Chris Rolfe has shown a flair for the dramatic in his first full season with D.C. United.
He'll look to make the last-place Chicago Fire regret dealing him last year when they host Eastern Conference-leading United on Wednesday night.
D.C. (9-5-4) avoided a third straight loss Sunday with a 2-1 win over New England. Rolfe equalized in the 70th minute before putting United ahead on an 81st-minute penalty for the club's fifth comeback victory.
Rolfe leads the team with six goals, an MLS-leading four of which have been winners. He also has three assists.
"We obviously like when he's scoring goals," coach Ben Olsen said. "But the times he's able to get in and around the box, and in particular on the end line, it's pretty impressive."
Rolfe had played all 178 of his MLS regular-season games for the Fire before being traded to D.C. last April for allocation money. This marks his first chance to play against his former team.
As good as United have been, they have struggled at times on the road. They've scored once in going 0-3-1 since a 2-1 win April 25 at Vancouver and are 0-2-4 in Chicago since a 1-0 victory Aug. 29, 2009.
Though the Fire (4-8-2) have the league's fewest points, they've been competitive at home with a 4-3-0 record. They lost 3-1 in the nation's capital June 3 as Jairo Arrieta scored twice and Fabian Espindola had two assists.
Chicago has surrendered eight goals during a three-game skid and is trying to avoid losing a fourth straight for the first time since May 2007. The franchise record is five in a row, done twice in the team's inaugural 1998 season.
"How we win games right now is kind of irrelevant," coach Frank Yallop said. "We've got to win games. I think we've played some exciting stuff, especially at home, with our full unit. At this point, we just need to get results."
This marks Chicago's first MLS match since a 2-0 loss at New England on June 13. The Fire defeated Louisville City 1-0 in a U.S. Open Cup match last Tuesday.
Midfielder Shaun Maloney hasn't played since May 30 due to a bulging disc and is expected to be out two to three more weeks. Matt Polster has started all but one match but is sidelined for this contest due to yellow card accumulation.
"We have good players that are coming in, and whoever I select in that spot will play well and do well," Yallop said. "He'll (Polster) be missed, but hopefully we can get through the game and welcome him back when his suspension's over."
D.C. midfielder Davy Arnaud, who has three assists, is also out for yellow card accumulation.
