Red Bulls vs. Chicago Fire (LINEUPS)

No Jozy Altidore today. Altidore is out with the same calf injury from the Under-20 World Cup. He isn't even dressed for the match.

Dema Kovalenko is dressed but not starting.

Here are the lineups:

RED BULLS

---------------Angel-----------Wolyniec-----------------

Mathis-------------------------------------------Richards

--------------------Reyna------Vide----------------------

VDB------------------------------------------------Leitch

--------------------Parke----Stammler-----------------

---------------------Waterreus-------------------------

BENCH: Jon Conway, Mendes, Magee, Kovalenko, Doe, Goldthwaite, Ubiparipovic.

YOu might think that this should play like a 3-5-2 but the Fire have Wanchope and Rolfe in the starting lineup. If they do go 3-5-2, it will look like this:

---------------Angel-----------Wolyniec-----------------

VDB--------------------Mathis---------------Richards

------------------Reyna-------Vide----------------------

Stammler------------------------------------------Leitch

-------------------------Parke----------------------------

-----------------------Waterreus-------------------------

Playing a 3-5-2 would make sense from a match-up standpoint but not from a personnel standpoint. Parke is good but you can't play him alone at center back against Wanchope and Rolfe.

Here is the Fire's lineup:

-----------Wanchope-------Rolfe--------------

Guerrero------------Blanco-------------Pause

--------------Armas--------Gutierrez---------

Segares-----------Soumare-----------Brown

---------------------Pickens-------------------

BENCH: Busch, Carr, Robinson, Barrett, Plotkin, Menezes, Banner

I could be wrong about the positions but that is the Fire's lineup. The Richards-Guerrero match-up should be a fun one.

Comments

[Jon G]

This is going to be ugly. I couldn't make the game, and I think that might be a good thing... :-(

[Derek]

At least the Fire should be worth watching. Without Jozy up front, I don't much enjoy watching the Red Bulls.

[Eric Koelbel]

Mendes seems to have really fallen on the depth chart.

[Steve T.]

Jon, Should have went to the game!! RBNY dominated this game from start to finish. Parke owned Blanco all game and I forgot that Wanchope was even on the field!!