Hot Time In Old Town - MLS Coverage: Minnesota United vs Chicago FireTRADITION - HONOR - PASSIONhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50655/htiot-fav.png2018-03-17T16:11:39-05:00http://www.hottimeinoldtown.com/rss/stream/168947952018-03-17T16:11:39-05:002018-03-17T16:11:39-05:00A Maze of Twisty Passages, All Alike: Minnesota United 2, Chicago Fire 1, MLS game recap
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<img alt="MLS: Chicago Fire at Minnesota United FC" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/X3y87CdFPke2s_hpECf1H7xuOvI=/0x0:3618x2412/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59067147/usa_today_10714057.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>More defensive problems, injuries render Men in Red mundane in Minnesota</p> <blockquote>
<p id="6x2isL"><a href="https://www.epluribusloonum.com/">Minnesota United</a> 2 (Ibson 55’, Nicholson 66’)</p>
<p id="iywb10"><a href="https://www.hottimeinoldtown.com/">Chicago Fire</a> 1 (Collier 59’)</p>
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<p id="rVJCVE">One of the wonders of the Greatest Game is its breadth of experience. Attend enough soccer matches you will see every kind of human extreme - love, hate, oppression, freedom, revolution, matyrdom; all these outliers show up around around the world’s game in unlikely profusion. Likewise, there are games of football so mundane that they boggle all description save the most banal: Score, scorers, outcome. Some folks kicked a ball about for a while; here’s the score.</p>
<p id="5br302">This afternoon’s diffident but manful striving by the Chicago Fire - their visit to Minnesota ending in a 2-1 defeat and a long, quiet trip home - seemed mired between the two extremes. Undermanned by injuries and rendered incoherent by unfamiliarity, the Men in Red couldn’t overcome another uneven defensive performance in losing their second consecutive match to open MLS play.</p>
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<p id="Mkr341">Apparently, losing is still losing, even if one has tried <em>really</em> hard. Like being lost in a maze of twisty passages, all alike, it’s hard to say where the Fire could have turned for a dramatically different outcome, because of the fractal sameness of the 90 minutes of football that produced the result. The Chicago backline looked disjointed and unfamiliar because they were, and so there were problems marking, which made Minnesota’s barrage of crosses a problem without a great solution.</p>
<p id="UYyPC2">Losing two on the trot to start the season is disappointing, but the lingering feeling after this match was that this was about the best that could be expected. An injury to <span>Matt Polster</span>, the birth of Bastian Schweinsteiger’s first child, and the dropping of <span>Christian Dean</span> to the bench in favor of new recruit <span>Kevin Ellis</span> made it seem the team sheet could’ve had “Don’t Expect Too Much” printed across it. </p>
<p id="vY4Xov">So it came as little surprise that the Fire’s defensive cohesion came apart like a poorly-balanced tire, wobbling harder and harder until it blew out entirely. The first goal, in the 55th minute, was the product of just such a problem - the Fire backline overshifting in pursuit of the ball, which is the sort of thing one does when one starts feeling like “maybe I’m going to have to do all of this myself.” <span>Johan Kappelhof</span> wound up on the Fire’s defensive left wing, trying to stand up <span>Miguel Ibarra</span>, with Ellis stranded in no-man’s land wide left in the penalty area, while everyone in red in the middle of the pitch was desperately running toward their own goal, marking opportunistic runs from the hosts. Ibarra’s cross found the head of Ibson, whose header <span>Richard Sanchez</span> could only parry back to feet for a tap-in: 1-0, Minnesota United.</p>
<p id="VUMeRy">Or the winner, just 4 minutes after Jason Collier drew the match level for the Fire. Brandon Vincent and <span>Dax McCarty</span> run out to close down <span>Ethan Finlay</span>, then - having moved far enough for neither of them to be useful in any other way defensively - they both simply stopped. running. Finlay, sharp all day and apparently not a guy to sniff at good fortune, took the space and time to line up an inch-perfect cross to Sam Nicholson’s head. Nicholson, whose hard run had beaten backup right back <span>Rafael Ramos</span> to the ball, made no mistake, hammering the winner past a helpless Sanchez.</p>
