Fire wouldn't mind downing Osorio, Red Bulls
Juan Carlos Osorio has been in this situation before.
One game to play with his team sitting on the cusp of a Major League Soccer playoff berth. Last year, of course, it was with the Fire, and a John Thorrington goal against Los Angeles late in the final regular-season game lifted Chicago into the playoffs.
This year Osorio is with New York, and he brings his Red Bulls to town Thursday night battling for the final three spots with Kansas City, D.C. United, Real Salt Lake and Colorado.
You think Fire fans would see justice in Chicago handing the Red Bulls a loss and possibly keeping "The Professor" out of the postseason after the way he left Chicago last winter?
New York is in with a win, holding its breath for Saturday's and Sunday's games with a loss and I'm not sure there's anyone in MLS headquarters who understands the league playoff system well enough to know what happens if there's a tie in the standings.
Osorio will come to Chicago without two veterans, Jeff Parke and goalkeeper Jon Conway, each of whom picked up a 10-game suspension for using a banned over-the-counter substance.
Still, commissioner Don Garber has to be thrilled the playoff chase is going down to the final weekend and possibly the final game. ESPN has to be happy Chicago and New York will meet Thursday night with something at stake.
Osorio would be thrilled to slip into the playoffs any which way he can and resume rebuilding (or just plain building) the Red Bulls next season.
The Fire?
Ask the players and they will say they don't care about Osorio anymore. He's in the past. They just want get a little momentum and show a little consistency going into the playoffs.
Awards: MLS asked members of the media, including this one, to vote for postseason awards. In the interest of full disclosure, here's my ballot:
MVP: Columbus' Guillermo Barros Schelotto gets the nod over Landon Donovan and Brian Ching. Donovan leads the lead in scoring, but Schelotto leads in assists and Columbus is not only in the playoffs but will win the Supporters' Shield.
Coach of the year: Sigi Schmid of Columbus over Houston's Dominic Kinnear and Real Salt Lake's Jason Kreis. Kreis has his team in playoff range, but RSL is far from its ceiling. Kinnear did well to lead his team back from a poor start due to international competitions cluttering the schedule.
Defender of the year: Jimmy Conrad of Kansas City not only is steady in the back but has scored some key goals for the Wizards, who remain in the playoff hunt due to his leadership. He gets the pick over Columbus' Chad Marshall, who should be considered for national team duty, and the Fire's Gonzalo Segares. Segares might have gotten better than the third vote if the Fire had finished the season better defensively. Teammate Bakary Soumare also should be considered.
Goalkeeper of the year: The Fire's Jon Busch gets the vote here despite the Fire's late-season woes. He gave up just 2-3 bad goals this season and should have been the all-star starter. Matt Reis of New England is No. 2, and Will Hesmer is No. 3. Gotta have a Columbus guy in there somewhere.
Rookie of the year: Do we have to pick someone?
Comeback player of the year: Busch of the Fire bounced back from severe knee injuries, so he gets the vote over New York's Mike Magee, a Chicago-area native, and D.C. United's Santino Quaranta, who battled drug addiction.
The Best XI: Busch, Segares, Marshall, Conrad, Schelotto, Columbus' Robbie Rogers, Sacha Kljestan of Chivas, DC United's Fred, Dwayne DeRosario of Houston, Donovan and Cooper.
oschwarz@dailyherald.com