Chicago certainly aren't standing pat. A mere four days after experimenting with captain Jeff Larentowicz at a centerback position - in a relatively safe place, in a friendly against Tottenham - manager Frank Yallop has carried it over into a completely different environment, putting the same back four out for tonight's match against Vancouver:
FIRE @UIHealth Starters vs. @WhitecapsFC: Johnson; Palmer, Larentowicz, Ianni, Segares; Ward, Ritter, Watson, Alex; Amarikwa, Magee #cf97
— Chicago Fire (@ChicagoFire) July 30, 2014
The exclusion of Harrison Shipp probably comes as some shock to casual observers, but Shipp's fatigue was apparent against Spurs. He is available on the bench, as are normal starting center backs Bakary Soumare and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado and recent addition Razvan Cocis.
FIRE @UIHealth Subs vs. @WhitecapsFC: Reynish, Soumare, Hurtado, Pause, Cocis, Shipp, Fondy #cf97 #CHIvVAN
— Chicago Fire (@ChicagoFire) July 30, 2014
The Whitecaps counter with a strong XI:
.@WhitecapsFC Starters Ousted; Beitashour, Mitchell, Leverón, Harvey; Koffie, Laba; Hurtado, Morales, Fernández; Mattocks #cf97
— Chicago Fire (@ChicagoFire) July 30, 2014
Kickoff is in, as I type this, about 30 minutes. LET US DO THIS THING, CF97. Behold our ginger shutdown crew! Please?