AccessMyLibrary provides FREE access to over 30 million articles from top publications available through your library.
Create a link to this page
Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:
CHICAGO _ One reason why the Fire has been among the elite teams in the Major League Soccer since its birth in 1998 has been the play of its midfield.
Few teams can compare with the talent the Fire has at that crucial portion of the field_be it Peter Nowak, Chris Armas, Dema Kovalenko, DaMarcus Beasley and the steady and overlooked Jesse Marsch. But if there is a team that can hold its own with the Fire in the midfield it's the Los Angles Galaxy, its semifinal opponent.
The Galaxy has its version of Nowak in El Salvadoran playmaker Mauricio Cienfuegos. It was Cienfuegos' goal in the tiebreak mini-game that vaulted the Galaxy past the MetroStars and into the semifinals. But Cienfuegos isn't L.A.'s only outstanding setup man. Simon Elliott led the Galaxy with 11 assists this season.
"I think Elliott is their best player in the middle," Fire defender Carlos Bocanegra said. "Cienfuegos is good, though."
Los Angeles also boasts an attacking midfielder in Sasha Victorine, who had seven goals this season. Mexican international Luis Hernandez had a much ...