then just before the hour mark, the home side took the lead on a lightning-quick counter from a corner kick. A quick clearance found Nicolas Hernandez on the left, and he raced forward before knocking a long pass into the path of Herculez Gomez. Gomez carried into the area with two defenders in hot pursuit before curling a shot under Matt Pickens and inside the far post from the left side of the box (58).
• Yet the Fire finally found their way through five minutes from the end. Chris Rolfe skipped through a couple of tackles and clipped a short pass to Chad Barrett, all alone in the Rapids penalty area after the Colorado defense had stepped forward. Barrett quickly brought the ball down and slotted under an advancing Bouna Coundoul for the equalizer.
• Here's Clavijo's team (4-4-2): Bouna Coundoul - Brandon Prideaux, Ugo Ihemelu, Mike Petke, Greg Vanney - Terry Cooke (Dan Gargan 88), Kyle Beckerman, Jovan Kirovski (Pablo Mastroeni 29), Herculez Gomez - Roberto Brown, Nicolas Hernandez. Substitutes Not Used: Jose Cancela, Nico Colaluca, Jacob Peterson, Zach Thornton, Chris Wingert
• Here's Sarachan's team (3-4-1-2): Matt Pickens - C.J. Brown (Thiago 46), Jim Curtin (Calen Carr 79), Gonzalo Segares - Logan Pause, Chris Armas, Diego Gutierrez (Pascal Bedrossian 70), Ivan Guerrero - Justin Mapp - Chad Barrett, Chris Rolfe. Substitutes Not Used: Jon Busch, Brian Plotkin, Dasan Robinson, Osei Telesford
CHICAGO FIRE
The Chicago Fire lost for the sixth time in their last eight games in what eventually became Dave Sarachan's last contest in charge of the club, losing 3-1 to D.C. United at RFK Stadium on June 16. The Fire now have 14 points from 12 matches, in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of Toronto FC and one behind the Columbus Crew.
LAST MATCH
• United had won four of their last five while unbeaten since opening the season with three consecutive losses, while the Fire had won just once since the start of May.
• The Black-and-Red took advantage of some real errors to take a commanding lead by early in the second half. In just the sixth minute, Fred drove in a low cross from the left that Fire 'keeper Matt Pickens was unable to control on the short hop, and Rod Dyachenko blasted it into the goal from almost on the line for the simplest of finishes for his first professional goal.
• In the 25th minute, Luciano Emilio was kept onside on a ball played over the Fire line by Christian Gomez, and as Pickens raced off his line, the Brazilian lobbed the ball over the 'keeper's head for his second goal in as many games. Then just after the break, Emilio added to his haul, Pickens again spilling a shot from Gomez and Emilio bundling it over the line with his body (51).
• The Fire pulled a goal back three minutes when a pass was filtered through for Jerson Monteiro, and after side-stepping Facundo Erpen, the Angolan-born rookie finished inside the left-hand post for his first professional goal.
• In his final game in charge, Dave Sarachan made three changes to the team that lost 1-0 to Chivas USA in Bridgeview. Jeff Curtin replaced brother Jim in the back four, and Floyd Franks and Jordan Russolillo came into the wide midfield positions for Brian Plotkin and Willian Oliveira.
• Here's Sarachan's team (4-4-2): Matt Pickens - Dasan Robinson (Brian Plotkin 70), C.J. Brown, Jeff Curtin, Gonzalo Segares - Floyd Franks (Jerson Monteiro 46), Diego Gutierrez, Bakary Soumare, Jordan Russolillo (Willian Oliveira 46) - Chad Barrett, Calen Carr. Substitutes Not Used: Mike Banner, Jon Busch, Jim Curtin, Daniel Woolard
• "[While] the losing is not easy, and it is hard on all of us ... chalking up minutes for these guys is still important because until we get healthy, I think we are going to have to rely on them," Sarachan said. "Hopefully they learned from it, and now the next time they get that chance it will be a better result."
TEAM NEWS
• In the days following the match, Dave Sarachan was relieved of his duties as head coach of the Fire. Sarachan posted a career record of 55-50-31 in league games with the Fire, leading the club to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title twice (2003, 2005) and also named MLS Coach of the Year in 2003.
• Denis Hamlett, an assistant coach for 10 seasons with the Fire, was named interim head coach. "(T)his is part of the business, and it's all about results,'' Hamlett said. ''We've had only one win and a tie for four points in the last month and a half. We went through a similar stretch last year. Then we turned the corner, had a great run and won the Open Cup. This year, we've held on. In all the games, the players competed and never quit. We didn't get the desired results. But we still got 14 points to remain in the middle of the pack.
