FIRE ONE STEP FROM CHECKMATE

Chicago offense is attacking, but not tallying on final touch

The Chicago Fire (2-0-6) are making teams work. They’re possessing the ball. They’re controlling the rock so much that you would never know that this team is in the midst of five straight draws. Just look at the numbers.

During this stretch, Chicago holds a 69-41 advantage in total shots and a 35-20 lead in shots on goal. The prime focus, though, is on Chicago’s past two home matches, both 1-all draws to the Seattle Sounders and New England Revolution. In those matches, the Fire generated a combined 27-9 edge in shots and a 12-4 margin in shots on goal.

Outside of the Columbus match, the Fire have dominated offensively during this five-draw stretch - just not on the scoreboard, where it matters most. And if they want to stay around the top of the Eastern Conference, they will need to figure things out quickly when they travel to Toronto FC (3-2-4) this Saturday.

So what is the answer to turning some of these draws into victories? Well, the isolated defensive lapses in the past two matches are definitely a big target. Those are a given. But some necessary focus has to be attributed to the team’s inability to finish some added chances on the offensive end.

Something needs to be fixed, but Chicago is in a predicament because the team is completing most of the battle, other than the final tally.

One thing that has changed since the start of the season is the way the Fire have attacked. It is a bit surprising that this team isn’t pushing their opponents’ defensive back line a bit more. Forward Brian McBride has gotten drawn back closer to the midfield on plenty of occasions. So has Patrick Nyarko at times.

Early on this 2009 season, Chicago’s defenders were posting some lengthy assists, and some of those can be accredited to the Fire’s forwards pushing up to the defensive back line. On the flip side, teams quickly took notice of that attacking scheme and have decided to bunker down in their own zone. That is why you don’t see Chicago’s offense occasionally finding itself offside, and that is why you see most of Chicago’s attack coming from the flanks.

“As a result, we do get balls in the middle, and we have had good chances from guys coming from the deep spot out of the midfield,” Fire head coach Denis Hamlett said. “That’s where the space was going to be. (New England) came in and sat in and made it very difficult for us. We moved the ball well, but we just have to finish our chances.”

The saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” The Fire are not necessarily playing a broken record, but it’s constantly skipping, and they need to dust off a few shortcomings to turn the tide.