We have discussed Fire as much as virtually any team over the last month and as recently as Wednesday, that preview and some previous notes are reproduced at the foot of this email.

As most of you should know by now, anything below the "good luck" sign off is a previous post reproduced in full, anything within an active post from an earlier preview, is in blue type.

All credit to Crew for beating Montreal Impact 2-0 here last time out without three key starting players in, striker Jairo Arrieta (international duty), right winger Eddie Gaven (10-3-0) and central defender Gláuber (13-1-0). Arrieta is back from international duty with Costa Rica and trained on Thursday, but his participation, at least for 90 minutes is still far from certain. The other two are out for the rest of the season, Gaven is very important, an ever present last season, but Crew have only won that match last week in the last 11 he has missed and I do not think it will be so easy without him and Gláuber a second week. Left back Agustín Viana is also still missing and options are a little short.

Fire have already beaten Crew twice, both were played in the Windy City, but the last just nine days ago in the US Open Cup and in such good form and with Magee on fire for Fire, I have to stick with the visitors. They have a good record in this highly competitive series, only one of the last 20 h2h meetings have been decided by more than a single goal and Chicago are 10-7-3 over that sequence and have scored in their last ten visits to the stadium. This is almost certain to be similarly close and with Fire in confident mood and much better shape, we have to take them with the handicap start. Crew have not won consecutive games since September 1st last year. 1.75 units Chicago Fire +0.25 ball 2.06 asian line/Ibramarket.

MLS: Chicago Fire- Colorado Rapids ( written June 19th)

We have discussed the hosts a lot recently and in some depth, one of those posts is reproduced below. They won that match 2-0 and have also scored two in a pair of home games played since, a  2-2 draw with Portland Timbers, who are on a long unbeaten run and a 2-1 win over Columbus Crew in the US Open Cup. They were 2-0 down to Timbers inside an hour , but dominated the second period and on another day could have claimed all three points, with Mike Magee ( see below) puting in a five star performance, he is 4-4-1 since joining Fire and has played a huge part in turning their season around.

Rapids traded veteran defensive midfielder Pablo Mastroeni (7-0-0... he has missed the last two road games and they conceded twice in each) to LA Galaxy on Monday. They are also missing suspended striker Atiba Harris (15-4-1... three goals in his last two outings) and injured trio of
midfielder Jaime Castrillon, centre back Diego Calderón and keeper Matt Pickens, all have been out for some time, but the missing are starting to add up now and I feel that the loss of Mastroeni despite not playing a lot this season, might be especially hard felt, he holds the Rapids franchise records in both games (225) and minutes played (18,669) and has been a key player for 12 years. Fire have a very solid h2h record in this fixture (6-2-0) and look set to continue their progress.1.5 units Chicago Fire -0.5 ball 2.14 asian line/Ibramarket.

MLS: Chicago Fire- DC United  ( written June 2nd)

Chicago did us a favour at Real Salt Lake last week ....

Fire are another team struggling, especially for goals, only one on the road all season, they have failed to score in 6 of ten starts, including their last three and in 4 of 5 match ups with Real, although they did score three on their last visit to Salt Lake, two years ago. Real now have a four game home stretch and with the other three much tougher fixtures on paper ( San Jose, LAG and Seattle), they will be anxious to start with a win.

This is another match though which might not be quite so cut and dried as it looks on paper, last week aside, the goals have not exactly flowed for Real, especially at home, where they have scored just six in five and struggle to break teams down who sit back and for the hosts to make the running, which I am certain will be Fire's game plan. Chicago traded to get big central defender Bakary Soumaré from Philadelphia Union this week, ever since things never worked out for him in France of Germany, he has been angling for a return to his first club and love and is a very happy player, who is going to be a boost on and off the pitch. The front office has also done some good business in bringing in Mike Magee to the club from Galaxy yesterday, he is a Chicago native, so should slot right in, he will not join his team mates until Sunday, but again is another really positive boost for a club who desperately need it, all in all, a big midweek for Fire. I expect a low scoring close game and am going to opt for 1 unit Chicago Fire +0.75 ball 2.01 asian line/Ibramarket, although I was tempted by a rare "under" bet.

They had to dodge a few bullets there as you might expect for their 1-1 draw, but did look more solid at the back with Soumaré ( see above) making his (second)debut and he will be stronger for the outing, Magee joined his teammates on Monday and hit the ground running, with a goal and assist on his debut in the midweek 2-0 US Open Cup win over Charlotte Eagles. It is impossible to over estimate the boost these results and trades have given the struggling club and they will fancy their chances against the only team below then in the Eastern standings, with United having scored just one goal in five road games. Magee and Chris Rolfe look to have developed an immediate understanding up front and are a very mobile pairing, that can do well against a porous visiting backline which "boasts" a -16 goal difference after just 12 games. United needed 120 minutes and penalty kicks to beat USL team Richmond Kickers in midweek and several starters saw out the whole two hours. The mood at the club is not good, with coach Ben Olsen being heavily criticised by big name player Dwayne De Rosario, who might fancy the job himself and if Olsen was not a former DC playing great, I think he would already be out of a job.... it might not be too long.

Good Luck.