn't play well against us, but I know he's a
great player."

Playing in his second match since missing eight due to right
shoulder surgery in July, McBride had an assist Sunday - his
first point since an assist versus New York on May 24.

McBride and Chris Rolfe scored for the Fire in a 2-0 win at
Toronto on May 16.

Chicago will likely get back defender Gonzalo Segares on
Saturday following an MCL sprain that kept him sidelined since
Aug. 8, but forward Cuauhtemoc Blanco is out against Toronto.
Blanco, tied for third in MLS with eight assists, strained his
left hamstring against Columbus.

Fire coach Denis Hamlett is expected to replace Blanco with
Patrick Nyarko or Rolfe.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/122214-Toronto-FC-Fire-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/122214-Toronto-FC-Fire-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:54:19 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Schelotto's 2 goals rally Crew to tie with Fire]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. (STATS) - Nothing has separated the Columbus
Crew and Chicago Fire over the past two seasons. A controversial
penalty kick and a second-half comeback engineered by Guillermo
Barros Schelotto made sure that didn't change.

Schelotto scored two second-half goals, rallying the Crew to a
2-all tie at Chicago and allowing Columbus to keep sole
possession of the Eastern Conference lead.

Schelotto, second in MLS with 12 goals, tied the game when he
converted a penalty kick with 11 minutes left.

The result - the fourth consecutive ties between these clubs -
kept Columbus (11-4-10) atop the East, three points ahead of
Chicago (10-6-10).

A disputed call led to Schelotto's tying goal.

Crew forward Steven Lenhart and Fire defender Wilman Conde
jumped to challenge for the ball in the Chicago box. Conde
appeared to hit the ball prior to Lenhart's kicking him in the
back. Referee Mark Geiger, however, ruled Conde hit Lenhart and
called a penalty on Chicago. Fire players immediately protested.

"It was unfortunate that the game ended the way it ended," Fire
coach Denis Hamlett said. "I think we all saw it. ... He decides
that that's how he's going to change the game.

"You just hope that you let the players dictate the outcome of
the game. Tonight, for sure, I don't think that was the case."

Schelotto had pulled the Crew to within one in the 55th minute,
when he headed a cross from midfielder Robbie Rogers into the
back of the net, but the reigning MLS MVP didn't venture an
opinion on the call leading to his second score.

"I don't know," said Schelotto, who snapped a personal
seven-game goal drought. "Maybe yes and maybe no."

Schelotto was also instrumental in the Crew's 2-1 win over the
Fire in last year's conference final, assisting on both goals as
Columbus went on to win its first MLS Cup title.

"It's always fun to play those guys because it's two quality
teams," said Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch, who had five saves.
"It's just very disappointing that it goes down to a play like
that, which - again - it costs us two points. We got done in by
something that should have never done us in."

Midfielder Peter Lowry scored in the sixth minute and again 29
minutes later, giving the Fire what appeared to be a safe lead
at halftime. They then gave up five shots on goal in the second
half and failed to convert three of their own, including a
last-minute bicycle kick by forward Patrick Nyarko that went
over the crossbar.

"It feels like a loss tonight," said Lowry, who has three goals
in seven games. "We did enough to win the game."

Chicago also suffered a blow in the 63rd minute, when Cuauhtemoc
Blanco hurt his left hamstring and had to be replaced. His
status is uncertain. The forward has five goals and a team-high
eight assists.

Though Chicago had to press on without its playmaker, Nyarko
still had two chances to give the Fire a late lead.

In addition to the failed bicycle kick, Nyarko got behind the
Crew defense in the final minute and had a breakaway on Will
Hesmer, but his shot went directly to the goalkeeper.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/121159-Schelottos-2-goals-rally-Crew-to-tie-with-Fire</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/121159-Schelottos-2-goals-rally-Crew-to-tie-with-Fire</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:37:15 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Crew-Fire Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MATT BECKER
STATS Senior Writer

Columbus (11-4-9) at Chicago (10-6-9), 3:00 p.m. EDT

The top of MLS' Eastern Conference could have a much different
look after this weekend.

The first-place Columbus Crew look to open a commanding lead in
the conference, while the Chicago Fire try to move into a tie
atop the standings when they meet Sunday at Toyota Park.

The Crew (11-4-9) and Fire (10-6-9) finished first and second,
respectively, in the East a year ago, and the clubs appear
poised to secure those top two spots again this season.

With 42 points, Columbus leads Chicago by three and has a match
in hand on the Fire with six to play.

