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Former Chicago Fire and current Houston Dynamo forward Calen Carr has had his share of injury spells over the past several years. This year it was a concussion that he suffered during the Fire's preseason in February when the team was training in Ave Maria, Fla.

Shortly into this year's regular season, the injured Carr found himself headed to Houston as the Dynamo swapped forwards with the Fire, sending Dominic Oduro to Chicago shortly after Houston's regular-season opener.

Oduro found his shooting touch with the Fire en route to 12 goals in MLS play. Carr needed several more months of healing time before he even had a chance to prove his worth for the Dynamo.

"It's been really frustrating not being able to have a run of games where I can put together a full, healthy season," Carr said. "The concussion, some injuries have been freak injuries -- the knee injury was a freak play. The concussion was a freak injury that I felt it would just take a couple weeks but it took longer than I was expecting. I think I've done a good job of coming back from injuries and putting them behind me. I haven't had as much work this season as I would like, but I'm looking to make the most of it."

Despite missing more than two-thirds of the regular season, Carr stepped up at the right moment on Sunday, netting the Dynamo's second goal in the 30th minute to top the host Philadelphia Union, 2-1, in the first leg of its Eastern Conference Semifinal match at PPL Park. It was Houston's first playoff road victory in the team's history, and now the Dynamo hosts the Union for the second leg on Thursday at Robertson Stadium (7:30 p.m., ESPN2).

Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear has turned to Carr for valuable minutes down the stretch. Along with the Game 1 start against Philadelphia, Carr started in four of the Dynamo's final five regular-season matches.

"I'm just trying to stay active," Carr said. "We've got great players who can draw attention. Playing up front with Brian Ching, Brad Davis, they find space and you can stretch the field."

Carr admits the early-season trade out of Chicago was a difficult situation to face, especially having been with the Fire organization from the start of his MLS career in 2006. But there was some sense of familiarity in going into Houston.

"There was a level of comfort coming to the team because I've known Dominic Kinnear," Carr said. "But it was difficult because I was injured and trying to figure out how to get healthy. You want to get acclimated to the team, train and play to get to know the team, and I wasn't able to do that.

"I had a lot of great memories in Chicago -- loved the team, the organization and the city," Carr said. "It was difficult to leave after being there for so long. I felt like this was a great opportunity to come to Houston, another great organization, with a great coach and players. Like any player you also want a chance at competing for an MLS Cup. That's important."

Kinnear has certainly brought that championship-caliber track record, either at the helm or while he was assisting Frank Yallop during the San Jose Earthquakes' 2001 and 2003 title-winning seasons.

"He's a guy that I always admired from watching him when I was in the Bay Area," Carr said of Kinnear. "The success he had with San Jose, winning championships, in my first two years in the league Houston won back-to-back championships. He's been a part of some successful teams and has a great track record of success."

Carr is healthy again and is in the heart of this year's postseason as Houston currently has the upper hand over Philadelphia in trying to advance to the Eastern Conference Final stage.

"The concussion is behind me and I'm feeling really good," Carr said. "The protective headgear is precautionary, more than anything. I feel like my old self."

GK Johnson earns U-23 call-up: Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson was one of 31 players called in to the U.S. U-23 National team's Nov. 7-16 training camp at the Sportschule Wedau in Duisburg, Germany. U-23 head coach Caleb Porter could add more players to the roster based on upcoming MLS playoff matches. Johnson, 22, is coming off his second season with the Fire. He posted seven shutouts and a 9-7-12 record this past season.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- There is no dispute that Ghanaian forward Dominic Oduro is currently the Chicago Fire's hottest offensive threat.

While Chicago has struggled in the scoring column, Oduro has netted four of his five goals over the Fire's past nine matches (Chicago only has seven goals during this stretch). Oduro is tied for the team scoring lead with midfielder Marco Pappa, and Oduro's goal total also equals a season high.

But there lies a dichotomy in that Oduro's scoring rate could -- or should -- be better. Oduro tallied Chicago's lone goal during a 1-1 road draw against Chivas USA last weekend. But Oduro created multiple chances during the first half where he could have added to the Fire's early lead.

"I will guarantee that I'm going to get chances and try as much as possible to get the ball on frame," Oduro said. "It's better for me to get the ball in the right spot, or hopefully for a rebound for one of our midfielders to get the ball into the net. I was beating myself up about that [after the Chivas game]."

Earlier this year, the Fire sent forward Calen Carr to the Houston Dynamo in exchange for the 25-year-old Oduro. Carr has missed the entire season with a concussion injury. Oduro, on the other hand, has increasingly become an effective presence in the offensive third.

"This team has been good to me," Oduro said. "I think I've literally found my mojo over here."

It certainly has been a different setting than Oduro's predecessor. Oduro opened the 2011 season in Houston, but his Dynamo tenure came to an abrupt halt after the team's home opener against the Philadelphia Union. It was during that 1-0 loss on March 19 when Oduro missed a gift of a scoring opportunity in the 68th minute -- a potential tap-in goal that sailed well over the crossbar.

Houston shipped Oduro to Chicago, and he has not looked back.

"It came to me as a surprise," Oduro said. "But that's history right now. Houston is in the past. Right now I'm with the Chicago Fire and that's what I want to concentrate on. I just want to help my team get to the next level."

