The red card changed the game.
That's what Union head coach Jim Curtin said following his team's 1-0 road loss to the Chicago Fire on Saturday, and that's what everyone who watched the game will tell you too.
What started out looking like the Union would pull off their third straight win ended with a frustrating loss that followed a familiar theme from the last few seasons.
In this week's Inside Doop, we'll take a closer look at the setback and what lies ahead for the Union.
Three thoughts about Saturday's game
1. The red card in question was shown to Warren Creavalle and it was an easy call to make as the midfielder made a dangerous tackle from behind. At the very least, it was a yellow card, but Creavalle would have still been shown the door since he picked up a previous yellow. How much did the 47th-minute ejection shift the momentum? Just moments before it, the Union hit their third post/crossbar and looked to be on the verge of scoring. But just four minutes after it, the Fire scored the game's only goal as the Union's own offensive chances died down.
2. One of the crossbars that was struck came from the foot of Ilsinho, who unleashed a rocket that fooled Fire goalkeeper Matt Lampson. Earlier in the game, the Brazilian playmaker pulled off a ridiculous elastico nutmeg to further show off his skills. And another new midfield signing - Roland Alberg - looked like a running back shaking off tackles during one run up in the middle of the field. Throw in the fact that Tranquillo Barnetta made his season debut after dealing with an early-season injury and the team's revamped midfield and attack looks to be nicely taking shape, despite the loss to Chicago.
3. Rumor has it that it's April but don't tell that to the Chicago weather, which somehow alternated between blizzard and sunny and blizzard again. The one constant throughout was very gusty wind, which definitely played a role in the game and probably accounted for the fact that there were few shots on goal for either team. Afterwards, Curtin, a former Fire player, called it "a typical spring day in Chicago."
Three questions for the week ahead
1. Replacing Creavalle is one of the main questions heading into Friday night's game vs. Orlando City SC at Talen Energy Stadium. He never was supposed to be a starter anyway but emerged as a key contributor in the midfield during the Union's two-game win streak. If Vincent Nogueira is fully healthy and fit, he can slide back into that role, which is the way the team started the season. Or if Barnetta is ready to return to the starting lineup, Curtin can drop Alberg back into that position. Either way, given the talent in the midfield when healthy, it might be hard for Creavalle to regain his starting spot after the one-game suspension unless he displaces Brian Carroll at the No. 6 position. A costly red card, indeed.
2. Can the Union keep the good times rolling at home? Before their home opener two weeks ago, Curtin set the ambitious goal of winning at least 10 games at Talen Energy Stadium this season. The Union then backed it up by rolling to a 3-0 victory over the New England Revolution in a game in which they easily could have won by more. A second straight victory at home would go a long way in re-establishing the stadium as the fortress they hope it will be.
3. How do you stop Kaka right now? After dealing with an early-season thigh injury, the Orlando City superstar had a goal and two assists in his season debut Sunday, completely dominating the game in a 4-1 rout of defending champion Portland. That does not bode well for the Union's young backline, which limited Chicago's chances over the weekend but also found itself scrambling at times.
Stat of the week
C.J. Sapong and Roland Alberg combined to take 11 shots on Saturday - one more than the entire Fire team.
Quote of the week
"Our guys are gutted because they put a lot into the game and had a little bit of momentum and then all of a sudden having a sending off obviously changes the game."
- Union head coach Jim Curtin
Player of the week
With a little more luck, Ilsinho would have had a goal and an assist. Still, both he and Sapong had a lively evening on the attack despite the messy weather conditions.
