Chris Rolfe returns home as D.C. United travel to Chicago

For nine years Chris Rolfe called Bridgeview, Illinois home. As part of the Chicago Fire youth system and their senior team Rolfe was a member of some of the team’s strongest clubs and is considered to be one of the all-time favorites. On Wednesday night he will take on the unfamiliar role of road opponent as his new club, D.C. United, travels to the midwest to take on the Fire (7:30 PM EST Comcast Sportsnet DC and Chicago).

A year ago, the Rolfe return might have only elicited a few letters on a sports byline, a token note in another match in the Major League Soccer season. But Rolfe has rebuilt his career in Washington D.C. and has become the glue of the D.C. United attack. On Sunday, Rolfe added to his MLS-leading four game-winning goals by adding two in United’s 2-1 victory over the New England Revolution.

What has led to Rolfe’s change in form? Service seems to be the key. In D.C. United coach Ben Olsen’s 4-4-2, Rolfe typically sits up front with a center forward who is much more direct in terms of engaging the defense. With players like Fabian Espindola and Jairo Arrieta, United have a center forward who ha little problem with going straight at the center-backs then parlaying the extra space created into a pass into Rolfe. Since coming to United last year in a mid-season trade with the Fire, Rolfe has scored fourteen goals in thirty-seven matches.

For the Fire to contain their old teammate they are going to need to have better discipline at maintaining the structure of their back four. Chicago has struggled on defense this season, allowing 22 goals in just 14 matches. They enter this match having lost their last three matches and having only won once in their past eight matches (1-5-2, 5 points). Still they come into this match with fresh legs having had a bye last weeks during league play.

What will be interesting to see in this match is where Fire coach Frank Yallop chooses to play Jeff Larentowicz. Larentowicz has split his time this season between center-midfield and defensive-midfield position. Part of it depends upon the style of the team that they are playing against. With teams that like to throw 5-6 attackers on every play Yallop likes to keep him back as an extra defender and use him on counter-attacks.

But against a club like United that like to sit back and work more from a measured attacking perspective Chicago may go for broke. Chicago plays a very similar style to that of the New England Revolution in that they like to use their center midfielders to break open their attackers on the outside. Forwards like David Accam (4 goals) and Kennedy Igboananike (2 goals) like to play wide and break down defenses from the outside. Once defenses are stretched Larentowicz and fellow midfielder Harry Shipp can find gaps and score.

The key to this match will be Chicago’s ability to defend the counter-attack. In the first match this season between these sides (a 3-1 result for D.C.) United held the Fire at bay on defense and worked them over on the counter. United midfielders Perry Kitchen and Markus Halsti have developed a unique partnership due to their similar tendencies in dictating the pace of the match. But when one makes the move on the counter the other can stay back should things go awry.

After slipping past New England on Sunday night, D.C. United have an opportunity to pull ten points ahead of Chicago and the rest of the Eastern Conference. If Rolfe can stomach being the villain in a place where he was a hero for so many matches then United could be sitting very nicely with the July break looming.