By Paul M. Banks
Two major questions need to be answered for Fire Fans tonight 1.) How will they change and adapt to the departure of star player Cuahtemoc Blanco.
“Obviously, we’re going to change, he was a big part of our team and haw we played, so we have to adjust slightly,” midfielder John Thorrington told me.
The second revolves around new goaltender Andrew Dykstra, and how the team rallies around him now that the front office has parted ways with Jon Busch.
Dykstra talked about what he learned from Busch.”I owe a lot to him, he’s great example…on how to handle everything. Very professional in his approach from everything with the media to how you’re supposed to act at the airport, traveling, everything.”
“Not a lot of goaltenders get an opportunity like this, so I got to take it in stride and make the most of it,” Dykstra said.
- Both coaches in this Eastern Conference match-up will be making their MLS debuts. Carlos de los Cobos, who joined the Fire in January, enters his first season as the club’s head coach after an illustrious career as a player and coach in Mexico and Central America. From 2006-09 de los Cobos led the El Salvador Men’s national team to its deepest run in FIFA World Cup Qualifying since 1998. In the offseason the Red Bulls signed international coach, Hans Backe, a former Danish SuperLiga coach and Sven-Goran Eriksson assistant. Backe is the first Swedish born coach in MLS history.
- Juan Pablo Angel returns for his fourth season with the Red Bulls. The veteran Colombian forward tallied 12 goals in 25 league matches in 2009.
- MLS All-Time Best XI forward Brian McBride returns for his 11th season in MLS. In 2009, the 37-year-old, three-time World Cup player led the Fire with seven goals and two assists.
- Entering his 13th season with the Fire, veteran defender CJ Brown will surpass Cobi Jones for number of consecutive seasons with the same MLS club. Jones played 12 seasons with the LA Galaxy from 1996-2007.
- The Fire are 20-10-6 since the sides first met in 1998, the Fire’s inaugural season.
- The Fire are 4-3-5 all-time during First Kick weekend, going 2-0-1 in the last three season openers, defeating Brimstone Cup rivals FC Dallas 3-1 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas during First Kick 2009.
- In 2009, the Fire defeated the Red Bulls twice, with both matches resulting in 1-0 Fire victories. Marco Pappa’s 33rd minute goal proved the difference as the Fire won at TOYOTA PARK and Chris Rolfe’s strike just ahead of halftime was enough for the Fire to leave the Meadowlands with a sweep of their Eastern Conference rivals.