Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois • Page 121

10 Section 3 Chicago Tribune, Sunday, October 15, 2000 title showdown Ms all the trimmings 0 JP Equally matched Fire, Wizards go after 'the real tiebreaker' MLS Cup Who has trie edge? GOALKEEPER: Kansas City's Tony Meola had a league-record 15 shutouts and was the Goalkeeper of the Year and MVP. Fire's Zach Thornton has been brilliant in the playoffs. DEFENSE: Part of the reason Meola was so good was the defense in front of him. K.C. allowed less than one goal a game, but six in two games against the Fire.

The Fire's Carlos Bocanegra is a rookie and Tenywa Bonseu has spent less than a month with the team. MIDFIELD: Peter Nowak is healthy; Dema Kovalenko has turned into a dangerous offensive force; Diego Gutierrez is as hard a tackier as there is; and DaMarcus Beasley can blow Tribune photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo The Fire's Peter Nowak (right) hopes to avoid rough play like this tactic by Kansas City's Nick Garcia. INSIDE THE MLS CUP Fire coach gives Nowak MVP vote past anyone. The Wizards' left-footed Preki still can be magical, and Matt McKeon has been solid all year. By Bob Foltman Tribune Staff Writer WASHINGTON It just seems right.

The Kansas City Wizards and the Fire should be playing each other for Major League Soccer championship Sunday. Both teams finished with 57 points, tops in the league. Kansas City boasted the top defensive unit in the league, yielding less than a goal a game over the 32-game regular season. The Fire had the best offensive assault, scoring better than two goals a contest. The teams split their two meetings, each winning at home by a single goal.

The Wizards have the league's Most Valuable Player and Goalkeeper of the Year in Tony Meola. The Fire has perhaps the best offensive player ever to play in MLS Hristo Stoitchkov. Each team had a Rookie of the Year candidate, with the Fire's Carlos Bocanegra edging the Wizards Nick Garcia for the honors. On and on it goes. Two goals were all that separated the teams during the season.

The Wizards' goal differential was two better than the Fire, giving Kansas City the overall top spot. But that was mathematics. "Sunday is the real tiebreaker," Fire coach Bob Bradley said. The teams went through final practices at RFK Stadium Saturday, and they even train alike. The Wizards played about a 20-minute scrimmage, emphasizing possession and ball movement, and then spent the last five minutes working on penalty kicks.

The Fire played its customary game of possession on a smaller portion of the field, where quick decisions are needed, then worked on corner kicks for the final five minutes. Stoitchkov slammed midfielder Jesse Marsch in the head with one of his patented high-powered shots. Marsch needed to be helped off the field but was OK once he remembered where he was. ON TV MLS Cup, 12:30 p.m., WLS-Ch. 7 "He never knows where he is," Bradley joked before pronouncing Marsch fine and available for Sunday That means Marsch will be playing in his fourth championship match in five seasons, and Friday he said he noticed a difference in the Fire's preparation, compared with 1998's team.

"We're a little more relaxed, loose and confident. And I think we have a right to be," Marsch said. "We all feel very good about the team we have. But as the days progress we have to focus a little more." That may be the biggest difference between the Fire and the Wizards: attitude. There isn't a player on the Wizards who honestly can say he expected to be playing for the championship when the season began.

"We are happy to be here and hoping to finish off with a victory," Meola said. "We know we are playing whom we've felt is the best team in MLS all year." From the time the Fire broke camp in Bradenton, in March, it thought it would be playing for a title. The 1-3 start was a mere speed bump. "Whenever you are in those kind of situations, it hardens a team and brings a team together," Bradley said. "That's a credit to the players and how they responded." From June to the end of the season the Fire's record was 11-3-5.

Neither Bradley nor Wizards coach Bob Gansler makes a big deal out of the X's and O's of a match. For Gansler the outcome of Sunday's match comes down to the basics. "I don't think the Fire can surprise us," he said. "I don't think we can surprise them. It's a matter of executing.

