Tag Archives: Yamith Cuesta

July 12, 2011 · 6:59 pm

Chicago teaches NYRB a lesson, both on and off the field in US Open Cup win

In Tuesday night’s US Open Cup quarter-final at Toyota Park, the Chicago Fire proved why they are the kings of the cup while the New York Red Bulls proved, well, quite frankly, why they aren’t. The men in red strolled to a comfortable 4-0 win to book their place in the semi-finals of the oldest club soccer competition in America.

As for the Red Bulls, they’ll be asking questions of manager Hans Backe for fielding a predominantly reserve team despite the team not scheduled to play again until a late Saturday kick-off against Chivas USA. If the Red Bulls’ team sheet wasn’t a big enough indication of the visitor’s lack of desire to advance in this tournament, then the fact that only three players were on the substitution bench summed it all up for New York.

Frank Klopas demonstrated the Fire’s intentions to win the US Open Cup by making only one change to the side that lost 2-1 to the Los Angeles Galaxy during the weekend. Josip Mikulic filled in for Cory Gibbs, who was reported to have been suffering from a stomach virus.

They say soccer isn’t played on paper but in this match, it might as well have been. The Fire started strongly and within seven minutes Dominic Oduro fired the home team into a 1-0 lead. Despite dominating the remainder of the first half, the Fire failed to double their advantage going into the break.

That would all change just minutes into the second half when Yamith Cuesta scored a wonderful header to put Chicago on the brink of a semi-final berth. And as if there was ever any doubt, Orr Barouch stepped off the bench to grab a brace and give the Fire a deserved, as well as expected, 4-0 win.

The match may be remembered for New York’s decision to field such a weakened team, but credit should be given to the Fire for making a statement of intent in this competition by playing a full strength team and demonstrating the importance of the US Open Cup. The New York Red Bulls’ players will have learned a thing or two on the pitch today, but ultimately it is their management who really need to learn something from this US Open Cup quarter-final.

The Chicago Fire will now play the winner of Sporting Kansas City vs. Richmond Kickers on August 30th.

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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 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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April 25, 2011 · 9:21 am

Chicago Fire vs. Houston Dynamo Post Match Analysis

The Chicago Fire appeared destined to take all three points against the Houston Dynamo on Saturday night, but an 83rd minute header by Bobby Boswell meant the Fire were forced to settle for a draw. Despite picking up its first point in four matches, the draw felt more like a defeat – for both players and fans – after the Fire had started so brightly. Diego Chaves fired Chicago in front on 18 minutes following some tricky play by Marco Pappa and a fortunate deflection into his path. The goal was well taken and certainly had Toyota Park believing the Fire could finally snap their winless streak. Dominic Oduro could and should have cemented what would have been a vital win in the 66th minute, but the former Dynamo striker could only manage to clip the crossbar on a one-on-one with Dynamo goalkeeper Tally Hall. The miss would prove costly in the end as the Fire extended its winless streak to four games.

Talking Points:

Diego does it – When the announcement came that the Fire had signed Diego Chaves from Nacional, very few people were predicting that this little Uruguayan would already have four goals to his name at this stage of the season. But in just six matches played, Chaves has already proven his worth and has quickly established himself as the Fire’s main scoring threat. His latest was a clinical yet powerful strike that left Hall with absolutely no chance. It is great to see Chaves flourishing so far and if it wasn’t for the Fire’s stuttering start to the season, I think you would be hearing a lot more people talking about him.

Fans get their wishes – Following the LA Galaxy defeat last weekend, Fire fans were pleading for Carlos de los Cobos to mix things up in midfield in the lead up to Saturday’s match. With Logan Pause and Mike Videira proving to be an ineffective central midfield pairing, most fans would have been thrilled to see Baggio Husidic’s name in the starting XI. Considering his lack of playing time in recent weeks, Husidic put forth an impressive shift in place of Videira. Offering more creativity and attacking impetus, Husidic linked well with Chaves and Oduro and the rest of his midfield counterparts. He may not have had a standout game, but he did the simple things well, was composed on the ball and looked to move the ball forward as much as possible. I think he could be the answer to the Fire’s midfield problems.

Off the line – Drafted into the starting lineup for the first time this season, Yamith Cuesta performed admirably in the center of defense for the Fire. Fans were singing Cuesta’s praises in the 23rd minute after the giant defender was on hand to clear Will Bruin’s effort off the line after Josip Mikulic and Jon Conway had been beaten. Although slightly at fault for Houston’s equalizer, Cuesta was impressive for the most part on Saturday and I will certainly feature in plenty more matches for the Fire this season.

One-on-one – It’s a striker’s dream: You’ve been put through on goal by a teammate and the only thing standing between you and the goal is the ‘keeper. More often than not, it’s a certain goal. But that hasn’t been the case for the Chicago Fire this season. Oduro became the latest player to be guilty of missing a glorious one-on-one opportunity after kissing the crossbar with a shot from 12 yards out when instead he should have been celebrating doubling the Fire’s lead. Gaston Puerari, who ironically was left out for Oduro, missed similar opportunities against FC Dallas and the Seattle Sounders earlier this season. The next training session better involve plenty of finishing practice for the Fire forwards.

Stoppage Time – When the fourth official indicated seven minutes of time would be added on, I thought the Fire had a great chance of snatching a late winner. To both my disappointment and the majority of the 12,473 fans in Toyota Park’s frustration, the Fire failed to create a single genuine scoring opportunity. Being the home side and a team without a league win since March 26th, wouldn’t you expect the Fire to at least do a better job of creating goal scoring opportunities late in the match? Instead, the Dynamo looked the more likely team to grab the decisive winner.

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