The Crew can move closer to locking up the top spot by taking a
six-point lead over the Fire with a victory in their final
meeting of the season. While a loss would significantly hurt
Chicago's hopes of finishing with the conference's best record,
a victory would move it into a first-place tie.

"We'll get a good game plan ready for them," coach Denis Hamlett
told the Fire's official Web site following last Saturday's
1-all draw with Real Salt Lake. "There's a lot on the line."

Although the Crew defeated the Fire 2-1 in last season's
conference championship en route to winning the MLS Cup, they
haven't had much luck in beating them in the regular season,
going 1-3-7 since 2006.

Columbus played the Fire to a 2-all draw at home April 25 and to
a scoreless tie at Toyota Park on July 11.

The Crew have been on a roll lately, winning six of seven league
games.

Columbus defeated West-leading Houston 2-1 last Sunday in a
match that ended with a little controversy.

Referee Jorge Gonzalez called a penalty on Dynamo defender Geoff
Cameron after he knocked over Crew forward Alejandro Moreno in
the penalty box in the final moment of regular time. Eddie Gaven
took the penalty kick and scored the winner in stoppage time.

While Columbus celebrated the victory, Dynamo players argued
with Gonzalez. Then in the tunnel leading to the locker rooms
under Crew Stadium, Houston coach Dominic Kinnear got in a brief
verbal exchange with reigning league MVP Guillermo Barros
Schelotto.

"We won. That is more important, not what is said by the Houston
coach," Schelotto told the Crew's official Web site. "It's his
problem, not my problem. We played very good, better than them
and we won."

The Fire are 1-2-1 since Aug. 19 and are hoping forward Brian
McBride can be more of a factor this week.

McBride started and played 73 minutes against Salt Lake after
missing eight league games following shoulder surgery. Despite
missing two months, he's still tied with Chris Rolfe for the
team lead with six goals.

"I'm happy to be back, but there was some rust," said McBride,
who had a goal against the Crew in April. "There's room for
improvement."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/120829-Crew-Fire-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/120829-Crew-Fire-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 19 Sep 2009 18:43:31 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Olave's second-half goal gives Salt Lake 1-1 tie with Fire]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[SANDY, Utah (STATS) - Giving up a late first-half goal to the
Chicago Fire put Real Salt Lake in a tough spot. Jamison Olave
rescued Salt Lake from a potentially damaging loss.

The Colombian defender came through with a goal in the 72nd
minute to help Salt Lake to a 1-1 draw with the Fire on Saturday
night.

While RSL (9-9-7) is tied with Toronto FC for the last MLS
playoff spot, Chicago (10-6-9) moved into a tie with Columbus
for first place in the Eastern Conference.

With the Fire leading 1-0, Olave outraced three Chicago players
to track down a lead ball fed deep into the penalty area by Andy
Williams. Once Olave corralled the ball, he slotted a low
right-footed shot inside the right post for his third goal of
the season.

It is the kind of play teammates have come to expect from Olave,
who has a penchant for coming up with both goals and defensive
stops at critical times.

"He's dangerous on both sides of the ball," Salt Lake goalkeeper
Nick Rimando said. "He's someone with a lot of pace, a lot of
size and covers a lot of ground. When you have a back that can
score goals and defend - it's a plus."

Chris Rolfe had given Chicago the lead in the 44th minute when
he jumped high to snag a cross from Marco Pappa, brought the
ball down on his chest between a pair of RSL defenders and
flicked a line drive past Rimando.

Rolfe felt Chicago established a dominant tone early that led to
a desirable result.

"I thought we played very well tonight - especially on the
road," Rolfe said. "We put them under pressure and we had
moments where we had great possession of the ball as well."

RSL was hurt by a depleted midfield. Kyle Beckerman sat out
while serving a one-game suspension and Javier Morales played
limited minutes after coming back from a recent ankle injury.
Salt Lake also lost Clint Mathis a few minutes into the game to
a sprained left ankle.

Coach Jason Kreis felt Mathis' departure disrupted RSL's
offensive rhythm.

"We need the ball," Kreis said. "We have good players out there
and we got to have possession of the ball for long stretches of
time. We didn't do that after Clint left the game. We never
really established a rhythm or got enough possession in the
first half."

The Fire had better news on the injury front, welcoming back
Brian McBride. The veteran forward, who had been sidelined with
a shoulder injury since mid-July, started the game and was
replaced in the 73rd minute by Calen Carr.

