It took five months but the rematch of the MLS Eastern Conference final between New England and the Chicago Fire is here.
The Revolution comes off an impressive 3-0 thrashing of MLS Cup champion Houston in its season opener. Chicago’s season opener wasn’t as successful. The Fire needed a last-minute goal from Cuauhtemoc Blanco to salvage a 1-1 tie against Real Salt Lake.
The Fire will look to make the first game at Toyota Park this season a memorable one by exacting some revenge and posting the first win of the season.
The match-up to watch in this one is between Shalrie Joseph and Cuauhtemoc Blanco. Jeff Larentowicz may be called on to harrass Blanco but the match will be decided by which player has the better game, Joseph or Blanco.
My prediction? I’ll go with New England, 2-1.
The match is on ESPN2 tonight at 8 p.m. If you will be watching the match and will be on your computer, feel free to share your thoughts and opinions on tonight’s match in the comments section below.
Enjoy the soccer.
For the number of back heels Blanco does, it’s impressive the percentage that work.
What’s with no replays?
NE playing with ten men after 7 minutes. 4-0 Chicago after the first half.
Blanco and Barett are on fire tonight
“a comedy of errors” indeed
Good News: No own goal by Soumare tracking back
Bad News: Does kick his own keeper in the head
Good saves from Busch all night.
another corner for rev 8 so far
Tommy Smyth is okay, though I don’t know about his personal footy experience…all I know is I am EXTREMELY thankful that Christian Miles isn’t involved in this broadcast. Listening to him is enough to make a grown man weep.
This is a great broadcast? I missed the first 3 goals and the red card. I was waiting to see the goals and the red card at half-time. They didn’t show anything! What a joke!
CD, the key is to see it in slo-mo. It may still be harsh since the contact was minimal, but the way the ball was moving, he had to go pretty far out of his way to even make contact with the player.
None of the preceding has been an endorsement for the ref. Despite (or maybe because of) his best efforts, he isn’t in control of the game.
Well, it’s starting up again and there is only one word to describe this match:
UGLY!
And that’s just the commentating. Don;t get me started on the calls!
That red card to Larentowicz was wrong and ruined the game. The Revs just have too many new players on the field to be able to cope with playing short-handed.
Having said that, it’s nice that Barrett and Frankowski are on the board and Blanco is showing good form.
The defense looks like it is – a second team. Brown, Robinson and Conde can’t get healthy soon enough. The Fire have looked awful defending corner kicks.
My god – 4-0?!? Phone call dragged me away, what a debacle for the Revs, I love it!
I also missed the first goal when my wife had me take out the trash. NE fans should make sure I stay watching, bad things happen when I leave.
I wish I had more Ray Hudson in my life, being a GolTV-less person. All I have is his blog where they post the audio of some of his better calls.
Whoever does the announcing for the Serie A games that are on FSC…
THEY NEED TO ANNOUNCE EVERY GAME!
Nate I didn’t catch the replay. So maybe there was some intent there. I will have to reconsider after further evaluation.
Ives when are your new team reporters debuting. I can’t wait to see the Fire and Revolution correspondent go at it after a match like this.
Does this thrashing make LA feel any better?
OK folks, have fun. I’m outta here. Gonna catch the rest of the show and the next macth on my DVR later tonight. Why do I have friends? I need to watch my soccer.
CHI is playing with 12 men right now. The ref is crazy!
“For some reason, Blanco is not screaming at the ref tonight. I wonder why?”
Maybe the ref is his cousin? If not I am thinking he might have a man crush on Blanco. That red card sponsored by “Best Buy” looked too dodgy.
ESPN2 headline right now with Julie Foudy: “Will Beckham be effected by travel schedule?”
Come ON.
Morons.
Look again at the tackle by Larentowicz, in slo-mo if you can. During the game recap in the 28th minute they showed a replay from behind Larentowicz that showed him intentionally reach AWAY from the ball with his foot in the air and hit Prideaux mid shin with his studs. Luckily not too much weight in it, but there can be no argument that he was going for the ball. It could be considered either serious foul play or violent conduct, both of which are sending off offenses.
Now as for the “penalty” from Nyassi against Mapp, not so much.
Ray Hudson should do every MLS game.
FACT.
I like Tommy Smith
Maybe the game is “over”, but with a red, a bunch of yellows, and 4 goals, the ref announcing 1 minute of stoppage and then blowing it after 10 seconds? That’s the ref quitting on the game.
“Christopher Sullivan is so much better and has such more understanding of the game.”
————-
Collective vision is his key to every single game, no matter who is playing. Everything he says are are cliches he made up that have no real meaning, all spoken with an odd accent from who knows where.
halftime
A few thoughts now that the page will load on my laptop now from a DC fan. Larentowicz didn’t deserve a red card. I think it was on the third angle ESPN showed Larentowicz pulled his leg and foot back when he realized he had missed the ball. I don’t know if the foot that was high even made contact with the Fire player. Also why the hell couldn’t Barrett finish during the Olympic qualifing like that? I have some sympathy for how the NE players feel. My first game of our adult rec league this spring ended up with my team having 3 players red carded and 2 PKs awarded against us. At least we managed to tie the game.
Wow I was really looking forward to this ESPN double header but this game was hijacked by the Ref. This game was over at the 7th minute. This ref needs to get a red card and I am not even a NE fan.
But as a soccer fan this ref is terrible.
This is ugly. Can they start the Quakes/Gals game early?
4-nil. Nastiness.
Sec 8 sounds good on TV
anyone else notice espn didn’t do that gay 30 on 30 update. Guess they listened.
I think Fox Soccer Channel do a much better job. What is Tommy Smyth doing on there? He has got to be one of the biggest morons of all time. What experience does he have in the game? He’s never played or coached in the game? I have to mute the Champions League games every time because he’s on there. Christopher Sullivan is so much better and has such more understanding of the game.
Interesting. 7 corners for New England and 0 for Chicago.
horrible goalie kit
For some reason, Blanco is not screaming at the ref tonight. I wonder why?
I mean Mansally. I forsee many a name mix-up between those two in the future.
WOW… I didn’t expect this, even w/ an ejection… Barrett is playing very well… and its nice to see Mapp back, he’s one of the most exciting attacking american players around
4-0 I’m loving seeing revs so embarrassed hahaha. I hate Chicago too, but this is just funny.
Too bad Niassy’s off, I was really high on him after Saturday’s game. So, how bad is this ref? I’ve only been watching for a few minutes. From the posts it seems like he’s ruined the game…
meaning by one team, not combined.
Mapp also gets my dive of the week award. As I type chicago scores again.
This isn’t even fun anymore.
It’s time to make it ten on ten ref… A little justice would be nice.
Too bad the Ranger game is almost over. I’m not going to have anything remotely entertaining to watch. This game’s just… Horrible.
what’s the most goals scored in an mls game? anyone know?
the spanish Audio kicked in hahahha
This Ref ruined the game. Bad red card call and bad penalty call. This Ref should not be reffing a game in MLS. Just terrible calls.
Nichol needs a time out…too bad haha.
Wow, I turn on my TV as soon as Chicago go up 4-nil? I totally saw this coming. Not.
FOUR, this is AWESOME.
WOW great set up. 4-0
4-0 What the hell
Garber needs to call this ref at halftime. This guy should not be reffing in the league. He has single handedly ended the game and left NE no chance.