Tag Archives: Gaston Puerari

June 17, 2011 · 8:02 am

New England Revolution vs. Chicago Fire: Five things to watch for

Following a momentous win in Columbus last weekend, the Chicago Fire continue their stretch away from Toyota Park with a trip to rivals New England Revolution on Saturday (kick-off at 6:30 p.m.) in hopes of maintaining that winning feeling. Christian Nazarit ended the Fire’s 11 match winless streak with a goal from close range in the 90th minute of the Fire’s 1-0 win over the Crew to give the men in red their first league win since March 26th. New England could now find themselves in a similar situation, having lost their last four matches and slipping to 7th place in the Eastern Conference, level on points with Chicago.

Form guide:

New England: W-L-L-L-L

Chicago: D-D-D-D-W

Five things to watch for:

  1. Gold Cup regrets? – Having rejected Grenada’s invitation to represent his country in the Gold Cup, Sharie Joseph opted to stay back with the Revolution and help the club move up the standings. The result has not been what he and the Revs would have hoped for, however. Four defeats on the trot has seen New England slide down the standings, with Joseph particularly struggling the past couple of matches. That said, Joseph remains the leading scorer for the Revs with four goals and has proven himself capable of being a match winner in the past, meaning the Fire should still be cautious of what he brings to the table.
  2. Tightening the ship – After shipping goals from almost everywhere on the pitch in the early stages of the season, the Fire have finally come to grips at the back. Yamith Cuesta and Cory Gibbs have established a burgeoning partnership at the heart of defense, while Gonzalo Segares has continued his fine form at left back. Both Bratislav Ristic and Jalil Anibaba have deputized at right back and have helped contribute to three consecutive clean sheets for the Fire. Sean Johnson also looks to his best, causing us to wonder why he was ever kept out of the side for so long by Carlos de los Cobos. A clean sheet on Saturday will equal the club’s record of four straight clean sheets. Can the Fire maintain their defensive form and keep New England out?
  3. Runaway top scorer – The Fire couldn’t really ask for a better opportunity to equal its record of consecutive clean sheets. The Revolution have scored just three goals in the last seven matches and looked out of sorts in front of goal during their 0-0 draw with Toronto FC on Wednesday night. In fact, only Joseph has managed to score more than one goal for the Revs this season. Seven players are tied in second with one goal apiece and the club’s total haul of 11 goals scored this season is a league low.
  4. Attacking options – With Gaston Puerari being transferred to Club Atlas on Wednesday and Marco Pappa still on Gold Cup duty with Guatemala, the Fire’s attacking options will be slightly limited. Patrick Nyarko and Dominic Oduro will most likely start on the wings while Nazarit could partner Diego Chaves up front. If this is the case, we could see Orr Barrouch make yet another substitute appearance if the Fire need more attacking talent on the field as the match progresses. Barrouch has made 12 appearances this season, all of which have been off the bench.
  5. And then there was one little Uruguayan– Puerari’s departure means a greater burden will be placed on Chaves to deliver the goods (despite Puerari not contributing much in terms of goals). Nazarit will need to contribute as well, but he’s still young and finding his feet in the MLS. Chaves started the season in terrific form but hasn’t scored since his opener in the 1-1 home draw with Houston on April 23rd. The Fire will certainly be hoping for a few more goals out of him. Saturday wouldn’t be too bad of a time to score one.

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June 15, 2011 · 6:17 pm

Gaston Puerari Transfer a Good Thing for the Chicago Fire

Gaston Puerari celebrates after scoring his only league goal for the club against Sporting KC.

Just four and a half months and 14 MLS league appearances after signing with the Chicago Fire, the club have announced that Puerari has been transferred to Club Atlas for an undisclosed fee. Rumors began to circulate late Wednesday morning about a possible move and by early afternoon the transfer became official.

The transfer has been met with mixed reactions from Fire supporters, with so many developing a fondness for the 25-year-old Uruguayan striker during his short stint in Chicago. He was revered for his effort on the pitch and his kind personality off it, earning himself plenty of fans by being willing to take time to sign autographs for supporters at most home matches.

On the pitch, I’ve always likened him to a Carlos Tevez – although certainly not because of his personality or finishing ability. Whether starting a match or coming off the bench, Puerari gave his all and would hassle defenses, make runs, chase balls and give every ounce of energy he had while he was on the field. Teams need players with that type of attitude and that enduring effort.

Unfortunately for Puerari this team needed a little bit more than that from him. It’s safe to say he struggled in front of goal and failed to provide the goals the Fire desperately needed out of him and was also guilty of missing several golden one-on-one opportunities early in the season. The underlining fact is one goal in 14 appearances is a disastrous goal return for any striker. That’s a goals per game average of 0.07%. Ouch.

