Fire to play Donovan and Co. without Ljungberg and Pappa.

by Dan Gaichas

Chicago Fire (6-7-6, 4th in East) vs. Los Angeles Galaxy (13-5-4, 1st in West)

The Chicago Fire will take on the league-leading LA Galaxy without the services of Freddie Ljungberg (suspension), Marco Pappa (national team duty), and Deris Umanzor (national team duty). David Beckham will not be in uniform for the Galaxy aiming to return the following Saturday against Columbus.

Last month, three goals in the first 20 minutes were just enough to defeat the Galaxy at the Home Depot Center, 3-2, handing LA their first home league loss of the year. After a blazing start, the Galaxy have gone 3-6-1 in all competitions since the 4th of July. Indeed, the Galaxy are coming off another home loss, 2-0, to Kansas City and are now just three points ahead of Real Salt Lake in the Western Conference.

The Fire are coming off a heartbreaking loss against Seattle, 2-1, where they gave up a stoppage time goal to Fredy Montero and where player selection and the notion that the Fire’s depth was not put to great use came into question.

“The team was good in the midfield,” said head coach Carlos de los Cobos said. “Sometimes, when we [make a change] you cancreate some instability. I was talking with the guys about how they felt because I could make another sub, but they told me that they felt very good. That was the reason.”

The question now is how to replace Ljungberg and Pappa for Saturday. Look for Patrick Nyarko to step it up a notch in their absence. Another question mark is Nery Castillo, who missed the trip to Seattle due to lack of match fitness. He is hoping to make amends for this week.

“I really want to play right now,” said Castillo. “I have been training really hard this week to get physically better, but it’s just now up to the coach if he wants me to play.”

Said de los Cobos: "If he’s ready to play, if he feelsgood, [then] he will play. If he doesn’t feel confident to start, he will be in the bench and we will start with other guys. We need to wait until the end of the week [to decide].”

The Fire currently sit five points out of the last playoff spot and need wins with eleven games to go.

We will tweet live from the match at www.twitter.com/windycitysoccer.

Kickoff for the match is at 3pm and will be shown on Comcast SportsNet in English and TeleFutura in Spanish.

REFEREE:  Mark Geiger; SAR (bench):  Anthony Vasoli; JAR (opposite):  Steven Taylor; 4th:  Abbey Okulaja

INJURY REPORT:

CHICAGO FIRE - OUT: DF Dasan Robinson (R hamstring strain); PROBABLE: MF John Thorrington (R ankle contusion); MF Freddie Ljungberg (L calcaneal contusion)

LOS ANGELES GALAXY - OUT: MF David Beckham (L Achilles tendon surgery); QUESTIONABLE: DF Gregg Berhalter (viral complications)

SUSPENDED: 

CHI:  Freddie Ljungberg (yellow card accumulation, thru Sept. 5)

LA:  Chris Birchall (yellow card accumulation, thru Sept. 5)

SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW:

LA:  Juninho

INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES:

CHI:  Marco Pappa (GUA), Deris Umanzor (SLV)

THIS YEAR:

8/1/10:  LA 2-3 CHI (Donovan 37, 81 - Pappa 4, John 5, Banner 19)