Kansas City Wizards at Chicago Fire: Your Running Commentary

The unbeaten Chicago Fire take on the Kansas City Wizards today in a match that will determine who sits in first place in the MLS Eastern Conference after four weeks.

The Fire comes in at 2-0-1 while the Wizards enter at 2-1-1 after starting unbeaten at 2-0.

If you will be watching the match, and will be online, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and play by play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the soccer.

Comments

[Original Aaron]

I'm slightly disappointed in the crowd. It is a beautiful Spring day, and this is an important early season match-up as far as gauging the relative strength of the Eastern Conference... the place looks not quite 3/4 full...

[eric]

Sweet long ball from Lopez to a streaking Jewsbury, who takes a great touch and fires in, 1-0 now in the 6th.

I was just saying that I thought that missing Marinelli was going to really hurt KC. Oh well. Lopez is looking to be the playmaker today. Wow! KC has another goal called back because of offsides.

[Nathanhj]

Anyone know where to get this game on the internet? My Telefutura reception is total crap, since I don't have cable...

[eric]

Blanco finally gets his first touch, and tries to spring Frankowski, but nothing doing.

Chance Myers has had a good start, it looks like he and Mapp will be battling a lot today. Mapp's been trying to run with the ball, and after a couple of failures finally makes it to the touch line, but his cross doesn't threaten.

[Louis]

Nathanhj, download Sopcast(google it) then look for the stream on myp2p.eu

[Jeff]

Dont bother it is not on Sopcast. At least not yet.

[Nathanhj]

myp2p doesn't list the game. Believe me I went there first...

[eric]

Mapp unleashes a cannon of a shot which takes a nasty rebound and ends up juuuussst on the top netting. Still 1-0 in the 19th, pretty decent stuff.

[Nathanhj]

If Mapp ever learns how to pass he's going to be unstoppable...

[kevin]

keep the updates coming because we don't get telefutura here in ann arbor and the mls match tracker is week. thanks guys

[Ives]

37th minute- Frankowski tries a pretty ugly side volley after getting a pass right in front of goal. Best Chicago chance to date.

[Ives]

38th minute- Hartman stones Blanco, stopping a long-range blast. Here goes a dangerous Chicago free kick

[Ives]

39th minute- Hartman savews Blanco's free kick. Here comes KC on the break.

[Nathanhj]

Chicago is getting a lot more space in the middle and itis turning into some sweet chances that Hartmans has stoned each time.

[Ives]

40th minute- WOW. Chad Barrett just missed a WIDE-OPEN look, set up at the doorstep and he skies it over the bar.

[Nathanhj]

Chad Barrett skies a sitter from 4 yards out. Complete open goal. This guy finishes like a 3-year old doing calculus...

I don't think he could hit the side of a barn with a rocket launcher...

[kjk_40b]

Chad Barrett, wow. Drink.

[adam]

sergio galvan barrett

[eshad]

keep the updates coming, no stream online so this is the only thing available

[kevin]

they've got the highlight of the goal up on mlsnet. A good finish by Jewsbury but Busch probably shouldn't have came out.

[eric]

The Minuto Caliente was fun, especially for gringo's like me who are challenged to keep up, but can at least get some of it. I'd love a translation on that.

Actually, for our Spanish speakers out there, I'd love to see translations of some of their better cracks.

[Nathanhj]

That Jewsbury goal, which was set up by a gorgeous cross from Lopez, was pretty much completely Busch's fault. If you watch the reply, it shows him comping to a stop before Jewsbury chests it. If you are going to come that far off your line you better impede the progress of the offensive player.

Legally of course...

[Ives]

46th minute- The second half is under waY

[Ives]

46th minute- Lopez creates a chnace less than a minute into the half.

[Ives]

47th minute- Prideaux with a yellow for a foul on Roger Espinoza.

[eric]

Speaking of Jewsbury - is he really a defender? He gets forward so often I thought he was in midfield.

Sigh. This is the kind of thing I miss about watching games live, seeing where guys make their runs from.

[Ives]

48th minute- Segares fouls Morskink and the two have words. No cards given.

[kevin]

either side make any changes at the break?

[eric]

Chance Myers with a good run box to box with a little give-and-go in the middle. But he shows too much ball when it's time to make a move and he pushes it over the line for a goal kick.

[Ives]

51st minute- Fire struggling to create much early on here.

[eric]

(No subs)

[Jacob]

Just saw the goal. Are you kidding me with the goalkeeping? Jewsbury had two defenders on him, i.e., there was no reason for the keeper to come out. And, since he did come out, as was mentioned by a poster above, he really needed to actually do somethin instead of running up to the 18 and stopping a few feet in front of Jewsbury. MLS goalkeeping is dire this year.