Oduro's speed is uncanny, and he has worked tremendously hard to make that his weapon on the pitch. During his time with FC Dallas, Oduro trained with four-time Olympic gold medalist and U.S. sprinter Michael Johnson to fine-tune his stride.

So any MLS defense knows that it cannot completely shut down Oduro's opportunities. His quickness sooner or later will create some chances.

"My speed helps me out during the game, and I've been working on it," Oduro said. "It's a gift and a talent, and I just thank God for giving me that talent. I'm using it to my best abilities, as far as I know."

Now that Pappa has been back with the team following his Guatemalan national team duty during the CONCACAF Gold Cup, Oduro has moved out of the midfield and up front where he is more comfortable.

"He creates problems for any team when you play him on top," Fire interim head coach Frank Klopas said. "The threat is for him to get behind [the defense], but then with his pace, a team that doesn't play us high will give us a lot more room in the midfield where our players now have to find the game a lot more. He's a threat with his pace, and his work ethic is great. He makes very good runs. He's been a great addition."

"Playing up top is what I've been doing all my life," Oduro said. "I'm more comfortable up there. But I'll play anywhere on the field to help my team. That's my number one priority."

One natural fit for Oduro has been teaming up with fellow Ghanaian Patrick Nyarko. Nyarko, who led the Fire in assists last season with 10, made the transition to the midfield a couple seasons back. There is potential in this becoming a regularly effective playmaker-attacker tandem.

"We carpool together, so we talk all the time," Oduro said. "We talk on the field, off the field, when we're playing video games, during lunch. We have such a great understanding of when, where and how to play the ball. Patrick and I have a really good chemistry on the field."

As for Oduro's finishing, his misses tend to be amplified because he creates chances at close range. Like any attacking player, it is something that Oduro continues to refine.

"You work 100 mph and you have a split decision to make -- whether to put the ball on frame, whether to stop the ball and make a chip," Oduro said. "There's a whole lot of stuff going through your mind. But at the same time, you're just trying to run as fast as you can to try and beat that defender and get that ball in the net. Sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn't.

"That's what I'm trying to work on," he said. "Practice makes perfect, and I believe I'm going to reap the results."

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire's current three-game losing streak is creeping into the realm of historic proportions if the team cannot turn things around Saturday when it hosts the Houston Dynamo at Toyota Park.

One more loss would put this stretch among only a handful of four-game Fire droughts, the most recent being a four-game skid in May of 2007.

"The mentality's always strong, but the confidence, we've lost a little bit of," Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos said Friday following training.

The Fire (1-3-1, four points) have had to rely on some of their younger personnel to shoulder the load this season. Second-year goalkeeper Sean Johnson and 2011 first-round draft pick and defender Jalil Anibaba thrust themselves into starting roles. But both have been prone to some big mistakes in recent matches.

De los Cobos decided before last week's 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy to turn to 33-year-old goalkeeper Jon Conway, who will return to the starting lineup Saturday against Houston. De los Cobos said that Anibaba continues to maintain his starting right back role.

"I think patience is the key, for everybody," 12-year veteran Conway said. "A lot's expected of these young guys, but they are young guys. You've got to realize that being thrown into this sort of environment, this quick and as tough as it may be, sometimes it takes a little bit longer. For me, all I do is show up and train like I have for my whole career and just train hard, and maybe that translates over to them and they can take that from me. I have had a long run of things, fortunately, and maybe that helps them out with getting over what they have to get over."

The mentality within the Fire camp is that in most games this season, the team could have turned around its fate with more consistent play and eliminate some lapses on both ends of the pitch. In Chicago's losses to L.A. and Seattle Sounders FC, the Fire certainly had their moments to change the tone of both games and potentially garner some points.

"I think we're close," Conway said. "I think we're doing a lot of things well in spells and then showing a bit of our youth and not concentrating. We can get better all the way around, fine tune things and we'll be OK."

The Fire are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference table. Houston moved over to the East this season as the West brought in the expansion Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps. The Dynamo sits in the upper third of the East with a 2-1-2 record and eight points.

Fire defender Cory Gibbs missed training this week and will not play because of a hamstring injury he suffered in the second half of Chicago's loss to L.A. Colombian Yamith Cuesta, who was acquired from Chivas USA, will get the start in Gibbs' place, playing to the left of Josip Mikulic.

De los Cobos also is pondering a change within the midfield, and Libertyville native Baggio Husidic's name has come to the forefront. De los Cobos said "it's possible" for Husidic to see an increased role. Husidic has seen limited action this year after scoring five goals last season.

"I might make some changes in the middle, because one part of the midfield I think we need to improve is the creation," De los Cobos said.

Houston enters Toyota Park having won its past two matches -- a 3-1 decision over Vancouver on April 10, followed by a 1-0 win against the New England Revolution last Sunday. The Dynamo defense has allowed only four goals in five games this season.

Dynamo midfielder Brad Davis is among the league leaders with three assists this season, and goalkeeper Tally Hall enters the weekend third in saves with 19.

Chicago acquired Dominic Oduro from Houston in exchange for Calen Carr earlier this season. Carr still is out with a concussion injury and has not played this year. Oduro tallied the Fire's lone goal during their loss to the Galaxy last week.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire added some new pieces to the puzzle on Wednesday with the acquisition of forward Dominic Oduro and Colombian defender Yamith Cuesta.