<p id="ZwqoVX">The Fire’s goal was fluky in a way that points to the general fecklessness of the offense on the day. Collier was game and direct all day while playing in a defensively-demanding wing role, and his charge forward in the 61st was met by a trio of defenders who easily dispossessed him 22 yards from goal. Minnesota defender <span>Francisco Calvo</span> touched the ball back to his keeper, forgetting for a moment (apparently) that he was playing goal-hanging Fire poacher <span>Nemanja Nikolic</span> onside. Nikolic hurriedly smashed a hard shot onto goal that <span>Matt Lampson</span> could only parry into the path of Collier, who had followed the play toward goal. Collier finished simply with the net gaping for a short-lived levelling of accounts.</p>
<p id="VBjobF">The Fire (0-2-0) don’t play again for two weeks, returning to action at home against Portland March 31 as part of a doubleheader with the Red Stars.</p>
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https://www.hottimeinoldtown.com/2018/3/17/17134470/a-maze-of-twisty-passages-all-alike-minnesota-united-2-chicago-fire-1-mls-game-recap-cf97-lose-againSean Spence2018-03-17T15:20:01-05:002018-03-17T15:20:01-05:00Minnesota United 2, Chicago Fire 1: Man Of The Match
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<img alt="MLS: Chicago Fire at Minnesota United FC" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wz7XJYGAzXQ5f3QJgf9rl0hSEyw=/0x0:4314x2876/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59066721/usa_today_10713727.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>At least the rookie came good</p> <p id="0yC6Qq">Ugh. Don’t even talk to me about that game.</p>
<p id="SLiVaC">We’re going with Elliot Collier as our MOTM. The rookie scored his first MLS goal, equalizing (briefly) and ultimately sparing the Fire the shame of a clean sheet. One lone bright spot in an otherwise limp outing.</p>
<p id="OsANiB"><em>Now let us know how you saw it. Vote for your choice for MOTM in the poll below. The poll will be open for two days, after which we’ll publicize the results. (Note: if you’re viewing this post from AMP or Apple News, you won’t see the poll below. Feel free to tell us your pick in the comments.)</em></p>
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https://www.hottimeinoldtown.com/2018/3/17/17132724/best-worst-performances-vote-motm-minnesota-united-2-chicago-fire-1-mls-2018-week-3Bridget Gordon2018-03-17T15:03:28-05:002018-03-17T15:03:28-05:00Minnesota United 2, Chicago Fire 1: First Thoughts
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<img alt="MLS: Chicago Fire at Minnesota United FC" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/dh7gdTTdV3I5t6VO-2uqWChuK1I=/0x0:4267x2845/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59066625/usa_today_10713740.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Men In Red post a meek surrender against an eminently beatable team</p> <blockquote>
<p id="LcAVQw"><a href="https://www.epluribusloonum.com/"><strong>Minnesota United</strong></a><strong> 2</strong> Ibson 55’, Nicholson 66’</p>
<p id="OBLl5z"><a href="https://www.hottimeinoldtown.com/"><strong>Chicago Fire</strong></a><strong> 1</strong> Collier 59’</p>
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<ul>
<li id="MQgnSQ">Lineups are <a href="https://www.hottimeinoldtown.com/2018/3/17/17132728/minnesota-united-chicago-fire-mls-2018-week-3-highlights-teamsheets-streaming-kickoff-time">here</a>!</li>
<li id="6S6YQr">Pregame thought 1: Not gonna lie, I’m feeling pretty dubious about this lineup. I know they had to make do with some key absences (Polster has a knee sprain and Basti’s about to become a dad) but wooooof.</li>
<li id="YJ1Uvp">Pregame thought 2: OTOH, it’s good to see some youts and fringe players get a shot. Really excited to see what Collier can do. </li>
<li id="rwhsIz"><strong>Let’s goooooooooooooooooooooooo</strong></li>
<li id="PqcAFQ">I’m glad MNUFC are going to have their own stadium in a few years. Playing on a college football field is discombobulating to watch.</li>
<li id="5ukyxv">Good news: In theory the Fire will be intimately familiar with Lampson’s weaknesses and should theoretically be able to exploit them. Bad news: enough Fire players in the lineup today weren’t on the roster last year, or were but didn’t play regularly, that it might not actually be possible after all.</li>