• "The first thing we've got to do is to get guys healthy. And for me, the most important thing is to have an environment where guys keep telling each other they can compete, push each other and try to become a good team. Bob Bradley did it when he was here. Dave did it. So we've got to get things back to where guys get out, challenge, push each other and become better."
• The players took responsibility for Sarachan's dismissal. "There's definitely a bad taste in our mouths, because he got fired for the way we've been playing," forward Chad Barrett said. "Unfortunately in professional sports, a lot of people aren't patient enough to wait a few weeks until guys are back from injury."
• In Hamlett's first action as interim head coach, the Fire took on Polish side MKS Cracovia, winning 1-0 through a Willian Oliveira goal in the 36th minute. ''It was an entertaining game with good scoring chances for each side,'' Hamlett said. ''It's not about me. It's about the Chicago Fire. I just told the guys to go out and enjoy themselves. They're professionals. They went out and played with passion and togetherness. Any time you win is good. And this is definitely good for our morale.''
• The Fire held an 8-2 edge in shots, and Hamlett gave starts to two players - Jerson Monteiro and goalkeeper Jon Busch - who had yet to start a game for the Fire this year. "We had planned for Jon to get the start (Friday) and he played very well," Hamlett said. "He made some great saves and some key saves. The reason we got him was we knew we got a solid guy who could push Matt (Pickens) and come in at anytime. He also did a good job of controlling his defenders."
• Here's Hamlett's team: Jon Busch, C.J. Brown, Diego Gutierrez, Dasan Robinson (Jeff Curtin 64), Calen Carr, Willian Oliveira (Mike Banner 73), Brian Plotkin, Bakary Soumare, Gonzalo Segares, Chad Barrett, Jerson Monteiro (Floyd Franks 86). Substitutes Not Used: Jim Curtin, Nick Noble, Jordan Russolillo, Daniel Woolard
• After seeing the CONCACAF Gold Cup final played in their former home stadium, the USA defeating Mexico 2-1 at Soldier Field, the Fire learned it will be a bit longer to wait for Cuauhtémoc Blanco, the club's designated player. He was named to Mexico's team for Copa America, meaning he would not be available until the Fire's July 7 home match against Toronto FC at the earliest, but more likely the July 12 game against Houston.
• On Friday, the Fire announced the signing of 23-year-old Brazilian midfielder Bruno Menezes, from São Carlos FC of the Paulista Série A3, the third level of the Sao Paulo state championship. An outside right midfielder who is fast and tireless on the flank, he carries the ball with confidence, and is attentive to both sides of the transition. He joins the Fire after spending a year with São Carlos FC (2007) and União São João (2006), and spending three years with Mogi Mirim (2002-2005).
COLORADO RAPIDS
The Colorado Rapids saw their losing streak reach five games - the club's longest in nearly a decade - as they fell 4-1 to D.C. United on Thursday at RFK Stadium in the first leg of their Eastern road swing. The Rapids still sit in fourth place in the Western Conference with 15 points from 14 matches, two points behind Chivas USA and 10 in back of conference-leading FC Dallas.
LAST MATCH
• D.C. United had seen their seven-game unbeaten run come to an end the weekend before, while the Rapids were looking to avoid going 0-for-June, their last win coming on May 26.
• In a place where they hadn't won since 1999, the Rapids got off to a terrific start. A wonderful crossfield ball from Colin Clark found Terry Cooke on the right, and he whipped in a short cross that Jacob Peterson snapped home from a header in the 19th minute.
• But United pulled level in the 34th minute on an odd play. On the ground, with the ball bobbling around him, Rapids defender Greg Vanney reached out and appeared to grab it. Referee Alex Prus allowed play to continue, and after Nicholas Addlery fired wide, he whistled for the penalty kick. Christian Gomez stepped up and converted from the spot for his fourth goal on the season.
• United broke the game open after the break. In the 71st minute, Fred served in a corner from the left and Addlery stuck his head in front of defender Brandon Prideaux to nod home his first career MLS goal.
• Then after a weather delay of nearly half an hour, the Black-and-Red killed off the game with two goals in six minutes. Fred claimed one for himself, playing a 1-2 off the left touchline with Addlery before sliding a rolling shot under Colorado 'keeper Bouna Coundoul from inside the area (82).
