• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Unbeaten Fire visit Earthquakes

Apr 10, 2009 - 8:04 PM By Kate Hedlin Stats Writer

Chicago (2-0-1) at San Jose (1-2-0), 4:00 p.m. EDT

SAN JOSE, California (AP) -- When their two stars began the season struggling with ailments, the Chicago Fire weren't sure what to expect. Instead, it seems they've hardly missed them at all.

The Fire look to continue their strong start Saturday, when they visit the San Jose Earthquakes.

Chicago (2-0-1) is undefeated after three games for the third straight season. While the Fire's fast start may not be a surprise, the manner in which they've done it is.

Chicago has had five players score this season, including Mexican star Cuauhtemoc Blanco. Blanco, though, played only 31 minutes in the first two games of the season and did not see any action in last Sunday's 1-0 win over New York as he continues to recover from a preseason knee injury.

Blanco isn't the only veteran who's been spending a lot of time on the bench. Last season's leading scorer Chris Rolfe, who combined with Blanco for 16 goals and 18 assists in 2008, has played only 47 minutes in three games because of a stomach virus. Neither player has started a match.

Coach Denis Hamlett's decision to limit the playing time of his star players has been made easier by the team's fast start and the contributions of several younger players.

After 23-year-old Patrick Nyarko scored the tying goal in the 53rd minute of a 1-1 draw with D.C. United the previous week, Marco Pappa scored his first goal with Chicago last Sunday. The 21-year-old midfielder joined the Fire last summer on loan from Guatemala's CSD Municipal. He was considered one of his country's top prospects and has started all three games after playing in six - three starts - a year ago. He had a team-high four shots against the Red Bulls.

"You can see the kid has a lot of talent," Hamlett told the Fire's official web site. "He is getting used to our league and his surroundings. You are seeing the benefits of him being around our team and being more established."

San Jose (1-2-0) is trying to bounce back after a 2-0 loss at Kansas City last Sunday. The Earthquakes had just one shot on goal in tough weather conditions that included gusting winds.

"We were not good at all, at anything," coach Frank Yallop told the Earthquakes' official web site. "The service from the back was poor, the defending was terrible, we didn't fight for the ball enough, we didn't hold it up front. We didn't get the ball quick enough to Darren (Huckerby) or Arturo (Alvarez). It was everything. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong."

It was the second time San Jose was shut out this season. The Earthquakes scored a league-low 32 goals in their expansion season in 2008.

Last season, the Fire beat San Jose on the road and the teams tied in Chicago.

The Fire will be without midfielder John Thorrington, who was suspended for one game after receiving a red card in last weekend's match.