Point & Counterpoint: The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse

POINT

The MLS has never seen a team with as much international experience as the new 2010 Chicago Fire.  Brian McBride, Nery Castillo, Collins John and Freddie Ljungberg have a combined 506 English Premiership appearances, 108 English Premiership goals, 194 international caps, and 51 international goals.  Combine them with the 'squires' of Marco Pappa and Patrick Nyarko, and the Fire offense has gone from lifeless to doom inducing in just ten days.  Defenses will have no idea what formation the Fire are going to play with.  They will have no clue as to which player to focus on.  Design a defensive strategy around the big EPL four and MLS All-Star and team leading goal scorer Marco Pappa will make you pay.  You thought Patrick Nyarko could dribble his way through defenses before, just wait until he isn't being double or tripled covered.  How do you even rank the scoring threats now?  Is Marco Pappa still No. 1?  Is Brian McBride a No. 4 or No. 5 scoring threat on the team?  What other MLS team has ever had this kind of quality and quantity?  It is the end of the world for the competition.  The Four Horseman of the ApocaEPLse have arrived.  Welcome to hell back lines of the MLS.

COUNTERPOINT

The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse have arrived but the one who will be judged and face the wrath of the soccer gods is the Chicago Fire.  The MLS has never seen a team with as many egos as the new 2010 Chicago Fire.  Freddie Ljungberg is a diva who will have his own fans signing "You're going home in a Cook County Ambulance" by the second game.  Nery Castillo and Collins John placed a bet four years ago to see who could waste their talent in the most spectacular way.  I'm not sure which one is winning.  The only comparison to the four horesman that Brian McBride belongs in is that of death.  He is listed at 38 but he is playing like he is 83.  Opposing defenses will not know what formation Chicago is going to use but neither will the Fire.  Good luck getting all of these players on the same page.  I know when the defense is struggling and the team has a goaltender crisis, it is always best to bring in huge egos that are injured or out of shape.  The four or five midfielders who got this team to at least the edges of playoff contention are really going to appreciate battling for the remaining CDM spot and figuring out ways to get Carlos de los Cobos to implement a 3-5-2 just so they can increase their odds at playing time.  Grab some popcorn people and enjoy the show as the apocalypse hits the Chicago Fire's 2010 playoff hopes.