Chicago coach Denis Hamlett thought his team enjoyed an extra
boost from having McBride back in action.

"When he's on the field, he just makes other players around him
better," Hamlett said. "It was good to have him back tonight and
he gave us all he had tonight."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/119190-Olaves-second-half-goal-gives-Salt-Lake-1-1-tie-with-Fire</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/119190-Olaves-second-half-goal-gives-Salt-Lake-1-1-tie-with-Fire</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 13 Sep 2009 05:23:13 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Fire-Real Salt Lake Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

Chicago (10-6-8) at Real Salt Lake (9-9-6), 9:00 p.m. EDT

The Chicago Fire are in position to move atop the MLS standings.
Getting Brian McBride back from injury earlier than expected
could provide a lift.

The Fire are expected to have their top scorer available when
they visit Real Salt Lake on Saturday night.

Chicago (10-6-8) is second in the Eastern Conference, one point
behind Columbus and two back of West-leading Houston for the
overall league lead. The Crew hosts the Dynamo on Sunday, so the
Fire could move past one or both teams with a victory.

They received a boost to their chances Thursday, when they
learned McBride would be available against Salt Lake (9-9-6).
The former U.S. national team star forward underwent shoulder
surgery July 17 and was expected to miss for 3-4 months.

"He's in full go," Fire coach Denis Hamlett said. "He's looking
good. We are still being cautious, and working on his fitness
and getting his soccer sharpness back. We want to make sure we
put him in situations, with the shoulder and bicep, that he has
some contact. There is a chance (he would be available to play)
this weekend.

"If anybody can come back from this, it's Brian. He's a warrior,
a guy you knew would fight to get back on the field."

McBride leads Chicago with six goals in 16 games after netting
five in 11 last year following four seasons with Fulham FC of
England's Premier League.

If McBride is unable to start, the Fire could opt to use Patrick
Nyarko up top. The forward, who was drafted seventh overall out
of Virginia Tech in the 2008 SuperDraft, has four goals but
hasn't scored in five games since hitting the back of the net in
the 76th minute of a 1-0 home win over RSL on Aug. 1.

The Fire, who went 4-3-1 without McBride, are hoping a 13-day
layoff can help them rebound from a 1-0 loss to visiting D.C. on
Aug. 29.

"It has been a long season, and any time you can give some guys
a few days off, to get away from soccer and come back hungry, it
comes at a good time," Hamlett told the Fire's official Web
site.

Chicago is 5-1-3 all-time against Salt Lake, including 2-1-1 on
the road.

RSL is tied with New England and Chivas USA for the fourth and
final wild-card position, while also sitting one point behind
seventh-place Seattle.

"We can't kid ourselves," midfielder Will Johnson told Real's
official Web site. "There's still a lot of work to do."

Salt Lake is looking for a third consecutive win after beating
Kansas City 1-0 on Aug. 29, three days after a 4-0 victory over
Chivas USA.

Playing at home could help RSL, as it's 7-1-4 there while
outscoring opponents 28-10. The club is unbeaten in seven games
(4-0-3) at Rio Tinto Stadium since losing 2-0 to the Wizards on
May 16.

RSL, though, will be without midfielders Kyle Beckerman and Ned
Grabavoy, who are serving one-game suspensions for an
accumulation of yellow cards.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/118888-Fire-Real-Salt-Lake-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/118888-Fire-Real-Salt-Lake-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2009 23:54:13 GMT</pubDate>
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			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Namoff's goal gets United by Fire 1-0]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By CHRIS ALTRUDA
STATS Editor

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. (STATS) - Despite their road struggles the past
two seasons, D.C. United have found Chicago to be their home
away from home.

Bryan Namoff's header in the 11th minute accounted for the lone
goal and Josh Wicks made several key saves late as United picked
up three much-needed points on the road with a 1-0 victory over
the Fire on Saturday night.

United (7-5-11) have gone 4-16-8 on the road in MLS play since
the start of 2008 but are 3-0-1 in that span at Toyota Park.

"I was most pleased with the defensive effort," coach Tom Soehn
said. "We had more urgency going in. We know we've had success
in this building and we wanted three points."

D.C., which stopped a four-match winless streak overall with its
first road victory since April 26, moved into fourth place in
the Eastern Conference. United also ended a nine-game road
winless run.

"It's great, they threw everything but the kitchen sink at us,
but we did our job," said Wicks, who finished with six saves.
"We're a good team, we're putting the pieces together and the
defense was very solid."

