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Earthquakes-Fire Preview

Jul 18, 2009 - 1:03 AM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

San Jose (3-9-4) at Chicago (6-3-7), 8:30 p.m. EDT

The Chicago Fire may be tied atop the tightly packed Eastern Conference, but their home winless streak is setting team records. Possibly losing Brian McBride for the rest of the season certainly won't help.

The Fire will try to withstand McBride's absence and look for their first win at Toyota Park in more than three months when they meet the last-place San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday night.

Chicago (6-3-7) is tied with Toronto for first in the East, one point ahead of D.C. and Columbus. That success has come despite a franchise-worst six-game winless streak (0-2-4) at Toyota Park since opening its home schedule with a 1-0 win over New York on April 5.

The Fire's chances to end that drought suffered a major blow Friday, when they learned McBride will be sidelined 3-4 months after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. The forward leads the team with six goals, though he's failed to score in his last seven MLS games.

"It is something he has had since the beginning of the year," Fire coach Denis Hamlett said on the team's official Web site. "He has been a warrior and has been fighting through it."

No Chicago player could find the net in last Saturday's scoreless tie with the Crew, as all 11 of the club's shots on goal - four by Cuauhtemoc Blanco - were stopped by goalkeeper William Hesmer.

Chicago has been shut out a club-record three consecutive times at home, where it has not scored in 324 minutes - yet another franchise record - since defender Wilman Conde's goal in a 1-all tie with New England on May 9.

"Definitely there's a frustration because you want to come back and give your fans something they deserve," Fire defender C.J. Brown said following the tie with Columbus. "When we're in our huddle before the game we're saying that.

"But when you look at this game, you didn't allow any goals, you created a few chances and the effort was better than most games. It's a move in the right direction."

The Fire regained their scoring touch on the road Wednesday, as Blanco netted a goal and assisted on another by Brian McBride to beat the Revolution 2-1 in the semifinals of SuperLiga. They'll meet Mexico's Tigres in the final at home Aug. 5.

Chicago will try to take advantage of the Earthquakes (3-9-4), who have allowed 31 goals to rank better only than New York's league-high 33. These clubs played to a 3-all tie at San Jose on April 11, when six different players scored.

The Earthquakes are at the bottom of the West, and have been outscored 28-12 during a franchise-record 17-game winless streak on the road (0-10-7) dating back to a 2-0 win at Columbus on June 7, 2008.

San Jose played at home last Saturday but fared no better, falling 3-1 to Toronto. Aaron Pitchkolan left the game in the second half with a groin injury, and will miss this contest.

The Earthquakes could use some offense from forward Ryan Johnson, who has found the back of the net only once in the last six games after a three-game goal-scoring streak.

He still leads the club with six goals, including one in the April meeting with the Fire.