D.C. United vs. Chicago Fire Live!
It's crunch time in the MLS Eastern Conference play-offs. On Saturday night, my beloved Revvies face the Red Bulls, but tonight it's D.C. and the Fire in their second leg playoff clash.The Fire took the first leg, but by only 1-0; thus, it's poised on a knife's edge tonight. So, turn off "Comedy Night Done Right" and tune in to ESPN2 at 7:30 for the sake of MLS. I'll be around - will you?
posted by gatorbob @ 7:16 PM
67 Comments:
Oh dear, it's Rob Stone and Julie Foudy hosting the affair. Hardly an auspicious start. No doubt they'll have three eedjits in the booth during the match and Alan Hopkins on the touchline and three or four injured players phoning in during halftime. (Sigh.)
D.C. United are now back to full strength with Moreno, Emilio and Gomez bombing forward.
RFK Stadium's looking good. No doubt the Gooner is in the house. Give us a wave on the telly, Gooner!
Oh dear again. Now they're showcasing Blanco's terpsichorean moves on the Mexican version of "Dancing with the Stars." The Deuce, as usual, trying their best to make a farce out of the proceedings.
The teams tonight:
DC:
Perkins
Burch
Vanney
Boswell
Namoff
Fred
Simms
Gomez
Olsen
Moreno
Emilio
Chicago
Pickens
Gonde
Segares
Brown
Robinson
Armas
Pause
Carr
Blanco
Rolfe
Barrett
Nice sign there from the DC contigent:
"Blanco - where is your neck?"
Good atmosphere and noise coming from the DC crowd. Fantastic!
First sight at goal for Emiliano but he mishits his shot. Shame. Saved easily by Pickens.
DC are definitely going for the early goal, with Olsen bombing down the wing, tripped up by Conde. First free kick opportunity.
Bit too close there from Blanco. They'll have to shut him down. He's pants but in the MLS, he's got a bit of quality that most defenders can't live with.
Moreno's brought down and D.C. have a long range free kick chance. Gomez over it...
Close thing but always dipping wide.
Chicago have definitely come to grind out a draw and protect their lead from the first leg. A dangerous strategy with the firepower that D.C. have back.
Fred's doing his nut after a clash with Deshawn Robinson.
Emilio nearly got on to the end of that Gomez free kick and it nearly crept in the back corner.
Chicago giving up a lot of set pieces, but so far the delivery hasn't been there for D.C.
A couple of dangerous moments there for D.C. Perkins going walk about and Blanco tried to chip him. Not quite.
GOAL! And unfortunately it's Chicago who've got it. Typical quick break for them against the run of play. Great ball in from Carr and Barrett slams it home.
They're 2-0 on aggregate now.
And D.C. are definitely rocking on their heels now. The Fire trying to kill them off now.
GOAL! And now D.C. have a mountain to climb. Two crazy minutes and now it's Chicago 2-0 with Chris Rolfe knocking it home.
Chicago now 3-0 up on aggregate.
D.C. surely have to get one back by the half.
On the replay it really looks as if Perkins was in no man's land, too far off his line but nowhere near the ball.
Oh, Simms has one cleared off the line. Big chance for D.C.
Tommy Soehn is going for it. Defender off and attacking player on at the 40 minute mark for D.C.
Another free kick opportunity for Gomez...
Good ball in but it's cleared out.
Half-time: D.C. 0 Chicago 3 agg.
Disastrous half for United. They'll have to get their heads straight in the locker room in order to pull this one out.
Second half starting and D.C. need a quick goal.
Waist high challenge from Segares there and D.C. are baying for a red card. Only yellow.
D.C. crowd is definitely quieter now.
Looks like the goalscorer Barrett is coming out and Sumari is coming on.
Twenty five minutes left for D.C. to pull this one out and it's looking increasingly grim for them. Every time they have a go at it, the Fire spring a counter.
Moreno has dropped increasingly deep in frustration because of the lack of service.
GOAL! D.C.! A screamer from Simms gives D.C. a glimmer of hope. 1-2 on the night. 1-3 on aggregate.
And suddenly it's all D.C. They're on an emotional high. They need two goals in twenty minutes but stranger things have happened.
Chicago have started to just punt it back at D.C. and it just keeps coming back at them. They're back four must be knackered at this point.
Fred's got to beat his man and put a ball over that beats the first man. He finally manages it, it's free in the box and Vanney punts it into Olsen's back. Shame.
GOAL! Gomez! It's 2-2 on the night! 2-3 on aggregate. Game on! What a match!
The momentum is totally with D.C. now in a white hot atmosphere. Wish I was there with you, Gooner. What a match!
Fifteen minutes for D.C. to get one more goal. Surely it's doable now.
Chicago spring a break through Carr and Perkins is lost. Vanney clears off the line.
Now Fred's bombing down the wing. Earns a corner.
They just need to settle down a bit. They're looking to score on every attack. If they just measure their approach a bit more, rely less on adrenaline, a goal will surely go in but it's all very frantic now.
Moreno wins a corner with a cute back flick. This has got to beat the first man.
A better corner but it's headed out by Conde, who's been a tower.
Blanco is a big baby.
Ooooh, Gomez lined that one up by Adderly just didn't have the composure to stick it away. Gomez has been tremendous.
Ten minutes left for D.C. It's a cracker now!
Olsen tries a long range effort that's far too ambitious.
The D.C. drummers beat on. Apart from a ten minute period right after the half, the noise has been deafening.
Good move there from Dyachenko spreading it to Olsen. Cross comes in and Gomez is nearly on to it.
Chicago are throwing another defender on for Blanco.
Blanco is complaining to the officials all the way off the pitch. Sod off!
Another corner for D.C. McTavish with a wild effort from the edge of the box.
More smoke and fireworks from the D.C. crowd. It's not Boca vs. River but it's as good as it gets in MLS.
The minutes are ticking away here. We're nearly into extra time.
Four minutes to be added on.
Another corner. Short. No one on the back post. Olsen throwing himself every where
D.C. could use some height in the box at this point.
Olsen goes down in a heap. Nothing from the ref.
Chicago have an empty net - but wide.
The ball's in the net, but...
The ref's calling it handball.
Oh dear. What a travesty.
Gomez was clearly robbed there.
One last corner. Short. It's cleared out. Dyachenko fouls. Red card!
Probably a minute left.
D.C. need to pump it into the box...
That's it. Chicago are in the conference final. The D.C. crowd are baying for blood.
This again shows the ridiculous nature of the MLS structure. The league's number one club, winner of the Supporter's Shield, has been dumped out at the first hurdle. Silly stuff.
Wow . . . Me and Cal missed something! . . . We were watching on the telly and with 30 minutes to go I packed him off to bed . . . Great comeback, awful to come up short . . . We'll be at the MLS Cup Final . . . only wish DC United would be too . . . oh yes, in Cal's words "Blanco is a faker!"
Cal's right although I'd use some more Anglo-Saxon terminology.
Sorry fellas, I was at my first indoor game of the season. I SUCK!!
We lost 9-4 and I scored two but I was absolutely PATHETIC
Good come back from United. Sorry Stevo and John. Would it have gone to overtime? They don't have away goals, do they?
No goals away and yes to overtime . . .You can't be as bad as I . . . my touch has been shite since the summer bout with mono . . .
Post a Comment
<< Home