[Ives]

52nd minute- A Fire corner kick gets interesting when Hartman loses it but the Wizards eventually clear the danger.

[eric]

Hartman with a bad spill on a corner, Frankowski (I think) gets a swipe but muffs it, eventually cleared out.

[Nathanhj]

Jewsbury is playing in the midfield, not in defense...

[Ives]

54th minute- HARTMAN SAVES a Frankowski shot and Chance Myers clears a Blanco follow off the line. BEST chances for the Fire this half.

[kevin]

so which players have looked the most dangerous so far? that ball by lopez to set up the goal was great.

how have blanco and mapp been? have rolfe or frankowski done much besides miss chances?

[kevin]

i meant barrett, not rolfe by the way lol

[eric]

Some Mickey Mouse defending by the Wiz (or perhaps Flying Monkey might be their brand of it), who don't pay for it because of lazy attacking. Fire have a one-on-one with the goal but let it run too long and have no angle, the ball bounces around a bit, weak shot on goal finally smothered.

Sorry, it was fast and furious, missed most of the principle players involved...

[Ives]

57th minute- DANGEROUS free kick for Chicago after Harrington fouls Mapp on the left edge of the top of the penalty area.

[Nathanhj]

Dangerous free kick from 19 yards out..

[Ives]

Ivan Trujillo and Sasha Victorino have come in for KC.

[Ives]

58th minute- Free kick hits the KC wall.

[Nathanhj]

Hits the wall and bounces clear, put-back get lost in the corner and the Wizards clear.

[eric]

So, Frankowski was sprung on the attack, and Blanco half muffed the follow up (that was very surprising) and it was trapped by Myers on the line and picked up by Hartman.

I missed about 20 mins of the first half, but I don't think Blanco's had enough of the ball, and really haven't noticed Rolfe at all.

Wiz bring on Trullijo for Sealey, I like it.

[kevin]

yeah I'm pretty sure Rolfe is out with a sprained ankle, I meant Barrett.
thanks though, Eric

[eric]

Mapp almost springs Barrett, but Hartman comes out and claims it

[Ives]

63rd minute- Subs for Chicago soon. Wilman Conde and Andy Herron come in, Frankowski and Gutierrez out

64th minute- GREAT save by Jon Busch on a Sasha Victorine header.

[Nathanhj]

Hartman is having a fantastic game!

[Ives]

Make that Conde for Prideaux, not Gutierrez.

[Nathanhj]

Post saves Busch's bacon!

[eric]

Wahl rattles the Fire post with a blast. It's end to end right now.

I really like the way KC gets its defenders (esp Jewsbury and Myers) forwards without seeming over exposed at the back

[Ives]

68th minute- Blanco with a shot that misses just wide left. Chicago corner.

[Ives]

72nd minute- KC gets a ball in close but the shot is too soft to bother Busch.

[eric]

Fire with a dangerous free kick out side the box, it's curled in and I can't tell if Hartman got a hand to it, or if the header bounced out the wrong way

[kevin]

whose header was it? who took the kick?

[eric]

Mapp again takes the ball on the left wing and cuts into the center, but skies the shot. It's a step forward for him today staying aggressive, but his adventures haven't turned out so great overall.

[Ives]

83rd minute- Chicago still looking for an equalizer but nobody but Blanco seems capable of generating anything.

[Ives]

87th minute- Claudio Lopez comes out, in comes Jon Leathers.

[eric]

Lopez out for Jonathon Leathers. Ives, wasn't he one of your sleepers? That was actually an obscure list.

Sorry Kevin and others, between the Spanish commentary and booking a biz trip for 4 I'm missing some of the players involved.

89th min and Chicago don't look like they're in any hurry to score.

[Ives]

89th minute- KC is bunkered in now and Chicago can't find a way through.

[Ives]

91st minute- Four minutes of stoppage time.

Blanco with another unforced turnover. He's lost a bit of focus late.

[papa bear]

people can stop talking about Barrett being a competent professional footballer any time now. He sucks.

[Ives]

94th minute- HARTMAN SAVES. Chicago's last chance is stopped.

[papa bear]

terrible. Barrett cost us a point. GREAT.

[Ives]

FINAL- Wizards 1, Fire 0

[kevin]

this sucks, oh well thanks for the updates guys

[George Griffin]

Match was a zip-zip tie-- plus--- a dumb Keeper error gift goal to KC. That gaff may well come back to haunt the Fire.

[Fire Ron Guenther]

Chad Barret is awful.

[new kid]

a zip-zip tie with one goal is a one goal win...or one goal loss.

[sidenetting]

Chad Barrett is like CNN. You start to rely on him every day and then one day you realize what you're missing when he fails to deliver in the clutch.