The Fire undoubtedly had high hopes for his partnership with fellow countryman Diego Chaves, but after a disappointing campaign thus far, it now makes sense for the Fire to seek other options. It also makes perfect sense for the Fire to free up an international spot in the roster as the Fire previously had all seven spots filled, leaving room for Frank Klopas to go out and sign a player of high caliber in the approaching transfer window.

I myself had high hopes for the little man. However, this transfer shows that the Fire are moving in the right direction – just as long as they sign someone who is a lot more productive than Puerari was during his short career with the Fire. That said, I speak for most Chicago Fire fans in wishing Puerari the best at his new club and look forward to seeing who Klopas and co. bring in to replace him.

 

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June 12, 2011 · 6:02 pm

Columbus Crew vs. Chicago Fire Post Match Analysis

After dominating the Columbus Crew for 90 minutes, it seemed that it was going to be yet another one of those days for the Fire. Another scoreless draw and another week without a win, a feeling everyone associated with the club has been forced to get used to the past two and a half months. Up stepped substitute Christian Nazarit in the 90th minute, however, to fire home the winning goal after some fine play by fellow substitute Orr Barrouch to give the Fire a very vital three points.

Talking Points:

Domination – Despite being on the road for the second consecutive match, it simply didn’t feel like an away match. For starters, 400 supporters from Section 8 made the trip down to Columbus and really made their presence felt. Chants of ‘Chicago Fire’ drowned out any noise the Crew supporters attempted to make. The Fire responded to the support and dominated play for the majority of the 90 minutes, creating several good scoring opportunities in the first half and preventing the Crew from getting anything going on the attacking end. The Fire started the second half where they left off in the first half, dominating possession and creating chances aplenty. Columbus failed to really test Sean Johnson and there only ever looked like being one winner. In the end, the Fire got what they deserved by capping off a commanding performance with a goal that ended a 321 minute scoring drought. The faces of the Fire players and coaches, as well as the traveling supporters, was evidence of just how much that goal meant.

Off the mark – Christian Nazarit couldn’t have asked for a better time to score his first goal for the club. The goal may have been down to a great dribble in the box and good shot on goal by Barrouch, but Nazarit was at the right place at the right time to slot the crucial goal from close range. And after scoring such a dramatic winner, it will be interesting to see how much that goal boosts his confidence. Don’t expect Nazarit to start banging in the goals, but look for him to tally a few more goals in the upcoming weeks.

Section 8 – After making the trip to Kansas City on Thursday, Section 8 hopped back on the bus on Sunday morning to head to Columbus, Ohio to make their presence felt once again. Section 8 drowned out the rest of Crew stadium for parts of the match and proved once again why the Chicago Fire have the best supporters in the MLS. They fully deserved to see a win today and I’m happy they got one. So much for the home side having a 12th man.

Another clean sheet – It’s three clean sheets in a row for Sean Johnson and the Chicago Fire. After seeing the team ship too many to start off the campaign, it’s extremely satisfying to see the team performing admirably in defense. Cory Gibbs and Yamith Cuesta were solid once again at the heart of defense, while Gonzalo Segares continued in his rich vein of form. The main standout for me today though was Jalil Anibaba. Drafted back into the starting lineup in place of Bratislav Ristic, Anibaba put in a fantastic performance and was a nightmare for the Crew to go up against at times. The 22-year-old made several crunching tackles and surely deserves another place in the starting eleven next week at New England.

Filling the void – With Marco Pappa away on international duty, the Fire needed someone to step up in his place. Patrick Nyarko answered the call today. Making his first start since suffering a concussion earlier in the season, Nyarko was a constant threat down the left wing and did well on a number of occasions to get to the byline and create opportunities for Chaves and Puerari. After a great performance, Nyarko was deservingly named the man of the match.

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June 10, 2011 · 8:29 pm

Sporting Kansas City vs. Chicago Fire Post Match Analysis

All of the talk prior to Thursday’s match centered around Sporting Kansas City’s new stadium, but after 90 frustrating minutes the only thing on the Fire’s minds was yet another match without a win. It’s been 75 days and 11 matches since the Fire finished a match on top. Despite coming close to breaking that streak on several occasions the Fire never really looked like earning all three points at LIVESTRONG Park.

Talking points:

Offensive inefficiencies – It’s not the first time this season the Fire have failed to find their offensive rhythm and at it won’t be the last. Christian Nazarit tested KC goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen with a fine header in the first half, but otherwise saw very little of the ball and looked more and more tired as the match progressed. Gaston Puerari worked his socks off once again but was ultimately inefficient on the attacking side of things while Diego Chaves, who had been dropped to bench for a well earned rest, entered the fray in the second half but never looked like getting anything going. Dominic Oduro was the most threatening for the Fire, using his speed to create several opportunities while forcing Nielsen into several saves before the Danish ‘keeper received his marching orders for handling outside the penalty box.

