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Fire-United Preview

Apr 16, 2010 - 7:33 PM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Chicago (0-2-1) at D.C. (0-3-0), 7:30 p.m. EDT

After falling short of the MLS Cup again, the Chicago Fire are hoping Carlos de los Cobos can get them over the hump. D.C. United, meanwhile, are looking to Curt Onalfo to lead them back to the playoffs.

Three weeks into their respective tenures, both coaches have yet to earn a victory, but that could change for one of them when D.C. hosts the Fire on Saturday night.

Despite making five consecutive playoff appearances, the Fire haven't reached the MLS Cup since 2003 and have fallen a win short of playing for the title in each of the past three seasons - the final two under Denis Hamlett.

Hamlett's contract was not renewed after last year's penalty-kicks loss to eventual champion Real Salt Lake, and he was replaced by de los Cobos, a former El Salvador national team coach.

Chicago suffered its second one-goal defeat in three games under de los Cobos last week, 2-1 to San Jose. After a 1-0 season-opening loss in New York on March 27, the Fire (0-2-1) needed Brian McBride's penalty kick to force a 2-2 draw in Colorado on April 3.

"I think in time, the results will come," de los Cobos said. "We have to start playing more consistently, sometimes we play well and sometimes we don't. It's important to point out that the players are trying hard to understand my plan and to make it happen."

United made five straight playoff appearances from 2003-07 but had that run snapped in their second season under former Fire player Tom Soehn. They missed the postseason again in 2009 and Soehn left for a job with the incoming Vancouver franchise.

D.C. hired Onalfo on Dec. 28 - nearly five months after he was fired by Kansas City - but the former United player is off to an 0-3-0 start.

After getting shut out in consecutive games, D.C. suffered a 3-2 defeat last week in expansion Philadelphia's inaugural home game.

With the game tied in the 78th minute, defenseman Dejan Jakovic was called for a red card. On the restart, the Union's Sebastien Le Toux scored the go-ahead goal - his third of the game - from about 20 yards out.

"The mission is to get it right this weekend against a very good Chicago team," Onalfo said. "We're going to do whatever's possible to get a good result this weekend."

D.C. is 5-1-3 in the last nine regular-season meetings, but Chicago prevailed in a 2007 playoff matchup by winning the aggregate goal series 3-2.