It was the second straight shutout for D.C., which entered
having allowed an MLS-worst 26 road goals.

During the frantic final minutes, Wicks and defender Dejan
Jakovic had to be separated by teammates after a
miscommunication on a free kick gave the Fire (10-6-8) a quality
scoring chance. Soehn chalked the flare-up to "emotions of the
game."

Chicago, which fell to 4-4-4 at home, missed an opportunity to
overtake reigning MLS Cup champion Columbus atop the conference,
though the Crew still have two games in hand.

"I'm disappointed," coach Denis Hamlett said. "We had some
opportunities, created some good chances, but it's the same old
story."

Namoff, a native of Rockford, Ill., streaked into the penalty
area to meet a perfectly placed free kick from 35 yards on the
right side by Christian Gomez and nodded the ball into the lower
left corner from just outside the 6-yard box.

"It's a play we've been working on in practice, making sure our
runs are dynamic," said Namoff, who estimated he had 15 family
members at the match. "I ran around a couple of picks to create
some space and Christian hit it perfectly."

The goal ended a 194-minute scoreless streak for United dating
to the 87th minute of their 4-3 loss at Houston on Aug. 1.

The Fire, who are tied for the worst in the MLS with 11 goals at
home, failed to score despite earning eight corner kicks,
outshooting United 17-5 and placing six of their shots on goal.

Chicago again played without injured starting defenders Wilman
Conde and Gonzalo Segares. Fellow defender Dasan Robinson was
suspended after picking up his second yellow card of Sunday's
3-2 match celebrating his winning goal.

---=

Story from: STATS LLC, http://www.stats.com.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/115952-Namoffs-goal-gets-United-by-Fire-1-0</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/115952-Namoffs-goal-gets-United-by-Fire-1-0</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 30 Aug 2009 04:24:08 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[United-Fire Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By BRETT HUSTON
STATS Writer

D.C. (6-5-11) at Chicago (10-5-8), 8:30 p.m. EDT

The Chicago Fire appeared to be on their way to a disappointing
loss in their latest game, but three late goals resulted in a
stunning win.

Securing three points Saturday would bring something even more
significant.

The Fire will move atop the league standings with a victory at
Toyota Park against D.C. United, which will try to win for the
first time in five matches and take a big step toward returning
to playoff position.

Chicago (10-5-8) fell 2-0 at home to Los Angeles on Aug. 19, and
through the first 70 minutes Sunday against Colorado found
itself trailing by the same score.

The Fire were playing their third match in eight days, but
appeared to be revitalized during the final 20 minutes.
Cuauhtemoc Blanco's penalty kick put Chicago on the board in the
72nd minute, and Mike Banner scored before Dasan Robinson found
the back of the net in stoppage time to lift the Fire to a 3-2
triumph.

"It's definitely a good win, a good way to end these three
games," said Banner, who entered the game in the 70th minute
before tying it in the 85th. "It sets us up for the next week."

Banner played a key role coming off the bench against Kansas
City on Aug. 16. He came on in the 66th minute and sewed up the
2-0 victory with a goal in the 89th.

The comeback win against the Rapids gave the Fire 38 points, one
behind defending MLS champion Columbus atop the Eastern
Conference. If they can beat D.C. United (6-5-11) for the first
time in three matches this season, they'll surpass West-leading
Houston for the most points overall.

They'll have to do so without Robinson, though, after the
defender's jersey-removing goal celebration against Colorado
warranted a second yellow card of the match.

"(I'm) fortunate it didn't cost the team, you live and learn,"
Robinson said. "Next time I'll be a little more thoughtful."

United is 0-2-2 in its last four matches after a scoreless draw
against visiting Los Angeles on Saturday. It has 29 points,
currently leaving it one point shy of playoff position.

"It's just disappointing," said United assistant Chad Ashton,
filling in for head coach Tom Soehn, who missed the game with
flu-like symptoms. "You know you need three points in this
situation and to walk away with one is deflating. We've had too
many of those this year, where ties have felt like losses."

United improved to 5-0-5 at home after the draw, but is 1-5-6 on
the road.

D.C. could use some more production from Luciano Emilio, who
leads the team with eight goals, if it hopes to avoid being shut
out for the third straight game. Emilio scored in United's 1-1
draw with the Fire on March 28, but was held off the scoresheet
as D.C. beat Chicago 2-1 on June 13.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/115656-United-Fire-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/115656-United-Fire-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:40:22 GMT</pubDate>
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