The Fire sent a 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft selection to Chivas USA for Cuesta's rights. And Chicago sent forward Calen Carr, a 2006 draft pick who spent his first five MLS seasons with the Fire, to the Houston Dynamo for the 25-year-old Oduro. Carr missed last weekend's 1-1 draw against FC Dallas because of a concussion.

Oduro, a native of Accra, Ghana, tallied five goals last year for the Dynamo. He is expected to join the Fire for Thursday's training session.

"His most important quality is speed," Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos said of Oduro on Wednesday following training. "He's very fast. This is a quality that makes the difference sometimes in the game. He's coming to strengthen our front line of attackers."

"It depends on how Carlos wants to play him, but I think he can play out wide because he's got a lot of pace, and he can also play up top," Fire technical director Frank Klopas said. "It just depends. It gives you some different options."

The Fire focused heavily on securing a strong defensive back line during the offseason, and they bring in another young player, 21-year-old Cuesta, who already has MLS experience and debuted for Colombian First Division side Santa Fe in 2007. Cuesta also played for the Colombian U-20 national team in 2009, netting a goal in three games.

"Cuesta really, really surprised me because he's a young player, but with a strong personality," De los Cobos said. "I like this guy because even if he's very young, he showed how he's maturing in this moment. He's very strong, he's good with the ball, and I'm happy with Cuesta because I'm sure that he can help us during the season. We are trying to create a very solid block on defense, and I'm sure he will be part of this block."

"He's a young player that has good feet for a big guy," Klopas said. "He's fast, and technically he's very good. He's someone that our coaching staff knew very well, and we knew him because he was in the league. ... He's another guy who provides a lot of depth for us in the back line -- a guy that's young, that you can keep him around for a while."

With Cuesto being either a center back or right back, it creates a logjam of players on that side of the pitch. Rookie Jalil Anibaba started at right back and had a successful preseason and opening match against Dallas, and Josip Mikulic plays at center back on the three-man back line and right-center on a four-man line.

The left side of the defense is a different story. Veteran Cory Gibbs has been on the outside in the three-back formation, and Gonzalo Segares drops back from the midfield in a four-back setup. But beyond that, the Fire are thin. Bratislav Ristic has played at left back, but his health is in question heading into Saturday's home opener against Sporting Kansas City because of a quad injury following the Dallas match. Midfielder Mike Banner, who also has dropped to left back on occasion, missed last Saturday's opener with Achilles tendinitis.

"He's on the treadmill a little bit, so it's been a good sign," Klopas said of Banner's progress. "It's just a tough [injury] because it's an area that you just don't know. It's just day by day with him getting better. We're all hoping for the best, but I couldn't tell you if he's starting to train next week. I couldn't say that."

The Fire (0-0-1) host K.C. (1-0-0) on Saturday at Toyota Park, and it is early to determine if there are other specific areas that the Fire technical staff wants to address further. The potential addition of a forward continues to be a major talking point.

"We've been talking about that. The one thing we're going back and forth is forward," Klopas said. "We saw Diego [Chaves], and he's going to be a very good player in this league. We have a lot of options now on top. Do we bring in another guy up top, or do we look to see if there's a need somewhere else? We do have some options everywhere. We just have to see what the best option for the team is."

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- There was a point early last season when Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos wanted to address his new team as he entered his first year with the organization.

The Spanish-speaking De los Cobos did not know a great deal of English early on, but for anyone who heard him speak during the course of the 2010 season, he picked up portions of the language quickly.

Nevertheless, in his first address to the team, De los Cobos ended up hand-writing his speech in Spanish, it was then translated into English, and Fire technical director Frank Klopas read the English version to the players.

These days, De los Cobos is putting in a good six hours a week into studying the English language. He addressed Tuesday's media contingent in English. And as he typically does when surrounded by a group of reporters, De los Cobos modestly apologized if a few things were lost in the verbal translation of what he truly wanted to express.

The translation dynamic is an interesting perspective from the players' standpoint. If a player is attempting to understand De los Cobos' message and vision during training or heated moments of a game, how much does that affect the translation on the pitch?

"I wouldn't say it's an issue. I would say there's always room for improvement," Fire captain Logan Pause said Tuesday. "You probably talk to the best communicators and there's always room for improvement. When you're dealing with a locker room of now up to 30 guys, and a reserve league that's coming back, it's hard. It's not just coaching the game. You're a manager. You're managing people.

"Coming to a new country, you guys have all known by speaking with him, the language barriers. It's hard. It's an ongoing process. Carlos and I do have a strong relationship. I think last year was not only a learning process for him, but our entire team, of getting to know someone that we're not familiar with from a completely different country and used to a different culture."

The team is saying the politically correct things at training, and now with a year under the helm of De los Cobos, the adjustment phase that lingered for much of last year should be more subdued in theory.

"From last year to this year, I think there's going to be a big change as far as our comfort level and our understanding," forward Calen Carr said. "We have a better relationship, and I think that's going to help out a lot. Obviously last year wasn't our best season, and I think everyone's motivated to turn things around."

