MLS Thursday Night: FC Dallas v Chicago Fire

We’re in the final stretch of the 2007 MLS season which means that now is about the time when we need to start paying attention to the playoff picture. The MLS Thursday night game this week features a team in a battle just to make the playoffs versus one that is still within striking range of capturing their regular season conference title.

If the season ended today, the Chicago Fire would be part of the playoffs party by being the eighth and final team to qualify. Their hold on this position is precarious, however, with both Columbus and Colorado right on their heels. The Fire have four wins, two ties and two losses since Cuauhtemoc Blanco made his debut for the club. Even though he had the speed of a slug, Blanco has been able to, um, fire up the Fire attack with his possession and passing in the midfield.

On the other side of the pitch is FC Dallas, a team that is six points behind the Houston Dynamo with two games in hand. The artists formerly known as the Burn have been maddeningly inconsistent this campaign. Seemingly looking like title contenders one game and playoff pretenders the next. A team with a talented midfield and a defense inspired by Moses’ parting of the Red Sea.

It is usually an interesting affair when these two clubs get together (back at the turn of the century this was a really nice rivalry) and since you are probably like me and you have no social life you might as well keep an eye on these things while you join Wynalda and gang for the ESPN2 fun.

1. Fancy footwork – The game will feature two of the more creative players plying their trade in MLS these days. Blanco will work his magic for the Fire while Denilson will undoubtedly pull off a stepover or three for Dallas.

2. Paulo’s passport – Remember when Paulo Wanchope was banging in goals for Manchester City? If you do, you and I will be hanging out together in the retirement home in the very near future. It was a decade ago that the Costa Rican striker made his debut in the English Premier League. Since then, he has played in Spain, Qatar, Costa Rica, Argentina and Japan. He has resurfaced with the Chicago Fire and has recorded two goals in seven games.

3. Fire and brim – The supporters of both clubs started the Brimstone Cup back in 2001. That was the first and only year that the Fire walked away with the trophy. With Dallas winning the previous encounter this season 2-1, the 2007 trophy is theirs to lose this evening, especially since Chicago has not won in Dallas since 1999.

Sit back, enjoy your beverage of choice and treat yourself to a Thursday evening on football the way it was meant to be played at a stadium in Texas named after a pizza company.

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Category: MLS, World Football