<li id="TkmZbv">Oh neat, Solignac brought down in the box and there’s no call. Cooooooooool.</li>
<li id="HppGUZ">(Ok on replay it didn’t look that clear cut.)</li>
<li id="z2s2RS">So we’re 20 minutes in and Minnesota are putting a lot of pressure on our backline. This won’t end well.</li>
<li id="WWl3MY">For reasons I <em>cannot</em> understand, Sanchez came way out of the box to try and challenge an attacker and ended up being stranded with a cross incoming. The only reason we’re not down 1-0 right now is because this is MNUFC. Un-fucking-acceptable from Sanchez there.</li>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">DENIED. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MINvCHI?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MINvCHI</a> <a href="https://t.co/1cWBmbHail">https://t.co/1cWBmbHail</a></p>— Major League Soccer (@MLS) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLS/status/975077187018772481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2018</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sanchez reminds me of me when I was in fifth grade and drove my coaches crazy by roaming out of the penalty area just for fun. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cf97?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cf97</a></p>— Orrin Schwarz (@Orrin_Schwarz) <a href="https://twitter.com/Orrin_Schwarz/status/975077325028188160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2018</a>
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<ul>
<li id="vy6GSM">But hey, at least Katai’s looking good. His shooting sucks but his movement is <chef’s kiss emoji></li>
<li id="R3W8ub">Update: things could be better!!</li>
<li id="fGmaNZ">Some good ideas on service to Niko but it’s not quite coming together.</li>
<li id="5fnmed">
<strong>Halftime</strong>!</li>
<li id="iKmCMC">Halftime thought 1: A lot of the same problems from last week are back. Questionable GK + backline decision-making, a lack of sharpness up front, and a team shape that looks decidedly un-geometric. The only reason we’re not losing right now is because it’s Minnesota United.</li>
<li id="ijGPtW">Halftime thought 2: I’m not sure how they can fix this in the second half. Maybe they can’t.</li>
<li id="7RfMll">
<strong>Second half is underway</strong>!</li>
<li id="vZC6AN">MNUFC doing a good job holding the ball in the opening few minutes of the half. They’re not doing a whole lot with it, but they’re keeping it away from the Fire.</li>
<li id="wsUfCm">Hahaha as soon as I type that <span>Tyrone Mears</span> is played through on goal and Sanchez has to scramble to save it.</li>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Richard Sanchez says nope, Tyrone Mears. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MINvCHI?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MINvCHI</a> <a href="https://t.co/5iZ5FpGkKz">https://t.co/5iZ5FpGkKz</a></p>— Major League Soccer (@MLS) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLS/status/975089115552256000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2018</a>
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<ul>
<li id="Hzyl8w">
<strong>GOAL 55’</strong> All the pressure MNUFC had been piling on Sanchez and the backline finally paid off. Ibson capitalizes on ball-watching and bad positioning. <a href="https://twitter.com/MLS/status/975090660507308039">1-0</a> MNUFC lead.</li>
<li id="fLp7K2">Too many Fire players were in a position to kill that attack and stop the goal and didn’t. I don’t know how you fix this.</li>
<li id="ugYo2A">
<strong>GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL 59’</strong> COLLIER ON THE REBOUND FOR HIS FIRST MLS GOAL!! <a href="https://twitter.com/MLS/status/975091457206968320">1-1</a> GAME ON BINCHES</li>
<li id="lO58kc">Game got quiet again, but at least we ruined the shut-outs for each other. Or, something.</li>
<li id="yydxIz">
<strong>GOAL 66’</strong> Oh look, another ball that should’ve been easily dealt with turns into a goal. <span>Sam Nicholson</span> with the header, but let’s be honest, I could’ve scored in that position. <a href="https://twitter.com/MLS/status/975092616286167051">2-1</a> MNUFC.</li>
<li id="ZILWzW">HOT TAKE: Maybe you shouldn’t play <span>Brandon Vincent</span> as a centerback. Just my opinion!!</li>
<li id="D6iXcG">Almost 3-1 there. Nicholson’s close-range shot goes over the bar. Ugh.</li>
