Chicago Fire knock out New England, advance to MLS Eastern Final

November 7, 8:19 PMSeattle Soccer ExaminerDavid Falk

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Chicago Fire's Logan Pause (l) hugs teammate John Thorrington after his goal against the New England Revolution during the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009, in Bridgeview, Ill. (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)

The Chicago Fire wil host Real Salt Lake next week in the MLS Eastern Conference Final after beating the New England Revolution 2:0 before a sell out crowd of 21,000 at Toyota Park on Saturday night. Cuauhtemoc Blanco's late goal was the difference in a 3:2 aggregate advance for the Fire.

If you are looking for story lines in these Major League Soccer playoffs, then the Chicago Fire are a club to watch in the East. Imagine Blanco playing his last Fire match ever in MLS Cup 2009 at Qwest Field on November 22nd. The league is likely coveting a Chicago trip to Seattle. As a fan of the league, so am I.

From Goal.com: The Revolution attempted to slow down the game with possession, but they were unable to take control of the game. The Fire and the 21,000 supporters demanded a fast paced affair.

As full time approached, Patrick Nyarko’s pace and tenacity began to play a huge role in the game. The former Virginia Tech striker won a ball off of Jay Heaps on the sideline and then set up Blanco for a shot from the top of the box that skimmed the off the crossbar.

Nyarko stole the ball from Osei on the end line a few minutes later, and then found Blanco again. This time the forward left no doubt as he put the ball in the top corner to give the Fire the lead in the series.

As the game neared the final whistle, the Revolution desperately pushed forward in search of a series tying goal. Pat Phelan almost tied the game in the last few minutes, but his header just missed the far post of Jon Busch’s goal.

Referee: Alex Prus
Referee's Assistants: Fabio Tovar; Sean Hurd
4th Official: Terry Vaughn
Time of Game: 90:00
Weather: Clear -and- 58 degrees
Attendance: 21,528

All statistics contained in this boxscore are unofficial

New England Revolution's Kevin Alston, left, defends as Chicago Fire's Cuauhtemoc Blanco moves the ball upfield during the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009, in Bridgeview, Ill. (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)