Tag Archives: dasan robinson

July 29, 2011 · 8:22 am

On The Move: Fire trade Dasan Robinson to Toronto FC for Dan Gargan

With Sebastian Grazzini and Pavel Pardo both signing for the Chicago Fire during the past two weeks, the Fire continued its business in the transfer market on Wednesday by trading Dasan Robinson to Toronto FC for Dan Gargan and a supplemental draft pick in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft. Along with Grazzini and Pardo, the Toronto defender becomes the Fire’s third acquisition this month while Robinson becomes the second player to part ways with Chicago after Bratislav Ristic was released a day earlier.

Robinson enjoyed five seasons with the Chicago Fire and amassed 85 appearances during that time. Robinson’s rookie season in 2006 even saw him lift the US Open Cup as the Fire defeated Los Angeles to earn its 4th US Open Cup title. Appearances have been hard to come by this season for the 27-year-old, ensuring this is a trade that won’t raise too many eyebrows amongst Fire supporters. Robinson has appeared in just five league matches this season and has struggled to compete with Cory Gibbs, Yamith Cuesta and Josip Mikulic for a spot in central defense. A summary of the matches Robinson has appeared in this season can be seen below:

Date Opp. Min Goals Assists YC RC GA
3/26/2011 Sporting KC 1 0 0 0 0 0
4/9/2011 Seattle 90 0 0 1 0 2
4/14/2011 Portland 90 0 0 0 0 4
4/23/2011 Houston 14 0 0 0 0 1
4/30/2011 Colorado 53 0 0 0 0 1
Total 248 0 0 1 0 8

Robinson, who also spent two seasons with the Chicago Fire Premier before being called up by the Fire, will always be remembered for being a part of the 2006 US Open Cup winning team and being a respected figure in the Fire locker room. Robinson is also widely respected across the league for his work with Urban Initiatives’ Work To Play Program. The Chicago Fire certainly wish him the best as he heads for Toronto.

Meanwhile, the acquisition of Gargan looks to be more of a cover for Ristic, who was released in order to free up an international spot in the roster for Pardo. The former Georgetown Hoya made 43 appearances for the Toronto FC and has appeared in 12 matches so far this season, starting in eight of them. Gargan was drafted by the Colorado Rapids in 2006 and has also spent time with Chivas USA and the Puerto Rico Islanders, although he never made an appearance for the former having briefly retiring from the sport for personal reasons.

At age 28, Gargan’s main asset for the Fire will be his versatility. Gargan can play along the back four and has also been positioned in midfield. With the Fire facing an uphill task to qualify for the playoffs, Klopas has looked to strengthen his side as much as possible during this transfer window. While Grazzini and Pardo will look to transform the Fire’s midfield, Gargan will provide depth for the Fire and provide some much needed cover in defense. If each of these players performs the way their capable of during the remainder of the season, Chicago could be on the up.

1 Comment

Filed under News

Tagged as , , , , ,

April 22, 2011 · 1:28 am

Chicago Fire vs. Houston Dynamo: Five things to watch for

Three straight defeats and suspect defending has seen the Chicago Fire slip to eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings, a position few thought they would be in at this stage of the season following such a positive start. The Fire will hope to regain its winning form on Saturday night at Toyota Park when they play host to the Houston Dynamo. The Dynamo are undefeated in their last four matches and travel to Chicago in hopes of piling more misery on the Fire, as well as avoiding a repeat of last year’s corresponding fixture.

The Fire earned the points in this fixture last season, winning 2-0 courtesy of goals from Baggio Husidic and Logan Pause. But with the Dynamo undefeated in four games and the Fire unable to pick up a point in their last three matches, it is anyone’s guess what result Saturday will bring. Here are my top five things to watch for:

1) Defensive Changes – With 11 goals conceded this season, the Fire have yet to keep a clean sheet and have proven to be extremely vulnerable in defense. In fact, only D.C. United has conceded more goals this season (12). The Fire’s defense was put to the sword again last weekend by a weakened Los Angeles Galaxy side and ultimately paid the price for two defensive mistakes. Carlos de los Cobos will be desperate to see his side cut out the mistakes and will most likely shake things up in defense to boost Chicago’s chances of snapping this losing streak. With Cory Gibbs to undergo a late fitness test following the injury he suffered last weekend, Yamith Cuesta is likely to slot in at center-back while Dasan Robinson could step in for Jalil Anibaba at right back. Regardless of who starts in defense for the Fire, an improvement in communication and concentration is necessary if the men in red are to halt the Dynamo.

2) Defense Out, Creativity In – Fire fans have become frustrated after witnessing three straight stuttering performances and there have been a lot of calls for a more dynamic, creative attacking threat in the starting line-up. Mike Videira and Logan Pause have been de los Cobos’ first choice central midfield pairing, but Saturday’s match could see Baggio Husidic or Daniel Paladini earn their first starts of the season alongside captain Logan Pause. Videira is a talented player, but his major strengths are displayed on the defensive side of things. It would be a wise choice for the Fire to deploy Husidic or Paladini in the center of the park in place of Videira. Not only will provide more attacking options, but It will also improve the Fire’s link up play between the forwards and midfield.

