In a match that could be a preview and rematch of the Eastern Conference final, the defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew face the Chicago Fire today (3pm, Telefutura).
The Crew boast the best record in MLS and have posted six wins in the past seven MLS matches, while the Fire still harbor hopes of catching Columbus atop the East standings. A win today could pull the Fire into a tie for first with Columbus (the Crew have a game in hand).
If you will be watching today's match, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action.
Never First-certainly looks like it but you cant tell is the depth perception.
Conde could be making contact, or he could be foot apart.
I also thought the penalty against the Fire was wrong, but I have watched the replay frame by frame. I no longer believe it was a terrible decision now. Look at the image below. Conde clearly appears to kick Lenhart first. This comes after Brown plowed over Moreno. Yes, Brown got to the ball, but you cannot jump over a forward’s back to get to the ball. I think there is a very good case to be made that either one would have been a foul anywhere else in the field. If it’s a foul elsewhere in the field, why not in the penalty box? Given how frequently penalties have been called this year, I think it’s fair.
http://s611.photobucket.com/albums/tt191/never_first/?action=view¤t=crew1.jpg
matt c- ”
oh, and Blanco dives and cries more than any player in the league, and you can’t deny that.
It makes my sides ache with laughter to hear Chicago people complain about someone else’s diving. You have the grand pooba of faking.”
no one is denying that blanco dives and acts better then most of Hollywood. We acknowledge it, time for others to do the same.
and i stand firm that the card was given to Padula for intent. cleats up about stomach level if connected could have been a serious foul. Perhaps he should clean up his act
The top team in the league does not grab 2/3 of the total points because the league is set up like all American leagues trying to promote parity. MLS does not have a top 4 like EPL and never will. I don’t think we need the same 2 or 3 super clubs dominating the league year after year.
oh, and Blanco dives and cries more than any player in the league, and you can’t deny that.
It makes my sides ache with laughter to hear Chicago people complain about someone else’s diving. You have the grand pooba of faking.
the PK was a bad call. I don’t disagree.
Chicago, remember something! Blanco made a scene of a touch foul and got Padula out on a red earlier this year. That changed a game Columbus led 2-0, ending in a 2-2 finish. Come to find out, he gave his jersey to the referee. Muffaro is now out of the league.
In other words, don’t complain. You’ve had a total charity handout dirty ref favor against us.
To answer Stevie B’s question up there, if the SS winner and MLS Champion are the same (as happened last year), the SS runner-up gets the pass to the group stage. That’s how Houston got into the CCL this year. How it breaks down:
Cup Winner – Group Stage (2008 Columbus)
SS Winner – Group Stage (2008 Columbus – Houston 2nd)
Cup Loser – Qualification Round (2008 Red Bulls)
USOC Winner – Qualification Round (2008 DC United)
If the SS winner is the Cup champ, the second place team goes as in the SS slot. If the Cup winner is one of the others (i.e. the Cup loser) one can only assume that they take the SS spot and someone else takes the Cup loser spot.
The CJ Brown(sp?) running into Moreno preceding the call seemed worse. I’m agreeing. Big bird should have been called for the foul since Conde flicked the ball away first.
It’s probably too late, but to clarify my question I had already assumed Seattle got the first spot. Then Columbus-supporters shield (2nd), cup runner up (3rd), and who goes in the final slot? Regular season highest ranked team not already qualified or conference champion runner up?
Thanks Ives!
Blanco = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3AqecI9jN0
I can’t believe people are accusing the Crew of diving in a Crew-Fire forum…what Blanco does is sickening and is bad for the game….his weak rolling around on the ground makes me puke….the tackle on Padula this year—-he is infinitely worse than Ale or GBS, hands down….
Whoever thinks Blanco dives more than Schelotto has their GBS love goggles on.
Blanco dives but the difference is every player on the Crew dives constantly with the exception of HeyDude.
Robbie Rogers is Drogba-like in his diving. Rogers grows some manhood and he might have a chance at the USMNT one day. Until then he’s just a turd.
This whole season is a joke. We are basically the only league where the best team in the league might not even capture 2/3rds of the total possible pts.
Also as a FIRE fan, even where we are in the standings it feels like we don’t even matter this year.
I was at the game, only a few rows up on the west side stands near midfield, and I had a perfect view of the bottom of Lenhart’s studs, exposed well above waist level. He should have at least been carded, but instead Geiger awards the penalty to Columbus. Ludicrous, and an insult to the 16,000 fans who stood out in the rain.
The PK wasn’t called on Moreno, it was on Lenhart, and the reason people are not sure of that fact is because it was such a terrible call.
If anything Lenhart kicked out at Conde.
Geiger is a fricking joke of a ref. Totally ruins games.
No, the PK didn’t even up the red card on Padula.
If anything, Padulas tackle in the first 5 minutes being a yellow evened out the red card from the last time they played.
The PK was just icing on top of that non-red.
Anyway, that’s two weeks in a row that the Crew play with a 12th man on the field.
ref was absolute crap in this game…. pure garbage
MLS referees are a total joke and are turning this league into a joke.
Ives, quick question–
Let’s say the Crew win the Supporters Shield and MLS cup. They qualify for Champions league based on the Shield (right?) and MLS Cup Runner up wins the third Concacaf spot, but who wins the 4th spot? Based on Final League standings (My guess) or MLS Playoff results?
This makes finishing top 3 (vs. top 4) in the standings much more important.
(SBI-US Open Cup champion=Seattle)
Blanco dives more than Moreno and Schelotto combined.
The penalty call was a joke. It should have been a foul call on Lenhart/Big Bird.
Look, I’m not defending the PK call.
But it looked to me like it (the foul) was on Lenhart, not Moreno.
I guess we’ll have to wait to be sure.
Carr is a headless chicken. Hamlett’s insistence in playing him is astounding. He was even protected in the expansion draft. He may be the worst player in MLS, and that was before the injury layoff.I have always though the get rid of Hamlett crowd were ridiculous, look at the Fire record, but his continued use of Carr is changing my mind.
“It doesn’t feel like a true win”
that’s because it was a tie.
The point is defenders need to adjust. Don’t run into forwards recklessly (as in the Chicago match). Don’t grab their arm even for a second (as in the Houston match last week). It will get called.
I’m a Crew fan, and yes, it was another bad penalty. It doesn’t feel like a true win, although Crew dominated second half. I must point out the calls aren’t just in favor of the Crew though.
The Crew lost one and tied one at the beginning of the year due to horrible penalty calls against them in the final 10 minutes. In one case, the player was not even touched.
We just have to realize the refs are calling absolutely everything in the box this year. I don’t like it, but they have been consistently awful all year. It seems every team has been burned by a ridiculous PK (or two) this year.
Probably closer to conspiracy than karma.
Justice is served!
I’m so sick of Moreno and Schellotto flopping around and getting calls. Is this soccer or drama acting class?
Why are the ref’s constantly calling penalty kicks for Moreno when they see him diving around the pitch like a retarded dolphin?
Well the PK evens up Blanco bribing the ref earlier in the season to get Gino Padula tossed. Karma.
Nyarko is a pansy. All alone and kicks it to the goalie. What a coward. Play for the other team. I expect Carr to play that way.
Abominable PK call. MLS refs blowing has become quite the broken record.
horrible pk given.
Wow, who had Peter Lowry on their fantasy team? He’s got a brace.
goal lowry in the 6th minute…asst by mcbride
Go Crew, Fight Fire… Ra Ra Ra 🙂