<li id="s2qSFB">Remember last season when the Fire were good? When a draw against weaker opposition wasn’t the best we could hope for? That was nice.</li>
<li id="8vCONh">Katai comes off for <span>Daniel Johnson</span>. I don’t know how to interpret that move except as a white flag.</li>
<li id="fZRBWe">Gonna start a band called Tears For Mears.</li>
<li id="9u7nDz">
<span>Alan Gordon</span>, noted homophobic slur enthusiast, has checked into the game. He replaces Solignac.</li>
<li id="7YVy3l">MNUFC are getting a lot of play from the right and the Fire are hanging on mostly through dumb luck. This is dismal.</li>
<li id="r8SgPM">Drew Conner replaces <span>Rafael Ramos</span>.</li>
<li id="FnagGj">Vincent, currently trying out his striker impersonation, nearly gets a header past Lampson.</li>
<li id="4a9Lcl">Four minutes of stoppage time. The Fire are trying to squeeze blood from a stone here, but it’s too little too late.</li>
<li id="KSoJHT">Stay in your goddamn box, Sanchez.</li>
<li id="dhPlop"><strong>Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep! Final score: MNUFC 2-1 CF97</strong></li>
<li id="nBjiBH">Final Whistle Thought: 2017 is looking more and more like a fluke.</li>
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<p id="B9RB5J">Stay tuned for more postgame coverage and a full recap here on Hot Time In Old Town. In the meantime, join the conversation in the comments or on social media.</p>
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https://www.hottimeinoldtown.com/2018/3/17/17132726/minnesota-united-2-chicago-fire-1-match-recap-report-mls-2018-week-3Bridget Gordon2018-03-17T10:00:03-05:002018-03-17T10:00:03-05:00Minnesota United vs Chicago Fire: Lineups, Game Highlights, and How to Watch
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<img alt="MLS: Minnesota United FC at Chicago Fire" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ocon3LbGczwVEW3lz-BsLRnPyZQ=/0x0:5568x3712/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59062451/usa_today_10241777.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Lineups, streaming info, and live MLS coverage as the Fire face off against Minnesota United</p> <hr class="p-entry-hr" id="prE0Oq">
<h2 id="I60Hng">
<a href="https://www.epluribusloonum.com/"><strong>Minnesota United</strong></a><strong> vs </strong><a href="https://www.hottimeinoldtown.com/"><strong>Chicago Fire</strong></a>
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<p id="ENJAOO">Saturday, March 17th, 2018</p>
<p id="8dWZPQ">MLS Week 3 | TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis MN </p>
<p id="9YQHjR">Kickoff: 1pm CT</p>
<p id="5YvmTh">Referee: Alex Chilowicz</p>
<p id="X7Phcy">Assistant Referees: Jason White, Felisha Mariscal</p>
<p id="WtdzOh">4th Official: Baldomero Toledo</p>
<p id="H7bbvE">VAR: Kevin Terry Jr.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="SI3PsV">
<p id="ejKNDx">The MLS season is long, and late-year rallies do happen in this league. But it’s far too easy to fall into an inescapable pit with too many bad early results. The Fire know this. (Hopefully.)</p>
<p id="2Wp1E4">The Men In Red will be looking to turn the page on their gut-punch of a loss last week against <a href="https://www.thebluetestament.com/">Sporting Kansas City</a>. They’re venturing the Cold White Godless North to take on Minnesota United for only the second time ever. </p>
<p id="PK8vK3">MNUFC are still reeling from the news that <span>Kevin Molino</span> will miss the rest of the 2018 season with an injury. Even so, the Loons won’t be pushovers, and the Fire will need to hold their nerve and keep their net undisturbed (at the very least).</p>
<h2 id="Hdu037"><strong>PREVIEW & VIEWING OPTIONS</strong></h2>
<p id="0TpLrg"><strong>Full Preview: </strong><a href="https://www.hottimeinoldtown.com/2018/3/16/17128820/history-plus-minnesota-united-chicago-fire-mls-week-3-game-preview-cf97-scouting-how-to-watch">Minnesota United vs Chicago Fire</a></p>
<p id="1HYBlB"><strong>Television</strong>: N/A</p>
<p id="po8wN4"><strong>Online Streaming:</strong> <a href="https://live.mlssoccer.com">MLS Live</a></p>
<p id="3TcuXq"><strong>Live Updates:</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/hottimeoldtown">@HotTimeOldTown</a> (livetweets by<a href="https://twitter.com/rubentisch"> Ruben</a>) | <a href="https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2018-03-17-minnesota-united-fc-vs-chicago-fire/preview">MLS Matchcenter</a> </p>
