Set pieces hurt Fire in loss to Galaxy

David Beckham -- Getty Images

By Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com

Since taking over the Chicago Fire's coaching duties, interim head coach Frank Klopas has preached about strengthening the defense on set pieces.

The Fire had not allowed a set-piece goal during Klopas' first seven games at the helm. But David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy put an end to that trend, as the Galaxy scored twice on set pieces en route to a 2-1 victory over Chicago on Saturday at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

Beckham scored directly off of a corner kick for the game-winner, and he provided a corner kick assist on a Landon Donovan header. Cristian Nazarit scored the Fire's lone goal in between Beckham's corners, with all three goals coming in an eight-minute span.

"We got too comfortable against the wrong team," Fire midfielder Patrick Nyarko said. "We lost concentration on a couple of goals, and that's unacceptable. A lapse of concentration against a team like this, they'll take advantage of it."

Read more at ESPNChicago.com.

Fire face tough road test at Galaxy

Marco Pappa -- Getty Images

By Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire return to The Home Depot Center for a second straight week, but this time around they face the team that has dominated in that stadium this season -- the Los Angeles Galaxy.

The Fire and Galaxy square off Saturday, and Chicago (2-4-12) is coming off a 1-1 draw against Chivas USA the previous week. The Galaxy enters the weekend in first place in the Western Conference with a 9-2-9 record, posting an impressive and unbeaten home mark at 4-0-5.

"It's a different game than the Chivas game," Fire interim head coach Frank Klopas said. "We know the field. It's a little bigger field than ours [at Toyota Park], as far as the length of it. It's probably the biggest in the league, if I'm not mistaken. It's good that we played on it, but we have to play a better game than the last one."

Read more at ESPNChicago.com.

Fire drop 3rd straight to depleted L.A.

Dominic Oduro -- Getty Images

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Los Angeles Galaxy was without its star power Sunday, but the struggling Chicago Fire could not withstand the rest of L.A.'s depleted roster as Chicago dropped its third straight, 2-1, in front of 18,203 at Toyota Park.

Former Fire forward Chad Barrett and Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez provided the Galaxy's scoring as L.A. earned a victory without Landon Donovan (knee inflammation), David Beckham (suspended), Juninho (suspended) and Jovan Kirovski (suspended).

Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos adjusted a couple of things defensively with the addition of 33-year-old goalkeeper Jon Conway for second-year goalkeeper Sean Johnson, and center defensive back Josip Mikulic returned to the fray in place of Dasan Robinson.

But the defensive lapses continued, particularly on Barrett's goal in the 42nd minute. He was left all alone in the middle of the Fire's defense.

"Those little breakdowns that we've been having defensively have been hurting us a lot," Fire midfielder and defender Gonzalo Segares said. "That definitely brought the momentum down."

The Fire (1-3-1) found some late life as second-half substitution Dominic Oduro beat Gonzalez one-on-one at a difficult angle from the right side and slotted the ball past Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts to cut L.A.'s lead to 2-1.

Chicago created a couple more chances, including two sequences when Conway left his goal and went into the offensive third. Shortly into stoppage time, Conway pushed up on a Marco Pappa corner kick, and Ricketts had a huge opportunity to punt the ball toward the empty net. Instead, Ricketts was too busy directing things with his teammates, and Conway eventually trudged back into the net.

Read more at ESPNChicago.com.

Last-place Fire try to erase slide

Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson -- Getty Images

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Chicago Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos typically stresses the importance of maintaining a similar lineup from game to game, as any coach would prefer. But with back-to-back road losses and the team's worst defensive effort of the season on Thursday, De los Cobos might have some important personnel decisions to make as the Fire attempt to end their little skid when they host the Los Angeles Galaxy on Sunday at Toyota Park.

The Fire posted road losses to Seattle Sounders FC on April 9 and the expansion Portland Timbers on Thursday, and the focus is on Chicago's recent shaky defensive efforts. Chicago allowed a season-high four goals against Portland in a 4-2 loss. Second-year goalkeeper Sean Johnson had one of his poorest efforts of the season against Portland, including the inability to secure the ball that directly led to the Timbers' third goal.

Following Saturday's training, De los Cobos was not ready to state a firm answer as to whether Johnson would return in the net on Sunday, or whether he is leaning toward 33-year-old Jon Conway to make his Fire debut.

"I don't know, I don't know, I don't know," De los Cobos said. "Right now, I don't know. I need to think. I need to talk with [Sean] first. ... We have a good player like Jonny. I think Jonny is very good to stick with us because he can help transmit his experience to Sean and to help him mature."

One person who is back in the mix is center defensive back Josip Mikulic. The Fire missed the stability of Mikulic, who had an effective first two games of the season. Mikulic then injured his quad during 11-vs.-11 training the day before Chicago's Lamar Hunt U.S. Opener Cup qualifier against the Colorado Rapids on March 30.

"Right now, it's perfect," Mikulic said of his leg. "Not to worry -- I'm ready."

The Galaxy confirmed Saturday to ESPNChicago.com that Donovan (knee inflammation) is unavailable for Sunday's game. David Beckham (yellow card accumulation, suspended), Juninho (two yellows on Wednesday, suspended) and Jovan Kirovski (second game of two-game suspension) also are not available for the Galaxy (2-1-3).

Read more at ESPNChicago.com.

Donovan did not travel for Fire match

L.A.'s Landon Donovan -- Getty Images

The Los Angeles Galaxy's Landon Donovan did not travel with his team to Chicago as the Galaxy prepares for its match against the Fire on Sunday at Toyota Park in Bridgeview.

While the Galaxy (2-1-3) has not officially ruled out Donovan for Sunday's game (he is questionable on this week's injury report with knee inflammation), the odds of the team pushing to bring him in over the weekend and see game-time action looks bleak at the moment. Donovan missed Wednesday's scoreless draw against Toronto FC and last Saturday's 1-1 draw against D.C. United.

Read more at ESPNChicago.com.

PREVIEW: FIRE AT L.A. GALAXY

The Chicago Fire can inch closer to a playoff berth Friday night when they take on the host Los Angeles Galaxy for a 10 p.m. (CST) match at The Home Depot Center (televised on ESPN2). Both teams are 10-6-11 with 41 points. If either team wins and D.C. United loses Saturday, they will join the Columbus Crew as the only postseason qualifiers to date.

CLICK HERE for my full Week 29 MLS Preview and predictions at Examiner.com.
* * *
Other recent soccer links:
• World Cup qualifying: Former Chicago Fire head coach Bob Bradley named his 22-man U.S. Men's National Team roster on Thursday in preparation for the U.S.'s final two World Cup qualifiers. Also, will Bradley's MLS wins record fall this season? Seattle Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid will need a huge run to dethrone Bradley.
• CL's LePeilbet on U.S. WNT podcast: In case you missed it earlier in the week, check out a U.S. Soccer podcast featuring Crystal Lake native and Boston Breakers defender Amy LePeilbet, the WPS Defender of the Year for 2009.