By SAM STEJSKAL
The old saying is that tying is like kissing your sister. In general, that saying doesn’t hold true in soccer, where tying is often considered a successful result.
But when a team has tied five league matches in a row, in the process giving up home leads in the second half 3 times, draws start to feel a whole lot worse.
This situation is where the Chicago Fire currently find themselves, and although they could be in a much worse spot (they are undefeated after all), they have to be concerned with their inability to close out matches and take three points from games that (by all accounts) they deserve to win.
But why have the Fire been getting these results? Why are they tying games that they should be winning?
Simply put, the Fire are not focusing for the entire 90 minutes of the match. They have continually gotten ahead of teams, controlled possession, and looked the most likely to score, but have had multiple 2nd half letdowns.
Most of the Fire’s letdowns are occurring in the area of marking. The Fire are letting players (often off of set pieces) roam around unmarked in the box and when the ball finds these players, they are having no trouble scoring.
A perfect example of this situation occurred in the Fire-Sounders match. The Fire were at home, a goal and a man up in the 2nd half, and yet they let Seattle back into the game due to an error in marking.
In this case, 6-foot-2 Seattle Center Back Tyrone Marshall (one who would typically be tightly marked when in the box) was left wide open on a corner kick and, when he found the ball at his feet, was able to confidently equalize.
In my mind, marking breakdowns (like the one mentioned above) are mental errors. The Fire repeatedly leaving players wide open is an issue that can only be explained by a momentary lack of focus and awareness. This issue really can only be solved by Head Coach Denis Hamlett getting it through his players head’s that it is crucial to focus for the entire match.
What do you think about the Fire’s inability to close out matches? Why has it been happening, and what does the team need to do to ensure that it changes?
Share your thoughts below.
The Galaxy draw because they are getting the most out of there talent. If that had any other coach they would have more L’s then Dallas.
Lets just face it, the Fire are not a great team. Good teams draw games, great teams win games.
PERIOD.
look at the standings there are a lot of ties around the league. chicago has an incredible amount but so does everyone else!
there really is not too much parity in the mls right now because of the draft. i really hope the draft does not become the way most players enter the league in the future and the better teams emerge.
Just remember who gave Chivas their first and only loss of the season too 😉
Shouldn’t this article be titled “Why So Many Ties for the Fire AND the Galaxy?
Chicago’s situation is getting more and more ridiculous each year. They are easily the biggest underachievers in the past decade or so. They always have one of the best, (if not the best, which is what they have this year) lineups in the league and never live up to their potential. They need a decent coach. I feel pretty sure any of the posters here good coach this team to a better record with the lineup they have!
Ives,
Do they make any tactical changes while playing ahead that you think are suspect? From the few games I’ve watched I’d have to agree that the goals they let in while ahead were one off type of errors. it’s not like someone consistent problem was causing lots of chances for the opponent.
With that in mind could it be possible that we’re just seeing some randomness in a small sample of datapoints? Sports analysis tends to put a lot of weight on results. in most sports goal differential is a better indicator of the strength of a team. The Fire at +3 are tied for 3rd in goal differential and subjectively I’d say they’re outplaying their opponents. Based off this even if they kept up their current form and kept making mistakes I’d expect them to finish in the top third of the league.
Ward has been an absolute ball handling revelation in the back. It’s been great to see him dribble his way out of situations and creating instead of hoofing it upfield. On the other hand, our center backs seem to have lost their ability to read the game compared to last year and are leaving people with too much space to build an attack. Their tackling is worse than last year also. Segares is playing about the same as he did last year, when fit. So…if the center backs are our problem, we are screwed. Who else do we have so we can sit them on the bench to think things over until they focus? No one. Lastly, John Busch was flawless last year and seems to have lost some of his focus this year. Hopefully it’s just a bad run and we’ll turn the corner soon. Not so sure though. Defense was our absolute brick wall last year. Not anymore.
@ Ben who said
“Having watched nearly every minute of every game this year it is OBVIOUS that the fire dominate nearly every team they play.”
Dude – did you watch the Columbus game? The Crew controlled looooong stretches of that match, and it was only after Blanco’s acting job that The Crew really bunkered in and let Chicago keep pounding them ’til they scored.
McBride got away from a rookie centerback making his 2d career start and took advantage, but it’s not like Chicago had Columbus on their heels all game.
“Why so many ties for the Fire?”
‘Cuz The Crew let ’em off the hook! 😉
Start Chris Rolfe!!!
Having watched nearly every minute of every game this year it is OBVIOUS that the fire dominate nearly every team they play. From possession to scoring chances they win the stats and it is even more clear with the on-field play. They have simply been having some horrible luck, for instance the NE game, Baky is having a bad game and makes one tiny mistake by not marking back post and the ball miraculously ends up there, then there seems to be an interesting trend that whatever goalkeeper they play against has an MVP match like Hartman and Reis who made numerous incredible saves to keep their teams in the game, then combine all this with the shots like Nyarko’s off the post against SEA and it just seems to be a whole lot of bad luck over and over. Chicago will come out on top by the end of the season.
Chicago Fire will be getting their first loss this weekend?
Sure thing Toronto. I admire your passion but pity your blindness.
The Fire will be okay. Season ends today they are in the playoffs. And nobody has beaten them so therefore it at the moment would be statistically impossible for them to not win the MLS Cup.