Exactly what will be in place for this turnaround is a question mark. Personnel-wise, the Fire have some work to do, and at this stage they will need break-out campaigns from the bulk of last year's returnees.

In the meantime, the Fire's communication level through this opening preseason week is geared more toward work ethic than anything else. That is the message being translated by the likes of Pause and new center defensive back Cory Gibbs as they instill a few things among the young preseason roster.

"It's all about communication," Gibbs said. "You just have to be honest with them. You sit them around and you have meetings with them. You let them know this is what we're trying to do this season -- no slacking off. Our main goal is to win a title. It's a definite possibility. We let them know what it takes through hard work, dedication and doing the small things right. Everybody has their niche on what they do well or not so well."

The adjustment phase is mutual for De los Cobos, who admits that the 2010 season was a trying one for him to adapt to the new Major League Soccer surroundings.

"[I learned] a lot of things," De los Cobos said. "I really want to be honest with you. The characteristics of this league are difficult. Not all players can play in this league. It's difficult. For me as a coach, I learned much about the league, and I know things better than my arrival. It helped me make decisions for the next season, bringing some different players with special skills.

"I need to take advantage of this knowledge I have taken from last season."

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- There is a high level of uncertainty when looking at the eventual 2011 Chicago Fire roster. The number of newcomers and trialists far outweigh the returning group from last year's squad.

The Fire went through their second preseason training day on Tuesday at the Bridgeview Soccer and Sports Dome. And head coach Carlos de los Cobos and his staff have a challenging stretch to evaluate and mold a young and eager group of players that simply is in a different place in their careers than the veterans and other personnel losses were following last season.

"I know the fans are waiting to see a different team [from last year's squad]," De los Cobos said. "I am excited because we have new guys, young players, we brought from the draft. We have two guys in the back line like Cory Gibbs, who is an experienced player. Josip Mikulic is a special player -- a young player, but with experience. Now we need to work, because we have no excuses."

The absence of a postseason spot last year unquestionably will be a driving force for the modest-sized returning group, led by defensive midfielder and recently-named captain Logan Pause.

"I want to help re-energize a group that tasted the bitterness of being unsuccessful," Pause said. "I'm grateful that the staff has the confidence in me to lead, but it's not just on me. It's on every person that walks in that door every day."

Gibbs, who the Fire picked up in the MLS re-entry draft late last year, will be looked upon for his veteran experience.

"I just have to translate what I know onto the field to the best of my ability and not be shy to communicate, at whatever level that is, with the staff and the players," Gibbs said. "We just need to win. They weren't as successful as they would have liked to be last year, and I need to step in and help in any way, and bring these young kids in."

The defensive third could wind up being one of the stronger points of this team, especially with second-year goalie Sean Johnson's growth. From his 2010 rookie season through his recent debut with the U.S. National Team, Johnson has demonstrated a rapid progression -- one that has him heading into the year as the team's No. 1. Then again, there are no guarantees, as evidenced by last year's late change of the guard from Jon Busch to recently-released goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra to Johnson.

There are gaping holes among many of the team's lines. The two biggest areas of concern are central midfield and the offensive third. Patrick Nyarko and Marco Pappa are strongholds in the midfield, and Baggio Husidic provided some timely goals last year.

Nevertheless, there was an awful lot of soccer mileage and experience that retired (C.J. Brown and Brian McBride) or moved elsewhere (Freddie Ljungberg and Wilman Conde).

"It's totally different. We've lost a lot of guys and lost some really strong leaders," forward Calen Carr said. "I think a lot of guys are looking to step in and help continue the tradition. I've had some great guys who showed me the ropes when I came into the team. We have a lot of new faces. Whatever I can do to help out in that respect, I will. I think there's a nice energy with the team -- tons of new faces. But the team's going to change over the next month or so."

"There is going to be a little bit of a honeymoon phase," Pause said. "It happens every year. After a couple weeks, you'll really start to see what the guys are like, when we're two or three weeks into double days. Right now, it's easy to get up [for training]. If it's not, then we have issues."

Chicago Fire forward and Arlington Heights native Brian McBride capped off his 17-year professional career with a stylish, world-class goal. McBride and Fire defender C.J. Brown each played in their final match as Chicago topped Chivas USA, 4-1, on Saturday at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

Both players are retiring after memorable careers on the pitch. Brown has played for the Fire in all of their 13 seasons.

"Our guys played for the jersey and pride," Brown said. "It was a good effort all the way around."

On Saturday, McBride notched his 80th tally in MLS play, a back-heel shot in the 40th minute, as the Fire went on to score a season-high four goals. McBride was set up by Freddie Ljungberg, who had a goal and an assist for the Fire (9-12-9).

"Brian was a big player, a true professional," Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos said. "All the players want to leave in the last match like Brian did tonight, scoring a great goal and helping the team win."

Ljungberg did the brunt of the work to set up McBride's tally, getting past a pair of Chivas defenders on the right side, then crossing the ball toward McBride. McBride made his run toward the near right post within the goal box against Chivas defender Carlos Borja. As McBride fended off Borja, he took Ljungberg's pass and back-heeled the ball with his right foot, finding the inside of the far left post for a 1-0 lead.

