League pride clearly at stake when Tigres and Fire collide

Posted August 03, 2009 11:00 pm

Orrin Schwarz

If the United States and Mexico national teams consider each other rivals, the same extends to their domestic soccer leagues.

So when Tigres UANL arrives at Toyota Park in Bridgeview on Wednesday to play the SuperLiga championship game, there will be more than a nice trophy and a $1 million check at stake. There's the pride and reputation of each country's first-division league.

"It's something that's there," said Fire coach Denis Hamlett. "You're not just playing for your organization, you're playing for the league too."

So while the teams might not have always used their first-choice players in SuperLiga games, fans can expect to see the best players playing for the title if they're healthy. The Fire's Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Wilman Conde might again rest minor injuries. Hamlett almost always errs on the side of caution with regard to injuries.

"We're trying to win this tournament, so we're going to put our best team on the field," Hamlett said, adding he expects Tigres coach Daniel Guzman to do the same. "It's something we have taken seriously from the get-go, and it's something we want to go out and win."

Tigres will be without Lucas Lobos, who earned a red card in the semifinals and will be suspended for the final.

A Fire win would be a reversal of the teams' first meeting in this tournament, a 2-1 Tigres victory in first-round play at Toyota Park in June.

The Fire will have home-field advantage, though like many games involving Mexican teams in the United States, the Fire might not have the home crowd behind it, and the team is expecting to come close to filling Toyota Park. Then again it might be to the Fire's benefit to feel like it's playing away from home. While it went 2-1 in SuperLiga games played in Toyota Park - the loss coming after the two wins gave the Fire a good first-round cushion - the Fire has won just three of nine Major League Soccer games at home this season.

"Whenever you can play at home it's an advantage, you're in front of your home fans, you don't have to travel," Hamlett said, dismissing the home-field disadvantage theory. "I'd rather play at home than go to Mexico."

But while Tigres is just starting its Mexico Primera Division season and should have fresh legs, the Fire is in the middle of what has been a busy couple of months of MLS, U.S. Open Cup and SuperLiga games. Hamlett believes his players can tough out another midweek game sandwiched between weekend league games and squeak out a victory.

"When you're playing in a final everything goes out the door," Hamlett said. "You find an extra gear because you're playing for a championship."

"It's good for us," Soumare added. "Anytime you can fill the trophy case it's exciting. The final, especially at home, that we're excited about. - We're looking forward to Wednesday night. Hopefully, there will be a good crowd and hopefully we'll get to celebrate in front of the home crowd."

What's long distance? Bakary Soumare, a native of the African country of Mali, on returning to Chicago from last Wednesday's All-Star Game in Salt Lake City for last Saturday's Fire game.

"When you fly to Mali 15 hours, a three-hour flight is nothing," Soumare said with a laugh. "It's easy."

Correction: Last week in this space I wrote that Bakary Soumare's contract with the Fire expires after this season. In fact, the club holds an option to extend Soumare's contract. I regret the error.

oschwarz@dailyherald.com

Scouting report Tigres UANL at Chicago Fire When: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Toyota Park What: SuperLiga championship match TV: TeleFutura. Scouting Tigres UANL: United States national-team fans will want to check out left back Edgar Castillo, a New Mexico native who has talked about switching his international eligibility to the United States from Mexico. He's dangerous moving forward into the attack. Tigres won the teams' first-round meeting in June. Scouting the Fire: After missing Saturday's game with nagging injuries, Cuauhtemoc Blanco (ankle) and Wilman Conde (hamstring) places in the lineup will be game-day decisions. Otherwise expect the Fire to start its first-stringers. The Fire is playing its best soccer of the season. Next: at Houston, Sunday.

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