3) Playmaker – While the Fire have lacked creativity in the final third, Houston have thrived with the creativity of midfielder Brad Davis. The veteran playmaker recorded 12 assists in each of the two last seasons for the Dynamo and has already tallied three assists this year. Davis was voted as Houston’s MVP last season and he’s one of the reasons the Dynamo find themselves in third place in the Eastern Conference. The Fire will need to keep him under wraps on Saturday. Looking at you Logan Pause…

4) Haunt Your Old Club – On March 23rd, just days before the start of the new season, the Fire announced they had traded Calen Carr to the Houston Dynamo for Dominic Oduro. Unfortunately for Carr, he is still recovering from a concussion and will miss out on the chance to play against his former teammates. Oduro, on the other hand, has every chance of playing against his old club and will look to have a similar impact as he did on Sunday if he does get the nod. Released by Houston because of his inability to finish, Oduro silenced some of the doubters against the Galaxy with a superb finish after coming on as a substitute. Although he may not start against the Dynamo, he will most likely see action at some point and a goal against his old club would go some way to silencing his doubters back in Houston… as well as ensuring the Fire get back to winning ways.

5) Safe Hands – Following Sean Johnson’s performance against Portland earlier this month, de los Cobos has handed veteran goalkeeper Jon Conway a place in the starting lineup in place of Johnson. The defeat to the Galaxy saw Conway concede twice, but in fairness he could hardly be blamed for either goal. Conway will face a tough test against a physical Houston side and it will be interesting to see if he can prove that he deserves his starting berth.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Match Previews

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

April 13, 2011 · 10:17 am

Chicago Fire vs. Portland Timbers: Five things to watch for

As a new era dawns for the Portland Timbers who ready themselves for the club’s first home match in MLS history, the Chicago Fire will look to return to winning ways against the league newcomers. The Fire, playing the Timbers for the first time in history, would like nothing more than to mark its first appearance at the recently refurbished JELD-WEN Field with a win. There should be plenty of excitement in this week’s ‘MLS Match of the Week’, as well as plenty to watch for. Here are my top five things to keep an eye out for:

1)      Home Sweet Home – It would be absurd to say that JEDL-WEN field is a fortress for the Portland Timbers, but you can certainly count on an amped up crowd who have been anticipating this day for years to make lots of noise on Thursday. The players themselves will certainly be riled up as well as they look to provide the fans with a first home victory and demonstrate to the rest of the league that they will be a difficult side to beat at home this season. It’s almost safe to say that the Timbers, particularly its fans, will be more excited for this match than they were for the season opener against Colorado. The Fire will have their work cut out for them if they are to rain on Portland’s parade.

2)       A Familiar Face – Just as it looked like Peter Lowry was beginning to settle down in Chicago, the Timbers selected the Santa Clara graduate in the seventh round of the 2010 MLS Expansion Draft. At the age of 25, many Fire supporters had high hopes for Lowry, but will be unable to witness his true potential in a Fire uniform as Lowry has now become a key figure in this relatively unknown Portland squad. Although he never really got going for the Fire, and despite the fact he may not necessarily be a ‘game changer’, Peter Lowry is still a talented player and the Fire will know they need to keep an eye on him if they want to walk away with three points.

3)      ‘Super Cooper’ – Another player the Fire will know plenty about is Timbers forward Kenny Cooper. He may have most recently plied his trade in Germany, but he has played four seasons in the MLS and has proved he can be quite a handful for opposition defenders. His size and physical prowess make him a huge aerial threat and he isn’t too bad off in the speed department either. Dasan Robinson and Cory Gibbs will have to perform better than they did on Saturday if the Fire hope to keep a clean sheet. Cooper has yet to open his account this season, but his shots to goal ratio is impressive. He’s taken eight shots and managed to get seven of them on target so far (88%). Here’s hoping he doesn’t find the back of the net against the Fire.

4)      Patrick Nyarko – After being on the end of a horrific tackle by Seattle midfielder Servando Carrasco in the Fire’s 2-1 defeat last Saturday, it appeared that Nyarko would be facing time on the sidelines. Thankfully, the Chicago winger only suffered a big bruise and was back in training on Tuesday. He should be available to start against the Timbers but it will be interesting to see if Carlos de los Cobos decides to risk him or keep him on the bench. He’s enjoyed a bright start to the season so far and provided an assist for the Fire’s only goal of the game in the Sounders defeat. It will be a big bonus if Nyarko plays, but keep an eye out for whether he plays as freely as he usually does, or if he even plays at all.