Sega – One major bright side from the Fire’s past two draws is the form of Gonzalo Segares. Apart from an early misjudged header in his own box early in the first half, the Fire’s first choice left-back was in fine form and proved difficult for KC to get past. Yamith Cuesta and Cory Gibbs also looked solid on Thursday. Note: Segares wore a black armband to honor the death of his girlfriend’s mother.

PaldadiniXI – After all the calls for Daniel Paladini to start for the Fire, the former NASL midfielder has started and impressed in back-to-back matches. He looks intent to shoot from outside whenever he can and who can blame him. His powerful drive in the first half looked goal bound only for a vital deflection to interfere while his long range effort in the second half was spilled by Eric Kronberg, allowing substitute Orr Barouch to come inches away from giving the Fire the lead.

Penalty drama – Following Barouch’s effort that cannoned off the cross bar, Omar Bravo found himself with possession in the Fire penalty box only for Bratislav Ristic to interfere with a stalwart challenge that grounded the former Mexican forward. The disapproval of LIVESTRONG Park was clearly evident as referee Michael Kennedy opted against giving KC what initially appeared like a clear penalty. Upon review, however, it appears Kennedy was spot on (no pun intended) in his decision not to award the home side a penalty kick. His decision is still up for debate, but Ristic looks to have just gotten enough of the ball to fairly thwart Bravo.

What rivalry? – A lot of the talk heard from Kansas City this season has not been about their new stadium, but instead about this new rivalry with the Chicago Fire. As for the Fire, the club has never considered KC to be a rival and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Rivalries aren’t made overnight, they are built over time and Thursday’s match did little in devel

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May 1, 2011 · 12:33 pm

Colorado Rapids vs. Chicago Fire Post Match Analysis

The Chicago Fire continued its winless streak on Saturday night with a 1-1 draw against the Colorado Rapids at Dick Sporting Goods Park. Similar to last weekend’s draw against Houston, the Fire went ahead in the first half but were pegged back by a second half. Marco Pappa, wearing the captain’s armband for the first time in Pause’s absence, opened the scoring with a close-range finish after a delightful cross from Dominic Oduro. But three minutes after the restart, Andre Apkan scored his first goal in his MLS career with a powerful finish past Jon Conway. The result leaves the Fire in eighth place in the Easter Conference with six points from seven games (1-3-3).

Talking points:

Possession - Carlos de los Cobos introduced a 4-1-4-1 formation for the first time this season in hopes of seeing the Fire control possession, but it was Colorado who enjoyed the bulk of possession on Saturday. The first half in particular saw the Rapids control possession as the Fire’s five man midfield failed to really grab a hold of the match. The fact that the Rapids had 67% of possession in the first half speaks volumes. Daniel Paladini, who was making his first league appearance for the club, failed to make an impact and gave the ball away too easily while Corben Bone was even less effective before being substituted for Orr Barouch after 77 minutes.

Big Pappa – The Guatemalan proved once again why he is one of the Fire’s most reliable players. His goal in the 42nd minute was against the run of play and can be credited to some fine build up play involving Gaston Puerari and Oduro. As the picture below demonstrates, Puerari did superbly to find Oduro in open space with a perfectly lofted pass. Oduro’s pace then allowed him to burst towards the penalty box before finding Pappa with a sublime low cross.

Gaston Puerari finds Dominic Oduro in space in the build up to Marco Pappa's goal

Yamith Cuesta – After back-to-back starts in place of the injured Cory Gibbs in which Cuesta performed admirably, the Columbian failed to replicate those performances against a speedy Colorado attack. Cuesta was beaten all too often by Apkan in particular, most notably for the equalizing goal. The Fire have done well to go in front these past two matches, but if they want to hold a lead and secure all three points they need to improve its defense. Players like Cummings and Apkan can’t be given room to run at the Fire’s defense and cause damage.

Wing Play – One of the few positives to come out of the 4-1-4-1 formation was the freedom given to the wingers. The majority of the Fire’s scoring opportunities were generated from the wing and Pappa’s goal can be credited to good play on the right wing by Dominic Oduro. Whether having freedom on the flanks is worth being overrun in central midfield, well, that’s a topic certainly up for debate. In fairness, the Bone and Palidini were making their first appearances of the season and the Fire’s midfield may have been more effective if Pause was healthy.

Not a month to remember – The result not only leaves the Fire just two points off last place in the Eastern Conference, but caps off a winless month. It is the first time the men in red have gone winless in April and it represents the Fire’s worst ever start to a season. Most of the high expectations entering the season have since been dashed by a string of disappointing results. It is still relatively early in the season, but the Fire really cannot afford to continue in this pattern.

Colorado Rapids vs. Chicago Fire Match Highlights

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