The Fire's extended dance-remix of playoff soccer continues this afternoon. Once again, our unfancied Men in Red need all three points from a difficult foe - today they will battle the Houston Dynamo at Toyota Park.
This game, in particular, is a must-win if the Fire want to keep the playoffs in sight, as Chicago finishes the season with six of the final nine games away from home. Without a win today, the Fire will face a daunting grind to even stay in contention.
If you're just joining us, you can find our pregame Fireside Chat with Houston bloggers Dynamo Theory here, and Adam Merges' game preview here.
The redoubtable Mr. Sealock would traditionally give a prediction here, and loathe as I am to stick my neck out, here in Fire-land we revere tradition as a guiding principle. In that spirit, I will predict a 2-0 Fire victory in a game that's just as ugly as we need it to be.
Check back here about an hour before gametime for lineups, and during the contest for snark, jubilation and despair, as necessary. DALÉ FIRE!