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Crew-Fire Preview

Jul 10, 2009 - 5:34 PM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

Columbus (5-3-8) at Chicago (6-3-6), 8:00 p.m. EDT

The Chicago Fire have established themselves as one of the top overall teams in MLS this season, though they haven't quite looked that way at home.

The Fire will try to avoid the first three-game home losing streak in their history Saturday night when they face the Columbus Crew.

Chicago (6-3-6) is tied with idle D.C. for the Eastern Conference lead, but holds two games in hand.

The Fire's success has been spurred by a league-best 5-1-3 road record, as they've outscored opponents 18-12 away from home. Last Saturday, they won 2-1 at Colorado as Marco Pappa and Wilman Conde scored seven minutes apart in the first half.

The club has struggled at home, though, losing its last two games there to fall to 0-2-3 since a 1-0 win over New York on April 5. The five-game winless run matches a team record set in 2006, and equaled a year later.

The Fire, who have netted only five goals at Toyota Park, have never lost three consecutive home games.

"I have an explanation," Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch said. "Maybe it's our focus. We are together as a team at the hotel and are all business when we go on the road. We eat as a team, do things as a team and we know what we need to do once we get to the stadium."

Midfielder Baggio Husidic will likely get a second consecutive start due to Logan Pause's absence while with the U.S. national team at the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Husidic recorded his first career assist on Pappa's goal against the Rapids. He'd been used as a sub in three previous games, but could capitalize on some increased playing time.

The 22-year-old Bosnian had 12 goals and seven assists in three college seasons before Chicago selected him in the second round of January's MLS SuperDraft.

"Defensively, he is more tuned in," Fire coach Denis Hamlett told the team's official Web site. "He has been a guy all his life, and his natural instincts, are in the front third. But in our league he has to be a two-way player. He has to know how to defend. He's developing that instinct."

The Fire and Crew (5-3-8) have tied each of their last three regular-season meetings with 2-all scores, including a match at Columbus on April 25. However, Chicago fell 2-1 at Columbus in the East finals last November.

The reigning MLC Cup champion Crew are third in the East, only one point behind the Fire and United.

Columbus is 1-3-4 on the road, where it finally broke into the win column June 27, beating league-worst New York 1-0. The club followed that up last Saturday by tying D.C. 1-all at home, as William Hesmer made a career-high 10 saves.

"He got us that point," Crew defender Gino Padula said of Hesmer. "He was very good. We're very disappointed but you can't play well every game."

Guillermo Barros Schelotto, the league leader with 10 goals, is looking to get more involved offensively after not factoring in the scoring against D.C. He had four goals and two assists in the previous four games for Columbus.

The 2008 league MVP had an assist in April against the Fire, giving him a goal and four assists in six meetings.