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Fire seeks repeat Chicago must cool off Kreis to get past Dallas
Posted: Saturday October 16, 1999 11:18 AM
ATLANTA (CNN/SI) -- Defending champion Chicago enters the playoffs without home-field advantage after finishing behind playoff opponent Dallas in the standings. While Chicago captured magic in its first try last year, Dallas has made the playoffs each year, getting knocked out in the first round twice. Jason Kreis finally bloomed for Dallas in 1999, leading the league in scoring. However, he scored just one goal in eight career meetings against Chicago, and none this year. The Burn enter the playoffs having won five straight and haven't failed to score a goal since Aug. 14. Like DC, Chicago has to get past the disappointment of losing in the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals, on penalty kicks to Alajuelense of Costa Rica. Four players are hobbling: Diego Gutierrez, Jesse Marsch, Francis Okaroh and Tommy Soehn. "I don't believe Chicago sees us as a threat or that they know we're here," Dallas coach Dave Dir told the Chicago Tribune. "I think we have something to prove." Fire coach Bob Bradley doesn't feel his team has been given the respect deserving of a defending champion. "Nothing has come easy for this team this year," Bradley told the paper. "It has gotten very little credit, very little recognition. Everybody just says this team has struggled and been inconsistent. We've heard it all."
Analysis by CNN/SI's Michael Lewis:The Fire's vaunted Eastern European over-30 Bloc of Peter Nowak, Jerzy Podbronsky, Roman Kosecki and Lubos Kubik started to show some wear and tear and its age.
Like last season, the Fire will live and die with its defense, which means all-stars Chris Armas and Kubik will be the focal point of the team. The absence of Josh Wolff (knee injury) will hurt the Fire, although it won't be felt until later in the playoffs. Ante Razov, who scored six goals in his first three games and only seven the rest of the season, will be called on to raise the level of his game. If the recent CONCACAF Confederations Cup is any indication, it could be a short post-season for the Fire. On the other hand, the Burn lives and dies on the talented feet of league scoring champion Jason Kreis (18 goals, 15 assists), the league's first 15-15 player. Dallas also has a solid defense in goalkeeper Matt Jordan. The Burn, however, has a history of falling short in the post-season in each of its three appearances. Dallas has won only three of nine games, reaching the conference finals only once. The verdict: In what should be the most competitive series of the opening round, the Fire in three, with Game No. 3 decided by a (ugh!) shootout. Regular season: -- Burn: 19-13 (2nd place); Fire: 18-14 (3rd).
Leading scorers (vs. playoff in opponent in '99)
Dallas Burn Playoff HistoryWhile Dallas might not be the first team to come to mind when one names the teams that have advanced to the playoffs in each of MLS' four seasons (Columbus, D.C. United and Los Angeles are the others), coach David Dir has proven his resilience as the lone charter MLS coach remaining with his original team. There are many painful playoff memories for the Burn, such as the 1996 game-three shootout loss to Kansas City and the sweep in 1997 suffered against fourth-seeded Colorado. Fresh in Dallas' minds, however, is the debacle of 1998, when the team suffered the worst-ever playoff loss, a 6-1 decision against Los Angeles, and followed that up at home by watching a 2-0 lead in the 79th minute disappear as the Galaxy reeled off three consecutive goals. Overall, the team is 3-6 in the post-season, only advancing from the first round in 1997. All-Time Playoff Record: 3-6
Dallas Burn Player to WatchBurn forward Jason Kreis won the 1999 scoring title and became the first MLS 15-15 player. This team has remained largely intact for four years, and Kreis and Co. aim to show the West that they're for real. "This is the first time in my career that I've felt we're really on at the right time," Kreis told the Dallas Morning News. "We're really playing well and with momentum." Dallas Burn Quick FactsChicago Fire Playoff HistoryAlbeit brief, the Fire's playoff history is storied, as coach Bob Bradley's club reeled off five consecutive victories to capture MLS Cup '98 in the team's first season. Chicago swept each of the past two Western Conference Champions, first Colorado ('97) and then Los Angeles ('96), before dispatching two-time defending league champion D.C. United. In case that dominance wasn't enough, the Fire celebrated by defeating the Columbus Crew, 2-1, in sudden-death overtime to capture the 1998 U.S. Open Cup title just five days after the MLS Cup '98 win.All-Time Playoff Record: 5-0
Chicago Fire Player to WatchFire goalkeeper Zach Thornton allowed just two goals in five playoff games during Chicago's run to the Cup last season, good for a goals against average of 0.40. In the tightly contested playoff games with the high-powered offenses of Colorado, Los Angeles and D.C. United, Thornton notched 20 saves, commanded the box with 29 catch/punches and allowed just three of 11 shootout opponents to score. While the Fire offense has sometimes sputtered in 1999, Thornton has toed the line and proven that as playoff action heats up, so does he. Chicago Fire Quick Facts
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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