<h2 id="6mIRwI"><strong>MINNESOTA UNITED</strong></h2>
<p id="msqcpQ">Starting XI: Lampson; Mears, Boxall, Calvo, Thiessen; Schuller, Ibson, Finlay, Nicholson; Ibarra, Ramirez</p>
<p id="ZNV52e">Bench: Shuttleworth, Burch, Kallman, Heath, Martin, Toye, Warner</p>
<h2 id="yPQQsO"><strong>CHICAGO FIRE</strong></h2>
<p id="X20Ru4">Starting XI: Sanchez; Ramos, Kappelhof, Vincent, Ellis; McCarty, Tchani; Collier, Solignac, Katai; Nikolic</p>
<p id="yN3Kp2">Bench: McClain, Connor, Dean, Adams, Bronico, Johnson, Gordon</p>
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<h2 id="FAvsRq"><strong>FIRST HALF HIGHLIGHTS</strong></h2>
<p id="j0JZ35">20’ Whatever this is</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">DENIED. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MINvCHI?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MINvCHI</a> <a href="https://t.co/1cWBmbHail">https://t.co/1cWBmbHail</a></p>— Major League Soccer (@MLS) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLS/status/975077187018772481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2018</a>
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<h2 id="X4dj7R"><strong>SECOND HALF HIGHLIGHTS</strong></h2>
<p id="J3u5c5">55’ Ibson</p>
<div id="twNUt5">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">So nice, he only needs one name: Ibson opens the scoring for <a href="https://twitter.com/MNUFC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MNUFC</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MINvCHI?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MINvCHI</a> <a href="https://t.co/09dN6Z6Hcv">https://t.co/09dN6Z6Hcv</a></p>— Major League Soccer (@MLS) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLS/status/975090660507308039?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2018</a>
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<p id="e9M63W">59’ Collier</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">...And just like that, welcome to MLS, Elliot Collier -- he levels things for <a href="https://twitter.com/ChicagoFire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChicagoFire</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MINvCHI?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MINvCHI</a> <a href="https://t.co/J8CCcmPgI5">https://t.co/J8CCcmPgI5</a></p>— Major League Soccer (@MLS) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLS/status/975091457206968320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2018</a>
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<p id="cj4A4K">66’ Nicholson</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hey Loons, you're giving us whiplash! <a href="https://twitter.com/MNUFC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MNUFC</a> reclaim the lead at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MINvCHI?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MINvCHI</a> <a href="https://t.co/UoZqxNHZ4n">https://t.co/UoZqxNHZ4n</a></p>— Major League Soccer (@MLS) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLS/status/975092616286167051?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2018</a>
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<h2 id="waZnnM"><strong>JOIN THE CONVERSATION</strong></h2>
<p id="wcL5OZ">Be sure to follow our full coverage of every Chicago Fire game this season, along with breaking news, tactical analysis, and opinion. Join the conversation in the comments below or on social media.</p>
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https://www.hottimeinoldtown.com/2018/3/17/17132728/minnesota-united-chicago-fire-mls-2018-week-3-highlights-teamsheets-streaming-kickoff-timeBridget Gordon2018-03-16T15:00:02-05:002018-03-16T15:00:02-05:00History-Plus: Minnesota United vs Chicago Fire, MLS week 3 game preview
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<img alt="MLS: Minnesota United FC at Orlando City SC" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Tj2ZwQMIcdZw6QfJ4Eu7AQSZe4U=/1x0:3831x2553/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59052993/usa_today_10694608.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>First-round draft pick Mason Toye played well as a target man off the bench for Minnesota United against Orlando City. | Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Men in Red should control play, but host’s attacking threats counsel wariness against Loons</p> <p id="gT5H2J"><em>[Editor’s note: a previous version of this preview left out last year’s 2-1 loss to MNUFC at home. We didn’t forget so much as blocked it out of our memory to shield ourselves from the trauma. Nevertheless, we regret the error.]</em></p>
