In what has been a turbulent season for the Chicago Fire, reaching the semifinals in the U.S. Open Cup has to be good. But sadly they haven't been able to replicate their success in the league. After setting the league record for most draws last year, the Fire now come into this game with only five wins compared to their 11 losses and three draws. This puts them at 18 points and at the bottom of the Eastern Conference table. With more than six points seperating them and the playoff bound New England Revolution, the slim hope of making the playoffs seems all but over for Chicago.
With that being said, they can look to achieve a higher finish in the table and are just three points away from getting out of the cellar. The good thing is that Chicago has games in hand compared to the teams ahead of them. Given Chicago's recent form in MLS play, that might not even matter. The positive for the Fire is that their attacking players (David Accam, Patrick Nyarko, Jason Johnson) are coming into form offensively. Accam was a big part in the Fire's latest win as his speed can cause problems for any defense. The big question for the Fire will be the starting goalkeeper. Will Frank Yallop stick with veteran Jon Busch, or will go with Sean Johnson? Busch played in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal and made some fine saves to limit Orlando to only one goal. Johnson is the future but Busch has been consistent.
The New England Revolution have been slipping. Before beating New York City FC 1-0 last week, they were thrashed by the New York Red Bulls and FC Dallas in back-to-back games. But they are still in a playoff position, sitting fifth in the Eastern Conference table. But the teams in front of them (Toronto FC) and behind them (Orlando SC) all have games in hand compared to the Revolution. The Revolution will just have to keep winning and getting results if they don't want to slip down the table. If they get all three points against Chicago, they might jump up all the way to third in the table at the end of the night. A great positive for the Revolution is that Jermaine Jones plans to return to the team as soon as he can. The U.S. international has been out for a while but he will be an impact player in the midfield when he comes back.
Both teams are free falling in MLS play at the moment. The Revolution have had a bad run of games and so have the Fire. Both teams are coming off wins that could be a spark heading down the stretch and into the playoffs.