By BRIAN LEWIS

Apparently it’s not just a Red Bulls-Chicago thing. It seems the Fire can bring out the bile in any team, because their U.S. Open Cup loss to D.C. sure got chippy.

Naturally Cuauhtemoc Blanco was in the middle of it all, apparently not high on the holiday shopping list of United’s Marc Burch, who said “He’s not going to do that to my teammates. He stood up and tried to poke Clyde (Simms) in the eye and cut his eye open. I don’t like him, I don’t think he’s a good person.”

Blanco, His Royal Abrasiveness, didn’t check in until the 91st minute and got red-carded in the 108th. Fred had fouled John Thorrington as they jumped for a 50-50 ball in front of the benches, and as the Brazilian was in the process of getting carded, Chicago tried to play a quick kick to Blanco.

Burch knocked Blanco down, and as a scrum started with players jawing at each other, Blanco punched Clyde Simms in the stomach. Burch waded in and knocked the Mexican down; he and Blanco both got red-carded, then he had some choice words about the Fire midfielder on United’s team blog.

“Blanco came over and swung as hard as he could and hit Clyde in the stomach. You know I’m sick of that, throwing elbows at (Gonzalo) Peralta. I bumped shoulders with him and he threw an elbow at me and kicked me so I was just sick of him,’’ Burch said. “He gets away with a lot of stuff because he’s Blanco and he’s from Mexico and he’s a big name. But he can’t do that stuff to any of my teammates.

“He was out there smacking people, kicking people after they were down. He came up and swung as hard as he could and tried to hit the ball and hit Clyde in the stomach. I can’t stand that. He thinks he can do whatever he wants so I went over and I pushed him. I mean, I didn’t hit him or go after him, I just pushed him down. He’s not going to do that to my teammates. He stood up and tried to poke Clyde in the eye and cut his eye open. I don’t like him, I don’t think he’s a good person. He’s a good player but when he’s out there he’s doing stuff that he shouldn’t get away with.’’