Without question, there is no team in Major League Soccer Crew fans despise quite like the Chicago Fire. When the Black & Gold makes a trade with the Fire like they did on Monday when Dilly Duka was swapped for Dominic Oduro, it adds more fuel to MLS's midwestern rivalry.
Crew Technical Director Brian Bliss isn't worried about the deal coming back to bite the Black & Gold. Rather, he welcomes trades within the Eastern Conference.
"You try not to do deals within your own conference, but I think also that's a misunderstood concept," Bliss explained Monday. "If you're not going to do deals within your own conference, you're eliminating potentially nine other teams to make a trade with. Why would you do that?
"Yeah, it's one thing if you're dealing guys on the DP level. You don't want guys like that going to a rival, but at the end of the day, you can't worry about that."
As for Oduro, who is playing for his fifth team since 2006, he's learned to treat games against former opponents as he would any other match. The Crew will play the Fire three times in 2013.
"One thing I've to come to learn in my experience in this League and with your old team's history is to not trash talk your former team or let them get in your head," the new Crew forward said. "You just have to stay calm and try to play the game as any other MLS game. I think it will be something to play against [Chicago].
"I think I'll just go out there and play my game and hopefully we'll come away with the W."