<p id="Iwl9x6">No intro today, it’s straight into...</p>
<h1 id="FwVvQ6">History+</h1>
<p id="YZveHU">When an existing club is pulled into MLS, they are subjected to a metaphorical lobotomy that removes memories of its pesky, inconvenient <em>(and ultimately irrelevant, amirite?)</em> pre-MLS existence.</p>
<p id="ztKA78">It’s History. Sorta. MLS history. Fire history. Until someone buys the team and poof, the franchise-formerly-known-as are now the Tennessee Tuxedoes or something. So, it’s history-for-now, pending-future-developments-as-dictated-by-the-needs-or-whims-of-capital, which for simplicity’s sake we’ll just call history+.</p>
<p id="1rHM1k"><strong>Fire v Minnesota Utd all-time: </strong><strong>0W 1L 1D</strong></p>
<p id="xMZaVP">Our one match-up with MNUFC came last year at Toyota Park, <a href="https://www.hottimeinoldtown.com/2017/8/26/16210206/something-in-there-stinks-chicago-fire-1-minnesota-united-2-mls-game-recap-cf97">a 2-1 loss</a> on the back off of an Abu Danladi brace.</p>
<p id="MurtlJ"><strong>Fire v Minnesota Utd on the road: N</strong><strong>/A</strong></p>
<h1 id="qicKfY">Recently</h1>
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<p id="kR0Lqz">Minnesota got off the road scheid early in 2018, winning their second game of the season last week in Orlando. Ethan Finlay looked like the guy who forced his way into a USA callup, scoring both goals and generally looking sharp and lively. Yeah, it was his foul that gave up the penalty the other way, but whaddayagonnado.</p>
<p id="LyCXIW">In last week’s game preview, one of my scouting points was ‘No Pyhrric victories.’ It’s early - winning a game, but losing a key player in the process, can be a massive net loss at this point in the season. Which leads us to cast our totally-not-gloating eyes upon the Loons, whom Adrian Heath has assembled with this apparent equation in mind:</p>
<p id="Y0YcqM"><em>Kevin_Molino + all_the_wingers = like, a billion chances created</em></p>
<p id="SV7QGu">Which, leaving aside whether this equation works, begs the question “What do you do if Molino gets hurt?” Molino’s injury rules him out for a very long time, so Plan B (whatever it was) is now Plan A for the Loons. </p>
<h1 id="J8prU5">Probable starters</h1>
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<h1 id="n25Doj">Scouting this game</h1>
<p id="juiUdn"><strong>Replacing Molina: </strong>As I see it, Heath and his <a href="https://www.epluribusloonum.com/">Minnesota United</a> will have three options in this first week post-Molina:</p>
<ul>
<li id="me0fod">
<em>Keep the shape the same </em>and hand <span>Collin Martin</span> the keys in the slot behind the striker. Heath did this last year during a shorter injury crisis. Martin hasn’t shown a great deal in MLS play but this would have the advantage of tactical continuity at a point in the season when the transitions have yet to become instinctive. </li>
<li id="bjagBP">
<em>Drop the central playmaker back into midfield</em>. This would probably mean more minutes for a guy like <span>Collen Warner</span>, especially in light of the ongoing absence of <span>Sam Cronin</span>, and would likely signal that the Loons intend to play off the back foot, using bunker-and-counter to convert turnovers into lightning attacks through their aforementioned fleet of wingers.</li>
<li id="THwyvi">
<em>Convert the central playmaker into a second out-and-out striker</em>. This would involve either <span>Abu Danladi</span> or <span>Mason Toye</span> slotting in beside <span>Christian Ramirez</span> up top and the team overall shifting to a loose 4-4-2 with very advanced wingers. This would be sorta non-League football in MLS, but Minnesota has the personnel to make it a pain in the ass - at least until that defensive central quartet gets torn to pieces.</li>
</ul>
<p id="DuV15T"><strong>Stay in your lane:</strong> The Fire played with great passion and ferocity during parts of the second half, but their swarming approach left huge swaths of open territory to be exploited on the counter. Playing fluid football is a lovely idea, but it requires that everyone think about the balance and shape of the team as the game is happening, and holy wow was that not happening in Bridgeview last Saturday. Velko Paunovic has stressed that the Fire worked on defensive concepts all week; I’m guessing we see a much more balanced and suffocating performance this week.</p>
