Possibly Running Commentary of Chicago vs. Carolina

Okay, so I've got my computer hooked up to the big screen. We'll see how this works.

Lineup:

G Busch
D Menezes Brown Segares
M Carr Armas Thiago Soumare Guerrero Mapp
F Barrett

Not entirely sure what the formation is, but I'm encouraged that it's only three in the back.

So far we're fouling too much about 30 yards out from goal.

Sounds like we're countering off of the free kicks, though, and the announcers are saying we're playing a lot of one-touch. Of course, I'm buffering the video, so I can't tell. Or the stream is just completely frozen, and I'm SOL...

10th minute. Announcers sucking up to Fire fans something fierce, and my audio stream has been possessed by Satan. And it's thirty second ahead of the video, so I heard that the Fire got a good chance off a free kick before I saw it. Soumare with a shot just over the bar after two touches in the box.

Update. No clock on the video feed, but Carr gets muscled off the ball, Menezes falls down, and Carolina gets a free run into the box that comes to nothing.

Update. Menezes to Armas to a streaking Barrett, who has no help and takes a weak attempt at a chip shot, which rolls out for a Carolina goal kick.

Update. Menezes with a good run forward, Carr tries to send through Barrett, gets it knocked right back to him, then hits the overlapping Brazilian offside, when maybe he should have hit him first to reward the run. Announcers talking about good one-touch play on the other side of the field in an earlier foray between Mapp and Thiago.

Update. A little confusion in the back, but cleaned up and Carr hits Barrett on the run, but Barrett is whistled offside and not happy about it.

Update. Carr with a great run, but no help whatsoever and he crosses to the Carolina keeper. Meanwhile, Barrett is starting fights with the defense. Carolina with a great cross, Segares outjumped, but the diving header goes wide.

23rd minute. Soumare sees yellow for a clumsy challenge 30 yards, dead center. Free kick comes to nothing for Carolina. Barrett with a hard foul out wide. Nothing from Carolina.

Update. Menezes with a great run up through the middle, ultimately called offside.

Update. Soumare likes playing that big switch, finds Mapp, who takes a rip from 20 yards out, just wide.

32nd minute. Nice movement around the box, with Menezes getting the cross in, and Barrett just wide with the header. Now Menezes with a two-footed tackle and apparently lucky to get only a yellow.

Carrieri wins a corner. Nothing from it, but the Fire foul out by midfield to give possession back to Carolina.

Menezes loses his man on the free kick and Carolina just misses the header.

Carr causing some trouble and drawing some fouls. Yellow card to Carolina.

Armas with the free kick, bounced up into the box, Barrett lets it bounce instead of going for the volley, allows Carolina to knock it out, but only as far as Soumare, who cracks a shot from distance, but fires wide.

43rd minute. When did they start showing the minute on the top right side of the screen? Long free kick to Barrett, whose first touch into the box is just a bit too heavy, and smothered by the keeper. Possession game, I have to say, is looking good. Much better than the past four matches.

45th minute. Corner for Carolina, short, but Armas reads it and springs Mapp, who gets taken down at midfield. Another yellow for Carolina, for former DC United traffic cone David Stokes. Nothing materializes and we go to half.

Halftime. Again, I think the possession game has been pretty good. This is a brand new defensive lineup, with C.J. Brown reclaiming the center back role after a long time out on the right. Menezes has looked good going forward, but has been beaten a couple times tracking back, and may be lucky to still be in this game. A USL opponent may be exactly what this team needs right now, because they're not bad, but they're not MLS quality, so the Fire can work on banging the ball around quickly. Chris Armas is having a pretty solid match in the middle. So is Bakary Soumare.

46th minute. Plotkin on for Mapp at halftime.

Barrett with a nice run up just right of center, long shot saved. Announcers have learned how to say "Menezes." Barrett starting to run at Dombrowski, crosses to Carr for nothing, then overcooked just a bit for Plotkin on the far post.

55th minute. Thiago had a good effort and a not-so-good shot a few minutes ago, then another 35-yard free kick to Carolina came to nothing. I was on the phone. Sue me.

56th minute. GOAL CAROLINA. Give and go works perfectly for Carolina, with C.J. Brown not getting tight enough of the give and Gonzalo Segares getting beat on the go. Now let's see what Chicago does in response. Incidentally, it looks like Osorio ditched the shirt and tie for a warm-up suit. Looks like Pause was about to come on, but that changes with the goal.

Pause for Thiago. Defense for offense, down one goal? This makes me think Osorio is more interested in seeing guys in the game than winning the game, and/or rewarding the 50 or so comps Pause allegedly got for friends and relatives in the North Carolina area.

Calen Carr tries to outmuscle David Stokes, hilarity ensues.

On the goal, C.J. actually tried to step around the attacking player and may have actually been the one who sent the ball to the goal scorer. Carolina fans are getting in trouble for throwing shit on the field after Busch has to knock a long free kick over the bar.

All Carolina right now. Fire can't get anything started, pardon the pun.

74th minute. Chicago's first corner kick, Chris Armas skies it over the goal.

Chad Barrett still not aggressive enough, waiting for the ball to bounce in the box. Franks for Menezes, complete with an apology from the announcers for butchering his name.

Footrace for Floyd Franks, but the keeper gets out to it first 30 yards from goal.

79th minute. Soumare loses his mark in the middle, long shot parried over the bar by Busch. Again, nothing on the corner kick.

81st minute. Plotkin, in particular, isn't looking good. Carr and Soumare both look gassed.

83rd minute. Franks offside. Armas should have shot, but had it on his left.

84th minute. Oh, right, four subs in the Open Cup. Oliveira for Armas. Busch way off his line to break up an attack.

87th minute. SHOOT THE DAMN BALL! Oliveira, then Carr, with chances in a flurry around the box, but nothing.

90th minute. Barrett holds the ball too long, dispossessed, fouls in frustration. We're almost the fourth MLS team to make an early exit from this tournament.

Stoppage time. Chad Barrett is fucking useless. Game over.