The Fire added to their lead in the 47th minute with a Ljungberg goal. Peter Lowry sent the ball up and found Marco Pappa on the left side. Pappa beat Chivas' Mariano Trujillo one-on-one and sent the ball toward the penalty-kick spot. His pass bypassed McBride and Ljungberg struck the ball to the right set of the net for a 2-0 lead.

In the 57th minute, Giancarlo Maldonado's header goal cut Chivas' deficit to 2-1. Sal Zizzo sent the ball in from the right side, where he had plenty of space, and Fire defender Deris Umanzor did not get there in time to pressure. Maldonado got behind Brown and received the cross, heading the ball to keep Chivas (8-18-4) in the match.

But Chicago maintained some distance the rest of the way. In the 68th minute, Logan Pause sent the ball forward as Calen Carr was ruled even with Chivas' back line as he made the run forward. Carr, who replaced McBride in the 51st minute, had a slightly strong touch on the dribble and Thornton decided to come out to challenge. But Carr maintained possession, faked like he was going to send to Pappa and instead dribbled around Thornton and shot the ball into the empty net for a 3-1 lead.

Second-half substitution Baggio Husidic capped off the scoring in second-half stoppage time with a header to take a 4-1 lead. Pappa had the attack and forced Thornton to make the save. But in typical Husidic fashion, the Libertyville native and former University of Illinois-Chicago standout was in the right place to head the ball into the empty net for his fifth goal of the season.

Analysis: The Fire's key players stepped up against Chivas -- Ljungberg was incredibly active from start to finish. McBride had a solid strike. Fire defender Wilman Conde's header clearances were crucial at times, though on some occasions early on Chivas was able to generate some long shots from these clearances because the Fire midfield couldn't progress the ball further.

Most of the focus was on the Fire's retiring duo. Chivas' Jonathan Bornstein also said farewell to MLS as he heads to Tigres UANL of the Mexican First Division.

Lost in the shuffle was the return of rookie Fire goaltender Sean Johnson, who had missed three previous matches because of an eye injury. Johnson made five saves on the night.

So the campaign ends much earlier than normal for the Fire. There is no postseason. There is no winning record. There are now a pair of veteran players who will not be back in the fold.

For a second straight year, a busy offseason awaits for Chicago. Clearly, missing the playoffs for only the second time in the organization's history is a huge disappointment.

The Fire went out the right way on Saturday, but plenty of important personnel -- and perhaps coaching -- decisions await.

The Chicago Fire and FC Dallas showcased a fitting example of two teams performing at the complete opposite ends of the spectrum this season.

Playoff-bound Dallas's movement and flow were strides ahead of Chicago's defensive gaffes and lack of scoring during FCD's 3-0 win over the Fire on Saturday at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas.

The Brimstone Cup remains with Dallas, which has held the trophy every year, with the exception of the Brimstone's inception in 2001.

Several days after posting a convincing 3-0 victory against the San Jose Earthquakes, Chicago was put in its place as Dallas orchestrated a dominating performance capped off by Jeff Cunningham's penalty kick tally in the 67th minute to tie an MLS record with his 132nd career goal.

Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos went with the same defensive combination that ended the team's seven-match winless streak. But no matter how the back line looked during Saturday's match, the Fire (7-11-8) could not halt Dallas (12-2-13), which extended its unbeaten run to a staggering 18 matches -- tying an MLS mark set by the Columbus Crew in 2004.

Dallas forward Milton Rodriguez netted a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute. Rookie Fire defender Kwame Watson-Siriboe wanted to play Dallas goalkeeper Dario Sala's send on a hop. The ball just went over FCD midfielder David Ferreira's head and Watson-Siriboe was caught off-guard, knowing that the ball was going to sail past him. Rodriguez took advantage and snuck his shot past Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson at the near left post.

The start of the second half went the complete opposite of how the Fire wanted to get things started. Ferreira sent the ball to Marvin Chavez who easily got behind Fire right back Steven Kinney. After tracking down the ball, Chavez cut back inside and took a shot that deflected a bit off of Kinney and got past Johnson only 20 seconds into the second half (46th minute).

Cunningham, who was a second-half substitution, was awarded a PK when Fire defender Dasan Robinson took him down in the box, trying to make up for Cunningham losing Chicago defender Wilman Conde. On the PK, Johnson guessed correctly to his right, not taken aback by Cunningham's hesitation. But the ball was just out of the rookie goalkeeper's reach.

The Fire had their usual scoring opportunities, here and there, but came up empty.

In the 14th minute, Patrick Nyarko made a run behind the defense as Freddie Ljungberg set him up. Nyarko could not finish the play, however. He tried a quick touch to his right to try to get around Dallas goalkeeper Dario Sala, but Sala converged to get his glove on the ball.

In the 33rd minute, Brazilian Dallas defender Jackson intercepted a high scoring opportunity for the Fire. Bratislav Ristic had the cross from the right side, looking for Calen Carr on the far left post. But Jackson retreated to the defensive third and slid feet first into the low cross. If he did not intercept, Carr would have had an easy chance to tap in the equalizer.

In the 85th minute, Carr sent a solid cross in from the right side to second-half substitution Brian McBride. But McBride could not handle the pass and his scoring chance went wide left.

Analysis: For the numerous personnel changes, injuries and other setbacks that have slowed down the Fire during this topsy-turvy season, those talking points are moot when facing a Dallas team that has absolutely shined despite those identical setbacks. FCD has everything put together from front to back and side to side on the pitch.