5)      Tightening up the ship – A lot of talk has centered on the success of the Fire’s new Uruguayan strike partnership, but let’s not forget we need to be resolute in defensive areas as well. The Fire defense was exposed on too many occasions last weekend and they can’t afford to put forth a similar performance. Five goals conceded in MLS play this season is slightly worrying, as de los Cobos is most likely aware of, and the Fire will need to demonstrate an improved ability to withhold opposition attacking forces in order to gather the three points against Portland and, hopefully, become a force in this league.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Chicago Fire

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

April 10, 2011 · 5:29 pm

Seattle Sounders Post Match Analysis

The Chicago Fire suffered its first loss of the season on Saturday, losing 2-1 to the previously winless Seattle Sounders at Qwest Field in Seattle, WA. The match started in thrilling fashion as O’Brian White opened the scoring for the Sounders in the sixth minute, only for Diego Chaves to silence the home crowd with an equalizer less than 90 seconds later, his third goal in as many games. Steve Zakuani’s superb solo goal in the 22nd minute would ultimately prove to be the winner. Both sides spurned several good scoring opportunities while Chaves was denied an equalizer by a brilliant save by the evergreen Kasey Keller.

Talking Points:

Opening goal – When I saw Mauro Rosales inswinging cross enter the Fire penalty box, I wouldn’t have given O’Brian White any chance of scoring a goal. Both Dasan Robinson and Jalil Anibaba looked to have sandwiched the Jamaican forward and left him with no chance of getting his head on Rosales’ cross. Yet somehow White managed to beat out both of his markers and direct his header past Sean Johnson and into the back of the net. I was in disbelief; surely he shouldn’t have been allowed to win the ball that easily. Looking at the picture below, the Fire defense look to have White covered. It would be a different scenario if only one defender was marking him, but I was disappointed to see him beat out two Fire defenders to break the deadlock.

Move aside Diego Forlan – Anyone ever doubting Carlos de los Cobos’ decision to bring in an unknown Uruguayan striker must certainly be kicking themselves for doubting the little man. With his equalizer on Saturday, Chaves became the first Chicago Fire player to ever score in each of his first three MLS appearances. He looks capable of being a consistent scorer throughout the season and I still believe he is exactly what the Fire were missing up front last season. He has formed a good partnership with Gaston Puerari and has also linked up extremely well with the Fire midfield. His goal was the perfect response, it was just a shame he and the rest of the team were unable to build on it. If anything, Fire supporters can look forward to seeing him terrorize opposition defenses throughout the season.

The Equalizer – Seattle’s celebrations after seeing White open the scoring were very short-lived. Thanks to great interlinking play between Puerari, Nyarko, and Chaves, the Fire were level within in 90 seconds of Seattle’s goal. Puerari initiated the play, sending a ball through the Sounders defense into the path of Nyarko who then provided a great low cross for Chaves to sweep home, leaving Keller with no chance. It was a great goal by Chaves, particularly when you look at the ground he made up after the ball left Nyarko’s feet and arrived at the six yard box. The pictures below show the distance Chaves made up in order to reach Nyarko’s cross and put the Fire on the scoreboard. Brilliant stuff.

Defensive Errors – I’ve already expressed my disappointment at the manner in which Seattle were allowed to open the scoring, but I felt the Fire were shaky in the back for much of the match. I don’t fault Anibaba too much for Zakuani’s goal, as it is widely known that the Congolese forward is one of the fastest players in the league. Anibaba is not one lacking in speed either, which is a testament to Zakuani’s pace. The Fire were lucky to not to go behind in the 22nd minute when Erik Friberg somehow volleyed over an empty net after Johnson had been beaten to the ball by Rosales. Robinson looked to lack the pace needed to cope with Seattle’s forwards and in the second half Zakuani was able to get past the Fire’s defense with way too much ease. It is an issue that needs addressing, although the absence of Josip Mikulic due to injury certainly didn’t help the Fire’s cause.

Poor Pappa – It is not very often that I criticize Marco Pappa, but on Saturday I felt he was subpar. Then again, he has raised the level of expectation time and time again with so many fine performances in a Fire uniform that I shouldn’t really expect him to always be the best player on the field. Everyone’s allowed a bad day every once in a while and unfortunately Pappa’s came against Seattle. His distribution was not up to scratch and he was unable to get past his man as often as he usually is. In the grand scheme of things, I’m sure this will simply be a bad day at the office for Pappa and I have absolutely no doubts he’ll bounce back with another stellar performance for the Fire. Truth be told, it is certainly possible that I’m judging him too harshly, but in my opinion he really is one of the most talented players in the league and I was hoping he’d be able to further demonstrate why he is up there with the best. Oh well, next time.

Where’s the possession? After the first half, the possession statistic read like this: Seattle – 64% Chicago – 34%. Not being able to maintain possession puts too much pressure on the defense, as we clearly saw, and makes it extremely difficult to create enough chances. In the upcoming fixtures, the Fire will need to do a better job of controlling the midfield and holding on to the ball – although it is often a difficult task in away fixtures like this one.

*If another MLS team uses the headline “[insert team] extinguishes Fire” again this season, I will cringe and call up the club suggesting that they find a more creative online editor. I’m confident the Portland Timbers won’t get the chance to use a similar headline on Thursday, as I definitely believe the Fire will learn from this defeat and return to winning ways ahead their return to Chicago.

Match Highlights

Leave a Comment

Filed under Match Analysis

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,