The two best teams in Major League Soccer will square off tonight at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California when Chivas USA plays host to the Chicago Fire (10:30pm, ESPN2) in the season's best match-up today.
Chivas USA boasts the most points in the league, led by the midfield tandem of Jesse Marsch and Paolo Nagamura and rejuvenated goalkeeper Zach Thornton. The Fire come into the match undefeated for the season and having won two straight road games by a combined score of 3-0. Led by Brian McBride, Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Wilman Conde, the Fire should pose the toughest test to date for the Goats.
That kickoff time might be a bit late for you East Coast soccer fans, but it isn't the only late-night viewing on tap. U.S. national team midfielder Jose Francisco Torres will help lead Pachuca against UNAM Pumas tonight in the first leg of the Mexican League championship (10pm, Telemundo).
Who do you see winning tonight's MLS showdown? Are you excited to see Torres gaining some championship experience? Will you be watching either match tonight, or will you find a way to watch both?
Share your thoughts below.
wont even talk about the 1st 2 pks as they were obvious… but seriously watch the replay on the 3rd….
BMB was shoved from behind…. honestly pull up the highlight and pause it at the 5m7s mark…. CUSA player had his arms extended into the top of BMB’s back… there is no arguing about this…..
for the people complaining about the red card… blame Marsh for the 2 yellows he received….both were warranted as well….
however, i will say that the total amount of cards distributed was RIDICULOUS …
Ives,
This was the best game of the week. The Barca-Manu was dull, Puma-Pachuca a sleeper, but the Fire-Chivas game was end to end action! Thanks for keeping me awake.
I am neutral, but i gotta say that i’m sick and tired of games being decided by PKs and red cards. Who wants to see that every stinkin game?
This was probably the best match up of the year, and from what i saw in the first half definitely some of the most exciting MLS play to watch……other than all the dang cards.
I dont know enough to say whether the problem is with refs or with players adjusting to tougher calling, but something needs to change.
Fire!!!!!!
Undefeated!!!!!
Great match for the ref. You can’t pull a guy down by his shirt and You can’t push a guy in the back.
If those aren’t fouls then what is a foul?
Fire Haters need to quit blaming the ref and tell your players to keep there hands to themselves.
i was a neutral observer and i thought that last PK was probably one of the softest calls i’d ever seen. it gave a win that was undeserved because Chivas did real well to mark McBride out of the game. other than that i felt like everything else was decent.
Losers like to blame the refs
First Dempsey starts diving and now McBride? Is this what they teach in the EPL? Who’s next Donovan? Hope he stays away form the EPL
I agree with others that the first two were penalties and the last one was a terrible call.
I don’t agree with a ref having such an influence on the game, but a lot of the cards were just stupidity on the part of the players though. The official told Segares and Galindo to get out of his face about 5 times, and they refused to move. He had no choice but to card them.
All in all, Chicago did not deserve to win this game, but Chivas lost composure too often.
There were a lot of cards, but it seemed that the vast majority of them were deserved.
Very strange game tonight for Pachuca. The two best attackers, Damián Alvarez, and Christian Giménez made no runs off the ball. Perhaps Meza is saving them for the return. Gringo Torres played ok, but there was no one on the attack to play to.
Of course the Fire needed to be a man up in the game before they ever looked like taking control. To be fair, Chivas had the chances to put the game away, and did not convert them. I do have to say I lost some respect for McBride tonight; I guess Blanco’s been giving lessons on the training ground.
I seriously wonder if Blanco paid off the refs again. This Chicago reffing situation is getting crazy.
I thought the game as a whole was fairly well called. The first fire pk was a good call. You cannot pull a guy’s jersey in the box. And the Chivas pk was obviously the right call. But the McBride one was terrible. What makes it even worse is that McBride was diving in the box all night long. Lost some respect for him tonight. He did nothing on the field except dive.
Can’t believe that the same mcbride who pulled that nonsense was the same guy who dug in and scored that hard goal off the jones cross @rfk at the far post. how much of a stench does blanko maintain to accomplish this? wow.
Official was Terry Vaughn 10 cards total, 1 red, 3 pks.
Funny how Chivas thought they had a chance to beat the almighty Fire.
Thats the best part of this season is seeing teams get their hopes up only to see the Fire stop toying and start playing after the 70th minute.
Sacha “Sampson” Klejestan should have never cut his hair he sucks since he did that.
thanks Deliliah
The McBride penalty was the second worst call I’ve seen all season. Number one? DC’s phantom handball in their opener vs. the Galaxy.
I believe the ref is the same that Sounders and Sigi had so much trouble with in the Galaxy game.
8 cards and three penalties tonight?
Both fire pks were something that happens in every match but never get called for obvious reasons. McBride needs to grow a pair. I wonder if Blanco paid off the refs again?????? Hmm……….
It was DEFINITELY a penalty. No question.
Wow, this was a horribly called match. I don’t know if it is MLS refs on a whole that blow, but this guy certainly was awful.
Just like in Columbus, the refs handed the fire the game. I don’t know how McBride can look at himself in the mirror after smearing the beautiful game like that.
That was a very disappointing end to what has been one of the better games I have seen this year. I have no idea what the ref was thinking with that PK at the end.
3-2 FIRE!!!
2-1 FIRE!!!!!!! GO FIRE!
Pachuca coach made a mistake in taking off Gringo Torres so early. Indios got a lift and nearly pulled off an upset.
Should be a good match. The new Fire against the old Fire (Marsch, Curtin, Thornton and Razov). As much talent as the Fire have now, I would like to have a couple of those guys back. I’m picking the Fire 2-1. Goals by Rolfe and McBride.
this is the big one. We need Busch to play like Huet did for the Hawks and I can’t wait for the start.
Rolfe will score two against his old buddy Zach tonight :-).
Chivas 2-0.
Chicago will be the toughest team we’ll play all year, but when you’re Chivas USA every team is the toughest team we’ll play.
I’ll be getting back from work about 11, so I’ll be tuning in as soon as I do.
Let’s go Paco!!! I’m satying up after a sleepless night to watch you.
Fire-Chivas will be a draw. I think the Fire are better but Chivas at home will hold them to a draw. 10:30 is way past Blanco and McBride’s bedtime.
I only hope the Torres plays and gets thru unscathed. I could care less about the stinkin’ Mexican league.
Very jazzed.
Too bad the soccer is now officially ignored by the Tribune. Maybe the Hawks loss will free up a couple of sentences.
Luis, we need you back!!!
hopefully I will watch both… Chicago in my opinion is the best team in the league. Any team that has players like Justin Mapp and Chris Rolfe coming off the bench is loaded…
Torres is the most pleasant surprise our national team has ever received since Preki. He really came out of nowhere as far as the national team system is concerned (maybe a sign that our youth teams are not identifying the correct type of talents), and should be paired w/ Bradley in the center of the midfield for a long time
What a great game. I cant wait. THanks for the update.