Sat, 7 Nov 2009 00:01
BY NICK FIRCHAU
Coach Denis Hamlett let his voice be heard during the waning moments of the Fire's practice on Thursday.
(Tom Cruze/Sun-Times)
Coach Denis Hamlett let his voice be heard during the waning moments of the Fire's practice on Thursday, bellowing across Toyota Park that he wanted the final moments of this workout session closed to all onlookers.
When the dust finally cleared and the somewhat sheepish Fire players strolled to the locker room, all they could do was laugh.
''I guess,'' goalkeeper Jon Busch quipped, ''it's a little tense around here.''
And that's no joke. The Fire is effectively up against the wall heading into tonight's playoff game against the New England Revolution at Toyota Park, needing a win by at least two goals to move past the Revs and into next week's Eastern Conference finals.
The Fire dropped the opening leg of this aggregate-goal series Sunday 2-1 in Foxborough after coughing up an early lead to a gritty Revolution squad that rarely loses at home in the postseason.
