Fire defense bracing for a United attack

It's going to be difficult to take your eyes off the Chicago Fire defense tonight.

That's because host D.C. United is behind a goal entering the second leg of the Eastern Conference semifinal, and United, which sports the best offense in Major League Soccer, can be expected to do everything within its power to score goals.

That's just fine with the Fire defense, which worked tirelessly in the opening match at Toyota Park to gain the 1-0 advantage into today's match at RFK Stadium (6:30 p.m., ESPN2).

"This season's been that way where we've been involved constantly," said Fire defender C.J. Brown. "It would be nice if the other team sat back -- but it hasn't been like that all season.

"I wouldn't know what to do if the other team sat back. We might as well finish this series the way the season's gone so far."

MLS decides its semifinal playoff series based on total goals scored over the two matches. If the teams' aggregate score is tied after 90 minutes, 30 minutes of overtime follow. If there still is no winner, the playoff series will be decided on penalty kicks.

That was the scenario last year, when the Fire took a 1-0 lead to New England, lost the match 2-1 and then fell 4-2 on penalty kicks to the Revolution.

D.C. United figures to be every bit as tough to defeat as New England was a year ago. United has 20-goal scorer Luciano Emilio fit again, and he should play a more influential role than in the opening match, when he played 12 uninspired minutes.

Jaime Moreno, a catalyst for the team especially if paired with Emilio, also is fit again after playing only 45 minutes in the opening match. Both are likely to start, which increases the attacking capabilities of a team that already has Ben Olsen and Fred as well as Christian Gomez in an offense that scored a league-high 56 goals.

"They didn't play their full group, which was understandable," Brown said. "They tried to put their attackers in at the end -- and they had the better of the ball.

"It's supposed to be like that because they were down a goal, and we handled that defensively."

D.C. United coach Tom Soehn likely will benefit from having all his weapons ready for tonight's match.

"Moreno likes to drop off a bit into midfield, and Gomez can run through the middle," Brown said. "Olsen and Fred run up and down the line, and Emilio scored 20 goals. They have a strong attacking team."

Despite having the seventh-best record entering the playoffs, the Fire brings a 10-match undefeated streak into tonight's action.

Included in that was a 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy on the final day of the season that qualified the Fire for the playoffs. The situation then was the same as tonight -- a win or a tie will move the Fire to the next round.

Having the 1-0 lead, thanks to a Chris Rolfe strike in the 14th minute a week ago, is a luxury, but the margin remains razor-thin.

"It's a win, so you take that," Brown said. "I don't think you go into this next game thinking you're ahead. We've got to go into this game thinking of getting a win. I think that's got to be our mentality."

Fire coach Juan Carlos Osorio replaced Dave Sarachan and has been with the team since July, and Brown said the team is very comfortable with his style at this point.

"He pays attention to details," Brown said. "He looks at a team's weaknesses and we train for their weaknesses. Each week is different. It's not necessarily changing our style, but being aware of how to play against different teams."

The winner of tonight's action faces the winner of the New England-New York series in the Nov. 8 Eastern Conference title match.

MLS Cup is Nov. 18 at RFK Stadium.

Chicago Fire at D.C. United

When: 6:30 p.m. at RFK Stadium in Washington

TV: ESPN2

Fire outlook: Is it possible for a team that barely slipped into the postseason to feel overconfident against the team with the most regular-season points? United has never scored against the Fire in six playoff games over the past 10 seasons.

The opponent: Expect United to attack. The Fire caught a break last week when United forwards Luciano Emilio, this season's league-leading scorer, and Jaime Moreno, the league's all-time leading scorer, couldn't start. Both came in as substitutes, but their sprained ankles clearly limited them. A week of rest seems to have helped immensely. A tie doesn't help United; it needs a win, and winning by 2 goals avoids series tiebreakers.

Advancement: If the Fire wins or ties, it wins on aggregate goals. If United wins by 2 goals or more, it wins the series on aggregate. If United wins the game by 1 goal, the teams will play a 30-minute overtime immediately after the game. If it's still tied, the teams will go to a penalty-kick shootout.

Next: The series winner plays the winner of the New-England-New York series on Nov. 8 at 6:30 p.m.

-- Orrin Schwarz