Fire needs to focus as playoffs near
Is the Chicago Fire ready for the playoffs?
Just two games remain in the MLS regular season, the Fire has sewn up a playoff spot and could finish as high as second in the Eastern Conference.
Do you feel good about the team's chances in the postseason?
"Yeah. I think offensively we played very well," goalkeeper Jon Busch said without hesitation after Sunday's hairy 2-2 draw against first-place Columbus.
"We created a lot. (We were) just inches away. And like I said, on the defensive side for 70 minutes or so, we were very good. We lost our focus for a few minutes there when we gave up the 2 goals, but other than that I think we're starting to play well, and it is the right time to play well. So, it's that time of the season."
Busch is right, the attack created many chances.
But more of those chances really should have been finished. And then there's the issue of those few minutes when Columbus struck twice. That loss of "focus" is troubling.
The Fire used to be the best defensive team in MLS, statistically speaking, by a large margin. That margin has shrunk to 2 goals allowed, 28-30 ahead of Columbus.
The Fire used to own the best goal differential in the league. At a plus-9, the team now is tied for second with Houston behind - you guessed it - Columbus.
Columbus came up often in postgame interviews Sunday. Busch played there. Brian McBride played there. There's a good chance the Fire will play there for the East championship.
"We may see them again down the line. If we do, fantastic," Busch said.
By the way, Columbus hasn't lost since Aug. 2, a streak of nine games. The Crew would have lost Sunday, if not for those poor few minutes defensively by the Fire.
That's happened a few times lately, and as the Fire's attack seems to be improving, as McBride and his new teammates learn how each other plays, the team's defense has grown a little soft.
Has anybody else noticed that Busch's goals-against average has risen to 1.00? That he's been on the verge of breaking the team record for shutouts for more than a month now?
The players and coaches were philosophical about giving up a lead Sunday, noting how the team came back to tie the game and clinch that playoff berth.
"We set out as far as the beginning of the season to get back to where we finished the season last year, which was the conference final, and this is the first step toward that," coach Denis Hamlett said. "We're in the playoffs now, and we can sort of put that behind us and sort of refocus and regroup and finish these two games off strong, because we want to have that homefield advantage. And we're in a position where we can do that. We control our own destiny.
"I feel that our goal now is to finish these two games off on the right note, keep building on our last four games (a win, 2 ties and a loss) we have played and go into the playoffs on a good rhythm and a good form.
"I think these guys, they sense now the urgency of the playoffs are near. The MLS Cup is not too far away. So everybody now is starting to get their game concentration up to where it needs to be."
If the Fire wants to get to Columbus, and get past Columbus, the players will need to get their game concentration up to where it needs to be, or they'll have all winter to think about why they didn't.
oschwarz@dailyherald.com