The Fire's midweek high was short-lived, and the same problems that have plagued this team were at the forefront once again.

There were some questionable personnel decisions by De los Cobos. Probably the most confusing during the match -- if Chicago truly was looking to maximize on the attack -- was leaving midfielder Logan Pause in the match while he sat on his 28th-minute yellow card.

Unlike the San Jose match, the Fire's young back line was burned by several mistakes. At this stage of the season, it's a benefit to let them work through this and look toward the future. The postseason mathematics still state that Chicago is in it, but reality is setting in that the Fire will miss the playoffs for only the second time in their 13-year history.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire's next two games truly will paint the picture of whether there is a glimmer of hope to the remainder of this season. But even with back-to-back wins, a typical Fire postseason is a long shot.

The Fire host Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday at Toyota Park, then head out west to take on the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday. The Sounders and Quakes are the two teams tied at the bottom of the playoff picture, with 36 points apiece heading into the weekend.

"These next two are especially big," Fire forward Calen Carr said. "Well, they're all huge, man. These ones are no bigger than the last two or the next two after."

The Fire are in the midst of a six-game winless streak. With a 6-9-8 record and 26 points, Chicago needs to make up a double-digit points deficit just to reach the postseason cutoff point -- assuming everyone in front falters. With seven matches to go, the Fire likely need five or six wins among their final seven regular-season games just to have a slim chance at the postseason.

"Every year I've been here, we've been in the playoffs," Carr said. "Usually the Eastern Conference Finals. That's the bar. The goal is to take it to the next level, not to go backwards. That's troubling, and I think that's something that's on everybody's mind."

The thought of potentially missing the postseason for only the second time in Fire history is the remaining drive for a team that bleeds tradition, honor and passion as its motto.

"We have the obligation to put 100 percent on the field," Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos said. "This is the situation, for our fans and for our club. We need to show them our commitment in each other. We need to fight for these seven games with honor."

"We haven't been able to just -- throughout full stretches of games or weeks -- outplay or dominate teams in the league," Carr said. "At this point, we need to fight our way for everything, every loose ball, everything we can get. I think that energy will lead to playing better and lead to half chances, scrappy goals, whatever it takes."

This Saturday against Seattle, the Fire potentially are looking at a one-striker setup that the team used earlier this season. Nery Castillo has missed some training because of a hamstring injury. And on Wednesday, De los Cobos indicated that he could go with a heavy midfield setup with Marco Pappa, Patrick Nyarko, Freddie Ljungberg, Bratislav Ristic and Logan Pause, with Collins John as the lone forward.

"When we started the season, we had this shape and had good moments," De los Cobos said. "I need to decide if we should play with two forwards or only one forward, depending on what's happening with Nery."

Last week, Seattle posted a convincing 4-0 victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Columbus Crew. Blaise Nkufo netted a hat trick, and it was the team's largest margin of victory in MLS play. The Sounders are 5-0-1 when Nkufo has started.

The Fire and Sounders met up at Qwest Field on Aug. 28, and Fredy Montero tallied two goals to lead Seattle to a 2-1 victory. Chicago's defense broke down in both instances against Montero, leaving him completely unmarked for the game-winner in second-half stoppage time.

Chicago center defensive back Wilman Conde is serving his one-game suspension for picking up two yellow cards during the Fire's recent 1-0 loss to Real Salt Lake. It is expected that Dasan Robinson will team up with C.J. Brown at center back.

Houston Dynamo forward Brian Ching was a thorn in the Chicago Fire's side as he netted a hat trick and the game-winning goal in the 85th minute as the Dynamo topped Chicago, 4-3, on Saturday at Robertson Stadium in Houston.

The Fire overcame a 3-1 deficit, but Ching's header off of a corner kick sealed a Houston victory late as Chicago was outplayed in many facets of the match.

Chicago's set-piece defending had its flaws. The Dynamo dominated in possession early on. Certainly the Fire (6-6-6) had a difficult task coming off a mid-week match, while Houston (6-10-5) was well-rested and on its home pitch.

The Fire had an opportunity to jump into third place in the Eastern Conference standings when Toronto FC fell to the New York Red Bulls earlier in the day, but Toronto maintained its two-point lead over Chicago.

Ching had an easy goal in the 31st minute when the ball popped away from Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson on an aggressive interception on a corner kick to give Houston a 1-0 lead. The goal of the match was Ching's bicycle kick in the 59th minute off of a rebound from the crossbar that gave the Dynamo a 3-1 advantage.

The match stayed interesting, though, when Dynamo defender Bobby Boswell had an own goal in the 70th minute when he tried to defend against second-half Fire substitution Patrick Nyarko. That cut Houston's lead to 3-2. Then Chicago tied the score at 3-3 with Wilman Conde's header off of a Freddie Ljungberg corner kick from the right side in the 81st minute.

Houston had a 2-0 lead in the 50th minute on Lovel Palmer's blast off of Richard Mulrooney's free kick. Fire forward Calen Carr tallied his second goal in back-to-back matches in the 55th as he had plenty of time in the box to strike the ball past the poor defending of Boswell and underneath Dynamo goalkeeper Pat Onstad to cut the Fire's deficit to 2-1.