• Then Luciano Emilio finished off the match in the 87th minute, running onto a perfectly weighted pass from Gomez and slotting it past Coundoul from the left of the area for his seventh goal on the campaign and fifth in the last four games.
• Rapids head coach Fernando Clavijo made five changes to the team that lost 1-0 to FC Dallas the Saturday before. Ugo Ihemelu was suspended, Kyle Beckerman and Herculez Gomez were on international duty and Conor Casey was out with a hamstring injury. Jovan Kirovski went to the substitutes' bench, as Dan Gargan came into the back four, Jacob Peterson started alongside Nicolas Hernandez up top, and Daniel Wasson and Colin Clark made their first starts, joining returning international Pablo Mastroeni in a new-look midfield.
• Here's Clavijo's team (4-4-2): Bouna Coundoul - Dan Gargan, Brandon Prideaux, Mike Petke (Chris Wingert 29), Greg Vanney - Terry Cooke, Pablo Mastroeni (Stephen Keel 71), Daniel Wasson (Roberto Brown 77), Colin Clark - Jacob Peterson, Nicolas Hernandez. Substitutes Not Used: Jose Cancela, Nico Colaluca, Jovan Kirovski, Zach Thornton
• "I thought in the first half we played pretty well. We had a couple chances, made some mistakes, gave a penalty, then little by little, Petke went out, Mastroeni went out, and we tried to compensate. I am disappointed right now, very very disappointed," Clavijo said.
TEAM NEWS
• With the number of front-line absences, Clavijo ran out Clark for the first time in league play this year, while Wasson had made only previous appearance, as a substitute. In their rookie seasons, Clark made three starts among seven outings; Wasson made 17 appearances with seven starts.
• "We lost Conor Casey [to injury] and Ugo Ihemelu to a red card suspension. We know that Kyle [Beckerman] and Herculez Gomez are out [with the U.S. national team at Copa America], but we need to give more opportunities to the young guys and hopefully expect them to perform," Clavijo said.
• In addition to Petke, who was taken off in the first half after suffering a lower leg injury, Mastroeni came off just before the corner that led to United's second goal. X-rays were performed after the game to determine the extent of the injury, and he was found to have suffered a fractured right ankle.
• "I came out of the game because I felt like I was a liability. I didn't have my legs. I traveled from the Gold Cup back to Arizona for a few days. I'm 30 years old and I think that sometimes I try to take on too big of a load. I came out because I felt I was a liability. A lot could happen and it was still 1-1 and I felt we could use some fresh legs," Mastroeni said.
• Clark had his moments wide on the left of midfield and helped contribute to the goal, his great ball finding Cooke across the field, who then put in the cross Jacob Peterson headed home. In his third start of the season, but first as a true out-and-out striker, Peterson had a season-high three shots.
• "Colin Clark and Jacob Petersen both played well in the first half. But, when you lose people behind them like Pablo Mastroeni, Mike Petke, you start adding more younger players, which is always an issue," Clavijo said.
• Addlery's goal just before the weather delay put United in the lead, but the break helped the Rapids first, who nearly pulled back level when Clark wriggled free in the area, only to rip a rising shot off the outside of the goal. United then scored twice in the final eight minutes to seal the match.
• "We were down 2-1 and we figured we'd try to go for it and tie it up at least and get a point. We risked and tried to get forward and create some offense, and get a goal, but sometimes when you do that you send too many guys forward and the other team counters, and that is exactly what happened. We made a couple of mistakes and they punished us," defender Brandon Prideaux said.
• The Rapids' five-game losing streak is their longest since Aug. 5-21, 1998, and just one shy of the club record losing streak, set Aug. 28-Sept. 26, 1997.
• "I would have liked to come back [to D.C.] with a better result -- [but] it's tough times. But that's life. You've got to move on and rebound, and we'll see our character on Sunday against Chicago. We've got a good group of guys, and we just have to believe in each other and rebound from this," Prideaux said.
• Then on Friday, the Rapids and D.C. United executed a trade for starting defenders, Colorado receiving Facundo Erpen and D.C. getting Greg Vanney. Erpen has started 49 games in just more than two years in MLS, scoring four goals. He has made 11 starts for United this season. Before coming to MLS, Erpen played for Talleres de Cordoba starting in the 2000 season, playing for five years and helping Talleres gain promotion to Argentina's Primera Division in 2002. During his time with the team, Erpen appeared in 58 first division games and notched four goals. He began his professional career in Argentina as a member of Club Juventud Unida de Entre Rios, before spending time with the youth teams of Primera Division power Boca Juniors.
