Good atmosphere last night, KC came to play, Chicago came out flat and never recovered. Zusi's first half goal changed everything for Klopas.

After leading Chelsea to the UCL, I don't think it's fair to say he wouldn't be as big a draw. No one's going to be as big a draw as Beckham, simply because Beckham spent years cross-promoting himself. Drogba (like Henry) is a soccer star known for soccer, not underwear commercials. The "casual" American fan might not recognize him, but true soccer fans would in a heartbeat. No matter, he went for the big money in China that may get pulled from the team and force a move for him elsewhere anyway.

Berry's nod is well deserved. Shows maturity and composure in the CB position of a vet. Makes mistakes, but having Arne Friedrich alongside him is about as good a teacher as you're going to get. If the powers that be actually give a defender ROTY honors, Berry's a no-brainer.

Fire up 2-0 in the 41' on goals by Nyarko and Paladini. Looking stronger than their outing vs. DC.

This had little, if anything to do with Frank Klopas. Klopas was put numerous times in the position of having to be spokesperson, feeding the media what Guillermo Petrei and Javier Leon wanted him to say. This was mainly on their shoulders, as well as Robayo and Puppo. Puppo was Javier Leon's pick, and I don't think anyone in Chicago could have guessed things would have gone the way they did with Robayo, but those things sometimes happen too (Nery Castillo, anyone?). As for "old times", I think it depends on what kind of "old times" you're referring to. The last two years where wins were a struggle and the Fire missed the playoffs, or the old times where making the playoffs was a given. Especially since they're sitting fairly comfortably in a playoff spot currently, with a favorable schedule the rest of the way out to wrap up the season.

The few who do know aren't talking about it, and probably never will. Also, it's worth noting that Grazzini never spent more than 1 1/2 seasons at any one previous club since starting his pro career. In that regard, the cards for maintaining a long term relationship with the club were already stacked against him.

No fee was paid for the loan. Grazzini, for his part, could've handled the situation differently (ie-stayed and played out the rest of the season), but the FO botched things up pretty badly to the point that he probably didn't want to stay. Grazzini was promised more money, but the FO never delivered thanks to bringing in Puppo as a DP at the beginning of the season.

At one point last night, Klopas did just that, taking Pause out in favor of Alex. Flaco had a solid 45 mins. before tweaking his ankle, and MacDonald had a better showing than against San Jose. By his own admission, he said his first 15 minutes were rough, but that he felt better. He also said his fitness is improving day by day, which is a good sign for the Fire down the stretch.

Robayo's lack of playing time is a talking point, and one that could land him back at his old club before the end of the transfer window. Alex was only eligible for this game, so not sure why the issue there. Puppo picked up a knock in training this week and didn't travel, although he's been highly underwhelming in appearances this year. With Rolfe back, and the Fire reportedly close to signing a striker, I don't see Puppo getting much time moving forward.

Some good points there. Blanco was definitely a pivotal player for the Fire, even as someone at the end of his career. Gibbs is solid if he's healthy (which has been an issue), and Pause has tenure with the club, which accounts for his near $200k guaranteed comp. I believe it's more important for the Fire to find a target striker to compliment Oduro (who's on pace to equal his 2011 output), and Rolfe. A DP signing would be good, but I don't necessarily think bringing in a DP just for the sake of having a DP is the answer. While some DP signings have worked well for clubs, some, arguably, have not. I think it's more important for the Fire to find a player who's going to fit in Frank Klopas' system and be able to have an immediate impact, rather than whether or not that player holds a DP title.

This was written about a day ago, but posted now because of site scheduling. Few stories going up the last few days, in case you didn't notice.