Analysis: Not to take away from the comeback, but the Fire were fortunate they had the opportunity to work their way back. Houston went into halftime with only a 1-0 lead, despite the Dynamo's 11-2 shots advantage, a 3-0 shots-on-goal lead and a whopping 8-0 lead on corner kicks.

The damage could have been much worse.

The Fire survived the first 15 minutes unscathed as the Dynamo was far and away the better team, with multiple scoring opportunities. On the flip side, the Fire literally could not string together three straight passes to one another in that early span.

Chicago fell asleep early on and nearly allowed a goal in the third minute. Shortly after Dominic Oduro was fouled, Mulrooney immediately took the free kick and connected with Geoff Cameron. Cameron had a clear header chance, but he hit the crossbar. A couple minutes later, Palmer's header went over the crossbar as Houston tried to capitalize on a Mulrooney corner kick.

Conde tallied his first goal of the season, but the blemish from this match is that he will miss the road match against Seattle next Saturday because of yellow card accumulation. Conde picked up the yellow when he ran straight into the Dynamo's Brian Mullan in the 61st minute -- an unnecessary move from the back -- and it now turns into a setback heading into Qwest Field. Defender Krzysztof Krol probably can step into Conde's role, but Chicago would rather have its MLS All-Star in the mix.

Johnson suffered his first MLS loss in the net. Johnson was 2-0-1 entering Saturday's match, and he would like to have back that 31st-minute sequence. Fire defender C.J. Brown did his best to try and get out of the way of Johnson, but the two players bumped and Johnson could not secure the ball as Ching was there to mop up.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- It is relatively easy to jump on the Freddie Ljungberg bandwagon considering his immediate impact in only three matches with the Chicago Fire.

Ljungberg rapidly is becoming a welcome addition to the organization, and his most recent efforts helped Chicago top the New England Revolution, 2-1, on Wednesday. The 33-year-old designated player had a falling out with Seattle Sounders FC. But whatever went wrong on the west coast, Ljungberg appears to have found his stride already in Chicago.

Ljungberg's work rate, vision, offensive push and overall soccer experience were sorely needed. And the sense of admiration for the former Arsenal midfielder is evident in the locker room and on the pitch.

"He's got kind of a fiery personality, and it's good. It's what we need," Fire midfielder Peter Lowry said shortly after Ljungberg's arrival. "We kind of need a kick in the [butt]. I used to watch the old Arsenal teams on TV, and it was fun to watch him play. You try to learn from what he does and soak in as much as possible."

Wednesday was Ljungberg's most defining moment in the few games he has with Chicago. He had the initial attack that eventually turned into Baggio Husidic's game-tying goal. He had the assist for Calen Carr's game winning goal. And quite simply he was the clear-cut workhorse of everyone on the pitch.

"He's been great as far as talking to me on the side and helping me with some runs and what to look for," Carr said Wednesday. "And so I just try and move off him. On that play, it definitely paid off."

For much of this Fire season, the team's various lineups and formations have been regular topics of discussion. Having a player such as Ljungberg brings some flexibility into the attacking third.

"Freddie is not a forward, but he's a player that can shadow a striker," Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos said. "He's a player that any coach in the league would have wanted, and he is a player that can create a lot of situations. Although he's not a striker, he's a player that always gets to the box."

The Fire are preparing for back-to-back road matches, starting with the Houston Dynamo on Saturday. But without question the Fire's Aug. 28 match at Seattle's Qwest Field is one to circle on the calendar.

It will be another fitting barometer of Ljungberg's worth when he takes on his former squad in one of MLS's loudest venues.

Segares has modest return: Fire defender Gonzalo Segares returned to left defensive back on Wednesday, and for the most part he did pretty well in his first game back with the club since the 2009 season.

On the defensive side, Segares was relatively steady. New England's Sainey Nyassi was not much of a weapon offensively. The only glaring mishap from Segares came in the 73rd minute when Nyassi easily got past him into the offensive third. But Fire defender Wilman Conde deflected the ball out, and the subsequent corner kick resulted in a Shalrie Joseph header that went wide left of the goal.

The moments where Segares pushed up into the offensive third, there are some kinks that need to be worked out as far as the timing and communication. Part of it simply has to do with meshing with the new personnel.

There were sequences where Segares pushed up and no one was looking in his direction. There also was one sub-par moment where Segares elected to take a shot in the 47th minute, when the smarter option would have been to dish the ball off to Ljungberg who was making a direct run to the goal. Instead, Segares' shot sailed to the left of Ljungberg and left of the goal for a Revs goal kick.

But for a first game back, Segares looked comfortable out there.

"He's a great player and he has personality," De los Cobos said. "Like Nery [Castillo], he needs time to get used to it. But he did a great job."

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Chicago Fire forward Calen Carr made his return a memorable one.

Carr netted a game-winning goal in the 85th minute as the Fire defeated the New England Revolution, 2-1, on Thursday in front of 14,056 at Toyota Park. The match was Carr's first since a scoreless draw between the host Revs and the Fire on Oct. 17, 2009.

Carr injured his quad at the end of this year's preseason when the team was in Mexico. But he slowly but surely has battled his way back, and Carr's goal gave the Fire (6-5-6) three well-deserved points against Eastern Conference foe New England (6-10-3).

