Not since Rocky traveled to Russia to take down Ivan Drago has there been as bitter a match-up as this Sunday's Fire game in the New Jersey Swamplands.

In attendance should be all the characters who have provided Soccer By Ives with several million hits in the last six months: Juan Carlos Osorio, Wilman Conde and Lider Marmol will all be there, lined up on separate sides of the barricades despite the Red Bulls' best nefarious efforts to gather the Fire's fruit.

Osorio contrived to get himself sent-off in the Red Bulls previous match, a 1-1 draw with Kansas City, for berating officials. This means that the 60-70 Fire fans present will have to scour the crowd to direct their venom at him. Given the Red Bulls usual attendance on Sunday matches he should not be hard to spot, especially with the giant 666 Backdraft has learned he recently had tattooed on his forehead.

Read on for lineup news and bitter talk of revenge.

Three Points, and Osorio's Head on a Stick, Please

Some people will say all that matters is the three points, that this is just another regular season game, and that it's only the play on the field which counts.

To that I say: bollocks, and double bollocks. This one is personal: who amongst us does not feel their heart skip a beat at the thought of Osorio's face should Blanco jink past Claudio Reyna's zimmerframe (though he is, of course, doubtful for the game) and slam home a game-winner from twenty yards?

The beautiful part of the entire farce is that Osorio's departure might have been the best thing for this club; his short-term fix last season was a pragmatic success, but we saw enough of him playing favorites and his dour football to feel freed this season by Denis Hamlett's flexibility in tactics and personnel.

In that vein, it will be interesting to see Hamlett's line-up this weekend.  Playing Chris Rolfe mainly in central midfield last week was not a raging success; Thorrington looks set to return to that position alongside Pause, as long as he seems to have recovered from the back spasms that kept him out last week. 

The backline will surely be unchanged, even though CJ Brown has appeared as a substitute twice this week, in the Reserves game against DePaul on Sunday and last night in the "first team" game against Wisla.  

New signing Lider Marmol received his work visa this week, but is not expected to be thrown right into the deep end. Logan Pause, though, will need to keep working his socks off to keep the impressive Paraguayan from the starting line-up in the near future.

The Conde Conundrum

Wilman Conde did demonstrate his strength and power against Wisla last night, a reminder of his considerable physical talent. But whilst giving him his first start of the season against Osorio's New Jersians would be a delightful twist to this sworded saga, it would be a somewhat reckless gamble by Hamlett to do so given his state of mind.

Further forward, the Fire will need another strong performance from Justin Mapp on the left -- who at the age of 23 discovered he had a right foot last Saturday -- and for Rolfe to return to form on the right, with Carr presumably dropping out. Barrett should start up top, as neither Tomasz Frankowski nor Andy Herron advanced their cases for a starting spot in last night's friendly.

Sunday, of course, will be far from friendly. And unlike Rocky after he's knocked-out Drago ("if I can change... and you can change... everybody can change!"), don't expect Section 8 to show any sympathy towards Osorio if the Fire win.

Take it on the chin, Juan, because you deserve it.

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3 Comments

el tiger May 22, 2008	I have been waiting for this one for a long time. I hope we smash El Ratones' team. I hate New York. I want our beloved Fire to smash them 5 to nil. Conde will probably need some kind of medication, being so close yet so far. Hee Hee... Go Machina Roja!!!
irishsteve May 23, 2008	Fucking shave!
lance fair May 25, 2008	tiger, you know something we don't? that 5-0 prediction wasnt far off. Don't stop living in the Red.