<p id="Lrw3o8"><strong>Intelligent movement </strong><em><strong>will</strong></em><strong> create openings:</strong> Minnesota got roasted for five goals on week 1 by San Jose, and that wasn’t fluky finishing. The Quakes created wide-open looks at goal against this same Loons defense through intelligent, coordinated movement involving both attack and late-arriving midfielders, which sounds like a concise description of this version of the Fire when they’re playing well. </p>
<p id="CW6P2F"><strong>Set ‘em up, knock ‘em down: </strong>Minnesota-Orlando was pretty physical, and the addition of <span>Aleksandar Katai</span> seems to have taken the Fire’s set pieces up a notch. If the Fire can keep the ball, they don’t need to create a huge number of chances from the run of play when they can reliably convert attacking-zone fouls into decent chances.</p>
<h1 id="xdklpz">Enemy Q&A</h1>
<p id="m5mUvS"><a href="https://twitter.com/byEliHoff">Eli Hoff</a> of <a href="https://www.epluribusloonum.com/">E Pluribus Loonum</a> was kind enough to answer our questions ...</p>
<p id="p4qBEj"><strong>Hot Time:</strong> What changed from week 1 to week 2 for the Loons?</p>
<blockquote><p id="45OYb6"><strong>E Pluribus Loonum: </strong>Formation wise, not much - the starting XI was the same, except for Christian Ramirez starting at forward instead of Abu Danladi. I think it was mostly a case of energy. The team looked up for a fight against Orlando, whereas it had been a slow disintergration against San Jose. Perhaps it was confidence that inspired the effort, or the intensity of the game (it got a bit chippy at times), but whatever it was, it was a clear improvement that, if brough to every match, could make Minnesota dangerous.</p></blockquote>
<p id="TPVwNo"><strong>HT:</strong> The Fire, on a single game’s evidence, present a shape and approach similar to the Orlando side Minnesota just defeated, albeit with a few superior parts. Do you imagine Adrian Heath changes much from last week in either personnel or tactics?</p>
<blockquote><p id="XuZa0t"><strong>EPL:</strong> For personnel, I don’t anticipate many changes, but there will be one key one: replacing Kevin Molino. Molino hasn’t always been the best player on the team, but he took it upon himself to engineer two goals in the opener and looked decent against his former team last week. He was filling the number 10 role in the 4-2-3-1 and wasn’t a natural fit--now that gap will open a little wider. I think it will be a similar approach and hopefully the same energy will be present in front of home fans for the first time.</p></blockquote>
<p id="qzUvzV"><strong>HT:</strong> Through a zany series of misunderstandings involving a late insurance payment, a Swiss cousin, and toast, you are transported 10 years into the future (<em>...thefutureTHEFUTUREthefuture...</em>) ... have the Loons celebrated an MLS Cup yet? A Supporters’ Shield? A playoff win? True Love? A playoff game? A Wooden Spoon? A timeless, ecstatic oneness in which each was made more fully themselves?</p>
<blockquote><p id="NLEd96"><strong>EPL:</strong> This is hard because 10 years is a long time and a whole new generation of players will probably be in place. The Shield will be tough because there will probably be close to 40 teams in MLS, and if Duluth receives number 39, Minnesota’s attention could be split. The team will certainly compete for a trophy, whether that’s <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/us-open-tennis">US Open</a> Cup, MLS Cup, or the Shield. I think the club will look pretty different from how it looks now, especially with organization. Hopefully we still have <span>Jerome Thiesson</span> (can he be our Swiss cousin?) and more wingers than are ever practical.</p></blockquote>
<h1 id="KFen0Y">How To Watch</h1>
<p id="vWOzqO">As with most <a href="https://www.hottimeinoldtown.com/">Chicago Fire</a> matches this season, there will be no traditional broadcast television for this match. However, it will streamed free throughout North America through MLS Live. Registration is free.</p>
https://www.hottimeinoldtown.com/2018/3/16/17128820/history-plus-minnesota-united-chicago-fire-mls-week-3-game-preview-cf97-scouting-how-to-watchSean Spence