"It's been a tough road where my quad would feel better, then it would feel worse, and then better, then worse," Carr said. "I finally broke through the barrier and I've been training for some weeks now. I feel great."

The front line made an aggressive run upfield during Carr's goal. Freddie Ljungberg fueled the attack and fed to Carr who surged ahead and cut to his right toward the middle of the pitch. He hit a low shot from just outside of the box and drove the ball past Revs goalkeeper Matt Reis, finding the left side of the goal for the game-winner.

"[Ljungberg] got the ball and I just drifted out wide to the left," Carr said. "I cut inside, and was originally going to go to the far post and saw the defender coming. So I decided to come back across the face of the goal. The rest ... thankfully it went in."

Carr's goal capped off a strong Fire comeback, after falling behind early because of a defensive mishap. It was Chicago's first win this season after conceding the match's first goal.

Fire midfielder Baggio Husidic tallied his fourth goal of the season in the 32nd minute to tie score at 1-1. Husidic's goal was typical of his other tallies -- right place at the right time when he faced Reis one-on-one, following Brian McBride's pass from the top of the box.

"Brian slid me in and I think the only option was either to go through the legs or chip it," Husidic said. "I went for the chip and it worked."

The win erased a blunder from Fire defender Wilman Conde, who has been prone to a few big mistakes during the season. He slipped when trying to change direction with the ball in the 16th. That parted the sea for Revs forward Marko Perovic, who dribbled around Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson and found the inside of the far left post for a 1-0 lead.

It marked the first goal allowed from Johnson in the run of play in the rookie's three MLS starts. Needless to say, Johnson could not do much to avoid the Perovic goal.

For the first time this season, the Fire's designated player duo of Ljungberg and Nery Castillo started together. It marked Castillo's first MLS start, but it was a mostly forgettable outing that included some unusual reads on some crosses from the right side. Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos decided to take him out after 45 minutes, going with Mike Banner in the second half.

Analysis: The mantra of Fire soccer over the past couple of seasons had been some positive advantages, but many times coming up short of a win or making a costly mistake.

It nearly held true until Carr completed Chicago's comeback. And while Carr and Husidic did get the glory on the scoreboard, it was Ljungberg who basically energized this team from whistle to whistle.

It is refreshing to watch the 33-year-old Ljungberg -- the amount of ground he covers from side to side and his energy level. Ljungberg played a big role in both goals. And then there were moments where Ljungberg generated some applause for simply his continual drive, such as the 49th minute. He had a good 15- to 20-second stint where he tried to get through several Revs defenders. And even when it seemed hopeless, Ljungberg somehow managed to get a corner kick out of it.

The Fire still are without a couple pieces of the roster, particularly midfielder Patrick Nyarko. Chicago compensated for Nyarko's absence, and Ljungberg is the man to thank for fueling the squad.

The Chicago Fire re-signed often-injured forward Calen Carr on Monday.

Carr, who is entering his fifth season with the Fire, missed much of the 2008 and 2009 seasons because of a reoccurring knee injury that limited him to 19 games and 364 minutes over two seasons.

Carr, 27, was drafted 10th overall in the first round of the 2006 MLS SuperDraft out of the University of California.

The Chicago Fire re-signed forward Calen Carr on Monday, and that got me to thinking about some players on the team's roster who are in need of a rebound season in 2010. Here are just a few that stand out:
Calen Carr: Knee injuries have hampered Carr so much so that he has only played the equivalent of roughly four full games in two seasons if you roll all his minutes together. Unfortunately in his sporadic playing time in 2009, Carr came up empty. He had a wide-left attempt during the Fire's 2-2 draw against Toronto FC in late September, and the Toyota Park crowd groaned in unison as Carr missed a golden chance for the game-winner in stoppage time. It's unfair to use this moment to completely label his limited season, but those are the situations that define his role. Carr has shown in the past that he can come up with a clutch play in limited playing time, and that could lend itself to additional opportunities. He needs to make sure that the injury bug isn't the main reason for limiting his time on the pitch.

John Thorrington: Thorrington was a necessary spark for the Fire when they advanced past the New England Revolution in the Eastern Conference semifinals last year. It's just too bad we could not see a full season of that energy. Whether it was an injury or a pair of red cards shortening his stint on the field, we did not see enough of Thorrington, who only contributed one assist and did not find the back of the net during the regular season. That was his follow-up to a five-goal, two-assist 2008 campaign. Thorrington's amped-up energy is an asset when he plays the ball cleanly and he's completely healthy. Thorrington could certainly put together a solid campaign this year, and he will have to in order to compensate for the losses of Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Chris Rolfe in the midfield.

Justin Mapp: Mapp's playing time went down dramatically last year. There probably were a few other games in there where you could justify less playing time than the 1,013 minutes he saw. For Mapp himself and even the casual soccer fan, it's no mystery he didn't perform at a high level -- one goal and three assists. That followed a four-year stretch in which Mapp posted eight assists in 2005, 2006 and 2008. Chicago protected Mapp this offseason so the expansion Philadelphia Union couldn't latch onto him. The Fire obviously feel that there still is some value within that left foot of his, but the 25-year-old midfielder has a lot to prove heading into the 2010 season.