BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. – Frank Yallop could face his most difficult selection decision of the season when he names his starting lineup for the visit of the Seattle Sounders on Saturday.
Yallop’s injury-hit Chicago Fire, bottom of the Eastern Conference with just four wins from 16 games (4-9-3, 15 points) host the Western Conference leaders (10-7-2, 32 points) with a depleted roster that has been decimated by injuries to key players (8:30 pm ET, MLS LIVE).
Shaun Maloney (back spasms) and Jeff Larentowicz (herniated disc in neck) are definitely out, while center back Adailton (groin) and winger David Accam (hamstring) are doubtful but might see some time off the bench. Recent recruit Ty Harden, who might have slotted in at center back in the absence of Larentowicz and Adailton, is also doubtful with a long-standing hamstring injury, while left back Joevin Jones is on international duty with Trinidad & Tobago.
Larentowicz’s absence is particularly worrying after an MRI scan on Tuesday showed a herniated disc in his neck, which could bring a premature end to his season if surgery is required. The club is monitoring the situation closely before making a decision.
Those six potential absentees means Yallop will have to perform some serious patchwork to his side, and could see versatile rookie midfielder Matt Polster slot in alongside Eric Gehrig at centerback with Greg Cochrane continuing at left back.
Following last week’s comeback 1-1 tie at Western Conference strugglers Houston Dynamo, Yallop is all too aware of the challenge facing his side, but insisted this week that he would approach the game as he does every game, trying to win it.
“I don’t think things change,” Yallop told reporters this week when asked about his thoughts on the visit of high-flying Seattle. “We’ve tried every game to try to win, I’ve never tried to go out and get a tie, everything that we’ve planned is to get a win. Maybe it doesn’t always look that way but we’re trying to, the coaches and the players. This game is obviously a tough game, but we’re at home, I just want us to have a more forceful game than we did [in the 1-0 defeat] against D.C. [United], I don’t think we were dangerous enough in that match.”
Although his hand will be weakened by his mounting injury list, Yallop is enthused by the return of Mike Magee, with the 2013 MLS MVP potentially set for his first start of the regular season on Saturday. Patrick Nyarko is also available and hoping to build off of his game-tying goal in Houston last week.
“Mike is now looking more like himself,” Yallop revealed, “He still has a ways to go to get back to full sharpness and fitness, but Mike Magee as we’ve seen in the last two games is dangerous and we’ve missed him. He’s good to go and we can have that little bit extra oomph around the goal that we need.”
While acknowledging the importance of Saturday’s game, Accam believes it is too early for this game to define the Fire’s season, especially with 18 games remaining.
“I don’t think Saturday’s game can define our season, no matter the result,” the Ghanaian international told MLSsoccer.com. “We still have a lot of games to play, but we do need to get three points on Saturday.
“Every game in MLS is a tough game and for us, we are playing at home, and if we give our best, we give 100 percent and we concentrate for more than 90 minutes, then we can get the three points. We really need the three points, I think the guys are working really hard. I don’t have any doubt we can win the game, we can win the game on Saturday.”
