Fire's reunion with Osorio pushed to sideline for now
As feuds go, the Fire and the New York Red Bulls version doesn't rank with the Hatfields and the McCoys, but it has good entertainment value for Major League Soccer fans.
This is the week the Fire reintroduces itself to former Fire coach and current Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio, who barely stayed in Chicago long enough to learn his players' names.
"The game's an important game," goalkeeper Jon Busch said after Tuesday's practice. "We're not worrying about that. It is what it is. It's an important game for both teams, and that's how we have to look at it. We need those 3 points, they need those 3 points. It has nothing to do with Juan."
Actually, Fire players could have reintroduced themselves to Osorio had the coach not been red-carded in Saturday's 1-1 draw against Kansas City. The red card means he can't be on the sidelines when the Fire travels to Giants Stadium at 2 p.m. Sunday.
That's too bad. The coach was said to be looking forward to Sunday's grudge match, but Osorio told New York-area writer Ives Galarcep, "The Chicago match is like any other important match and I am disappointed that I won't be with my team on the sideline when we face them next Sunday."
It seems ironic he can't be on the sideline with either team.
Former Fire president/general manager John Guppy brought Osorio to Chicago from Colombia last July, and Osorio probably got Guppy fired this spring when the coach bolted for New York in December.
The Fire did get some compensation for Osorio, including a first-round draft pick in February's SuperDraft that the Fire used to select forward Patrick Nyarko, and probably some cash. But the Fire never acknowledged that compensation and refuses to say if there is any more compensation coming. The team just suddenly had New York's pick. You're more likely to see Bermuda win the World Cup than get the team to open up about this.
Then there's Fire defender/midfielder Wilman Conde. Osorio brought Conde with him from Colombia, and Conde spent much of the spring trying to figure out why he couldn't get to New York. The Fire, according to reports, not only refuses to trade him to the Red Bulls but also won't trade him elsewhere in MLS for fear some other team will let him rejoin Osorio.
Finally, the teams have fought over defender/midfielder Lider Marmol, an Osorio discovery when the coach was in Chicago. Soon after Osorio left town, the Fire filed a discovery claim on Marmol with MLS, just beating New York to the punch.
Even after the Fire filed that claim, Marmol trained with the Red Bulls, even traveling to Austria in the preseason with the team while it tried to figure out a way to get him to New York permanently. No dice. The Fire finally signed the Paraguayan a few weeks ago and is eager for him to finalize the details on his visa.
"That's between the managements," Busch said of the off-field controversies. "To be honest, I don't give a (expletive deleted). It's about playing the game. That's for (Fire coach Denis Hamlett) and - I was going to say Mr. Guppy - but (interim team president Javier Leon) now and those guys. That has nothing to do with the players. All that matters is we're ready to go on Sunday and they're ready to go on Sunday. I'm sure it's going to be a good game. They've got a quality team and got some quality players. All the other off-the-field stuff is nonsense."
But it is fun to laugh about during the week.