Hamlett is the problem. He wants a slow paced match when the Fire are far better than any MLS team and should just let it rip.
It’s easy to call for a coaching change, but aside from going defense first I just don’t see what a coach can do to keep this team focused. It’s possible that Hamlett needs to shake up the defense but the Fire are really thin in the back (see: Austin Washington). Aside from motivating his player, Hamlett doesn’t have many option. The offense it clicking, just not finishing, the focus on defense it lacking. The real solution here is for the Fire to start scoring 3 goals a game and expect the defense to give up some goals.
DC Josh, would you consider Brian McBride a leader?
CelicaCrazed – “Well Chicago will be getting their first loss this weekend so that will break up all the ties.”
many have tried, all have failed….
perhaps we will get a win, you know, since we are amazing on the road… unlike the rest of the world, the Fire have 14 Home Fields, leaving the away field in chicago O.o
Bahns- I have a feeling this is a one-off. But anyway, he does bring up some plausible scenarios…but I agree this goes beyond Hamlett….
“Simply put, the Fire are not focusing for the entire 90 minutes of the match. ”
Exactly, there is no leadership on the team, from the field or the sideline. They are obviously not doing suicide sprints in training after their terrible performances.
Brilliant analysis. 1. I thought it would be impossible to read another article with the tired “kissing your sister” analogy. 2. The Fire have tied 5 in a row, not 6. 3. Blaming PLAYERS mental lapses on the coach… that is a bit of a stretch to say the least.
Ives, if you’re going to have someone start covering the Fire on a regular basis to pick up the slack from Luis at least bring in someone who has a clue what is going on.
who cares about Chivas and the west coast. There is going to be a big game this weekend at BMO and hopefully another team suffering their first loss of the season @ BMO.
ELAC — since when is Chicago on the East Coast? I think plenty has been reported on Chivas USA’s surpising season thus far, including on this blog.
I got a better question,
Why so many wins for Chivas USA?
Parity can be a good thing, but it breeds mediocrity.
Chivas is pulling away so far and Chicago’s ties are the point of conversation?
That’s not considered East Coast bias, is it?
LMAO.
One less tie this weekend, most likely. Fire vs. TFC at BMO. Bookies favor Toronto at home this Saturday by a wide margin.
I’m just saying……….
Well Chicago will be getting their first loss this weekend so that will break up all the ties.
Maybe they need that Richard Jata kid to give the Fire some heart and motivation. This team should be blowing people out with all the talent they have.
This is by far the best team in the league on paper. Maybe a managerial or front office change is due. The attendance is horrible and their marketing strategy sucks.
No matter what, something has to change or this team is going to collapse.
Hartman and Reis made last minute finger tip saves to save their teams the 1 pt….
that would have been an additional 4 points which would be more accurate with how we’ve been playing….
let us not forget Nyarko’s post ball from inside the box….
i am not using these as excuses but merely to point out that our offense need to finish their chances better… i understand we are one of the top goal scoring teams HOWEVER, we have too many easy opportunities fouled up …..
plus our defense seems to have a handfull of mental lapses a game at which point we tend to get punished…. they seem to be ball watching too much and losing their men, its truly uncharacteristic of us 🙁
DH needs to fix 2 things:
1) get our team to finish their chances… i dont care if that means they need to test the bench to find a combo that works, find it
2) our defense needs to be held accountable for their actions…. while i like baky, it may be time to bench him so that he realizes that he has to earn his spot by performing….
I’m not sure you can blame all of those mental errors on Hamlett. Baky said that when he was having a sloppy game, Hamlett took him out and since then he’s had better focus. But Hamlett can’t take everyone out when their attention is slipping like that. He’s only got so many subs.
The players have to step up, too, and stop buying the preseason hype. They’ve got to start showing up for the games and be in the game the whole time. Maybe they’re counting on the 3 leadership of the Bs too much: Brian, Blanco, and Busch. Or maybe the 3 Bs aren’t doing their part in showing their leadership.
BTW, keep up the Fire updates – with Luis closing up shop to cover the fabulous people, we’re going to need another space away from Big Soccer for news, notes and discussion.
Its been time for a “coaching” change since this idiot was hired. All he is doing is coasting with the deepest, most talented squad in MLS. The guy is forever a number 2. He doesnt know what he is doing. He has started Rolfe 1 time this season and took him off at the 60 min mark in a tied game but leaves 36/95 yr old Blanco on the field for the whole 90. He has put Austin Washington on the field more than 0 times which is a disgrace to the club as a whole. He was the 3rd or 4th option for the job and everyone turned it down so we HAD to settle for this joke. McBride has played all 90 min of every game this season and is 37. Rolfe hasnt played 90 min yet and is only 26. I dont know what needs to happen for this “coach” of our team to lose his job but I hope it happens soon. If the FO thinks they can win a title with this guy leading our team then they all need to lose their jobs like Hamlett.
It’s hard to explain why the Fire aren’t atop of the league standings with all the good players they have. It’s gotta be the coach.
We have the same problem here in L.A.
The difference is Chicago is loaded with a slew of good players.
We know Blanco hasn’t been too happy with Denis Hamlett.
Maybe it’s time for a managerial change???
they also need to finish their chances better when they have the lead and can expand their advantage. And, given how much possession they have, they should be creating more chances.
The biggest problem they have is that Denis Hamlett is in over his head with the talent on the team.