FIRE vs Chivas USA RB

I am excited for this match. It is a clash of good teams.

The announcer didn't do the rush Galaxy announcement of Chicago's players, but they definately had the monotone down. No matter. The mention of Blanco got a big cheer.

The starting lineups are out on the field. Cuauh looks like his usual glum self. Which probably means he'll have a great game.

Hi everyone! I'm at a sold-out Home Depot Center, and the stands are filled with Chivas and Club America jerseys. It's the clasico!

Ok, I'll admit, there are quite a few Chicago Fire jerseys here. If all of the people wearing them could vote, Cuauh would be winning our newcomer poll handily.

1- Rolfe with an early attack, but can't quite get it to 'Chope

3 - Chivas on the attack - ball into box, for Razov, who shoots. Pickens blocks, but loses the ball. Fire get a lucky bounce and are able to clear.

4 - Crowd cheers every time Blanco gets the ball. They chanted "Temoc" for a bit.

5 - Temoc takes a FK. It's far from goal and Guzan snags it.

7 - the Club America fans aren't sure whether to cheer the good plays made by non-Branco Fire players. They're a little shy about that. They just sent up a hearty boo for a Chivas backpass to Guzan, though.

10 - Galindo with a side shot - saved. It's called back for a free kick, but that's easily cleared. It nearly starts Temoc on a breakaway, but he's stood up.

15 - No team has really had the better of play - Chivas as kept the ball in Fire territory a bit more, perhaps.

17 - Suarez with a rare attacking run. The Fire's counter nearly caught the backline on that buy Jesse Marsch recovers the ball.

20 - Temoc with a nice backheel to Rolfe near the top of the box - Rolfe could have done a bit better with that. He passes back.However, the Fire are attacking more.

21 - Wow, Galindo looked like he scored there. Well, he actually did, but it's called back for a disputable offsides. On the other hand, the Fire stopped playing as soon as the whistle blew, so who knows if they could have prevented the goal.

24 - Yellow card to Jesse Marsch. The free kick is in a good spot for Blanco.

GOAL - Outside the box, about 30 yards from goal. @#*@$(!& Blanco takes a long run up the the ball and freaking slams it past Guzano into the net. WOW. He walloped it right into goal, right past one of the better goalkeepers in the league. NICE.

That'll get Cuauh a few more votes in our poll. He's basically saving the Fire's season here.

28 - Yellow card to Chris Armas. It looked a bit soft to me, but ref Tim Weyland wants to keep this match under control.

30 - Chivas USA are undefeated at home this season, so if this result holds up, it will be a historic match. Of course, Toronto FC had a lead versus DC United earlier today and look how that went.

32 - Yellow to Nagamura - Chivas USA isn't winning the midfield battle as easily as they were when the match started. The Fire look more cohesive and the match is getting chippy as both teams struggle to hold the center of the field.

36 - Bornstein with a nice through ball to Razov that Ante can's quite reach. Blanco gets tripped on the counter for the Fire, and throws a hilarious tantrum when he doesn't get the call. He's banging on his head in frustration while lying on this back on the field.

The ball going the other wasy leads to a yellow card for Wilman Conde and a FK for Chivas USA. It's wasted when a tricky chip from Razov to Kljestan goes awry. Or maybe it was just a really bad kick. Ante looks frustrated.

40 - Long free kick to Chivas USA gets cleared but the rebound falls to Razov? He kicks toward goal it deflects off some players in the way and hits against the crossbar.

43 - Galindo chases a ball into the box and ends up falling over Pickens after the goalkeeper has grabbed the ball.

45 - Chicago haven't exactly controlled the match, but they've done well on the counter and they've disrupted the midfield play that feeds most of the opportunities for Chivas USA. Chivas USA are pushing hard to the equalizer right now, though. They don't get it.

Halftime

Scott French, who has covered the USWNT for some time, is expounding on how horrible a move Greg Ryan's decision to bench Hope Solo was. Scott says Hope was one of the best goalkeepers in the tournament. He says he's glad Julie Foudy is on the air to tell the truth about how Ryan's move wasn't a good one. He thinks she's doing a great job announcing. I tell him that Foudy said on the air that she couldn't believe Hope's comments about Ryan and the allusion to Briana and that Foudy said she wouldn't want Solo in goal behind her if she was on the team. That gives him pause. Then he says, "Well, Julie thinks it was an attack on Briana - what Hope said. I don't believe that, but I can see how some people took it that way. Hope was right, though."

Scott thinks Germany will win the World Cup, by the way.