The Chicago Fire lost to the Los Angeles Galaxy on July 8 at Toyota Park. The night ended with a final score of 2-0 that summed up an ineffective game for the Fire. I think the lack of coordination in both offense and defense can be blamed for the loss.
Mistakes
Several mistakes in defense benefitted the Los Angeles Galaxy during the match on July 8. Robbie Keane was able to score twice with one of his successful shots being a penalty kick. It is difficult to place the blame on one particular Chicago Fire defender because the entire lineup was involved in the lackluster performance.
Missing Sebastian Grazzini
After Sebastian Grazzini shared his plans to return to Argentina on July 7, his absence from the match was expected. He has missed the last three games with the Chicago Fire, and his departure for Argentina could signify the end of his time with this MLS team. Unfortunately, the Fire's plans to rely on Alex and Chris Rolfe to replace Grazzini seem to be faltering.
Chicago has scored only 1 goal during the last three matches without Sebastian Grazzini. I think letting him go has the potential to become one of the Fire's biggest mistakes. Alex was active during the July 8 game while Rolfe tried to replace Grazzini's position, but neither one was able to produce great results.
The Need for More Attack
If the team insists on replacing Sebastian Grazzini, the Chicago Fire must find an attacking midfielder again. In general, offense seemed to revert back to the previous games despite promises to change things for the L.A. Galaxy. As predicted, this style of play was ineffective while facing the Galaxy and passing also suffered.
I think one of the greatest problems on July 8 was the lack of coordination seen on the team. Although the Los Angeles Galaxy did not have their best night, they were still more organized than the Chicago Fire. The limited chances that they took to score did not produce any real results. Chicago needs to address the Grazzini problem immediately to have a decent season.
More from this contributor:
MLS Plans to Search for Referees in the Premier League: Fan View
Why MLS Will Continue to Compete for Players with China: Fan View
MLS Expansion Possibilities in 2012: Fan View
Lana follows MLS, UEFA and FIFA. She has been a faithful fan of the Chicago Fire since 1998. Follow @Lana_Bandoim on Twitter.