It's what you do best and now you have to do it one more time and a little better because the stakes are higher." FORWARDS: Hnsto Stoitchkov is the best offensive talent in the five-year history of the MLS. Ante Razov has become one of the best finishers in jDGEj the league, and Josh Wolff adds a spark off the bench. K.C. relies on "Danish Dynamite," Miklos Molnar. midfielder Marco Etcheverry won.

Nowak's numbers this season are similar to his 1998 stats. The midfielder played four more games (28) this season and 507 more minutes, not including the three Open Cup matches. He had 24 points on six goals and 12 assists in 1998 and had 24 points on five goals and 14 assists this season. Nowak's numbers this season may have been overshadowed by the offensive fireworks of Hristo Stoitchkov. But Nowak's real value to the team is not in his statistics.

"When Peter is on the field we do a much better job moving the ball quickly," Bradley said. "When people are under pressure, Peter does an excellent job of being in a spot where the ball can go to him and he can move it to the next guy. We all know we're a better team with Peter on the field." Big stage: If big games bring out the greatness in great players, as the conventional wisdom goes, expect something special Sunday from Stoitchkov. "Stoitchkov brings something special to every game he's played," Wizards coach Bob Gansler said. "We respect not only him but all of the Chicago roster, but at the same time we can't be in awe.

You need to collect the autographs later." Nice footnote: Fire midfielder Jesse Marsch commented Friday on how players are described: "This one says, 'Great right-sided another says 'great attacking mine just says 'has three Marsch said. "I guess that's not bad." Marsch, who won two rings with D.C. United and a third with the Fire, will be playing in his fourth MLS Cup Sunday. By Bob Foltman Tribune Staff Writer WASHINGTON Fire captain Peter Nowak was not one of the three finalists for the league MVP award. Nowak's coach, Bob Bradley, thought that was a mistake.

"If you look at the number of games he played and how important he is to our team, I absolutely feel he should have been one of the top candidates for MVP," Bradley said. "I don't know why he wasn't. That's a good question." Kansas City goalkeeper Tony Meola, who set an MLS record with 15 shutouts, won the award. Meola edged Tampa forward Mamadou Diallo, who tied a league single-season goals record with 26. MetroS-tars forward Clint Mathis was the other finalist.

Nowak was a finalist for the award in 1998, when D.C. United PREDICTION: Defense normally wins championships, but K.C.'s defense hasn't been as rock-solid against the Fire. Capping off a brilliant second half to the season, Stoitchkov unleashes a 30-yard rocket into the upper comer in overtime to give the Fire a 3-2 victory. EASuiv YirKETS! Gi riml Prize: Baikttball Enter to win at participating distributors. Second Prizes: A MakHa DK1021BL Combo Kit.

(6343, 5620, Ml 80, ML180) Approximate retail value: $699. Third Prizes: A llmlud-tdltion Mod 6095DWBEX 30th Anniversary 38" Drtvtr-DrlllKH. Approximate retail value: $159. NopuKhaienquirtdlotnttT swtepaakes only for compter derails, set Official Rule bekm. Void wrvtt prohibited.

Mutter Iflywn or oWfrroenrer. SwvfpsrafcesrrKjs 12W2000. A pair of Mason tkkttt to tacb of tht four mayor (port ft ami; football, baikttball, oasibaf and ftocfcty, In wlnntr't city. Approximate retail value: $20,000. First Prizes: A Makha workshop.

12703, LS (211 B443DWDE, S007NLK, 4304T, BO5021K, 9327PB, RD1100, 6303H) Approximate retail value $3,000. yl 15 is) IXllfeL Effective Through WlfV: Jln-ffW December 3J, 00(10 GEAR OFFER jvt pm? ''m -mwmvpt immmmmwi, mi' jT t-rti. ir iiiiiii 9mmmwxntm pwgww hmmwm i ii mi i mi mi in nil, ii or iri-inni i rn i nn ihllfmilffmfltTTlT- r'i-m fw Qy jq Buyoneofthese 3 PrVP i i-nm.