The bad news is that the perpetual stream of humanity flowing up and down the steps tends to block that view.  (Curmudgeon-ette alert:  I'm convinced that at least half of the people at Fire games are there only to buy beer and food.  The game itself is of little interest to them.  The reasons for this are one of the mysteries of the universe.  If you really, really crave a Bud Light, couldn't you go to Jewel and buy a six-pack for something less than $6.25 a bottle)?  The good news about these seats is that we weren't touched by the steady rain because they're protected by the awning.

I would have loved to watch the replays of those four goals.  The Fire scored early and often throughout the first half, beginning in the 4th minute and ending in the 40th.  The first goal was set up by Justin Mapp, who, I'm delighted to report, seems to be right back where he was before last year's long injury layoff.  He moved smartly down the left and deftly crossed over to Chad Barrett.  1-0 Fire...and it went downhill from there for the Revolution.  In the 7th minute the Revs' Jeff Larentowicz was sent off for bringing down Brandon Prideaux.  Even though I was sitting in a pretty good spot, these things happen so quickly that it's hard to get a good look.  For the ref to send someone off on a straight red in the 7th minute of the second game of the season seemed pretty harsh, so I had to assume that it was a nasty tackle.  I wondered if officials worldwide were cracking down on borderline tackles in the wake of Eduardo da Silva's nightmarish injury.  But this morning I read on Soccernet that Prideaux may have tripped on the wet turf.  Sigh.  If only I could look at the replay...

What else?  Oh yes, the Fire's acquisition of 33-year-old striker Tomascz Frankowski has paid off already.  He scored two goals, one on either side of the penalty kick that Cuauhtemoc Blanco blasted in in the 36th.  Frankowski was a Polish international as recently as last season.  The circuitous route that has brought him to Chicago includes stints with Wisla Krakow, Tenerife, and Wolverhampton Wolves.  He scored for Wisla in both UEFA Cup and Champions League play, and notched twelve goals as well for the Wolves in 2005/2006.  His stint with Tenerife in the Spanish Segunda Division was brief, but he picked up two goals there.  Though Frankowski doesn't have Blanco's glittering credentials, I'm optimistic that he will continue to find the net for the Fire.  The icing on the cake would be if he could help the team tap into our huge population of Polish immigrants and juice up the attendance figures, much as Blanco has done with the Mexican community.  The official attendance for last night's match was 15,000-something.  Not terrible for a cold, rainy weeknight, I guess, but we should be doing better.

What else can I complain about?  The generally sloppy level of play, that's what.  Blame it on the rain, the chill, the pitch, or early-season rustiness, but the only two consistently intelligent and skilled offensive guys in red were Blanco and Mapp.  I didn't get such a good look at Frankowski from my vantage point, and he was subbed out in the 46th minute.  Two goals should show plenty of skill and smarts, but this is a whiny post, remember?  Between Mapp's injury and Blanco's mid-season arrival, they had almost no chance to play together last season.  I can hardly wait to see what those two might cook up together as this season matures.

My final complaint has to do with our fans' treatment of Matt Reis.  During the second half, I saw at least half a dozen projectiles hurled his way.  Even after they cleared it away and a warning came over the PA, more junk was tossed at him.  No doubt the Revs' keeper has done something truly egregious to deserve this treatment (Susan rolls her eyes).  But don't you guys remember how Tim Howard was injured by a nail that was thrown in front of his goal during a warm-up before a recent friendly with Mexico?  Isn't it possible, even likely, that Jon Busch may receive similar treatment in Foxboro?  I'm not exactly a pacifist (The Guy snickers), but trite sayings like "An eye for an eye and soon the world will be blind," should find some resonance in the world of sport.  Besides, Fire fans should be above such behavior.  God knows I love and admire Section 8's passionate support.  But why give clueless soccer-bashers any more ammunition against our sport?

Rant over.

Susan blogs at Soccer Orb