East Rutherford, NJ (Sports Network) - All week long, the Chicago Fire and New York Red Bulls said Sunday's Major League Soccer fixture between the Eastern Conference rivals was business as usual.

But there was a little more to it than that. After coach Juan Carlos Osorio led Chicago to the Eastern Conference final last season, he bolted for New York in the offseason, citing family reasons. Add some controversy concerning Wilman Conde and Lider Marmol's desire to play for Osorio, despite their rights being owned by Chicago, and Sunday's fixture meant a little extra.

The Fire didn't seem to care that Osorio wasn't on the New York bench because of the suspension he was serving for being ejected from the Red Bulls' last league fixture, they seemed determined to show the Colombian what he passed up by dominating the home side in a 5-1 victory.

"[Osorio] came here [to New York], he said, 'For family reasons.' Okay, we'll believe him and we wish him the best, but coming in here we wanted to say, 'Hey, you shouldn't have left us,'" Fire forward Chad Barrett said. "[Current Fire coach] Dennis [Hamlett] has done a great job, stepped up and really formed system for us to play in and we've responded very well."

Well enough to be tied atop the Eastern table with 19 points after the most recent win.

As has been the case for the majority of games he has played in since coming to MLS last summer, Mexican veteran Cuauhtemoc Blanco was the key to the Fire offense on Sunday. He had a goal and three assists to lead the onslaught.

"In big games, big players step up," Hamlett said. "He has been doing that for us all this season and all last season. He knows what the stage is about and he's not afraid to step on it. The guys know that. You get him the ball and you move because he is going to find you. [Sunday] he had some pinpoint passing."

Barrett was also a key attacker in the contest, scoring two goals to double his season total.

"He's been doing it all season, he has been working hard up front, holding balls, getting guys involved," Hamlett said. "He's getting himself in good spots and [Sunday] he scored two goals. That's a credit from him because he has been working hard the last month, month and a half."

"All week in practice we were really focused," Barrett said. "Coming in with [the Juan Carlos Osorio situation], we didn't really need anything [to motivate the squad]."

Blanco got things started with a long pass to Barrett just seven minutes into the game. Seconds after missing shot high from inside the New York penalty area, Barrett ran under a ball from Blanco in the offensive third, out-muscled defender Hunter Freeman, and ran on goal alone, easily slotting a shot past New York goalkeeper Jon Conway.

"It's pretty clear it was just a bad day," Freeman said. "The first goal was my fault. They played a ball back, I was inside of the guy, the ball kind of chucked up, ricocheted off of me and went right into the guy's path. He's in on [Conway] and he has no chance."

Blanco almost doubled the visitors' lead in the 20th minute when he got behind the defense and charged into the New York penalty area, but he was taken down by New York center back Jeff Parke before he could get a shot off. Referee Ricardo Salazar didn't award a penalty on the play, instead giving New York a goal kick on a questionable decision.

Things got much worse for New York in the second half as the Fire scored four more goals to make it 5-0 before the Red Bulls could pull one back.

"It was very frustrating to say the least," Osorio said. "It is what it is and now we have to move on, review and analyze this game, try to build and keep going."

The Fire doubled their lead just after the break when Blanco took a long ball from center back Bakary Soumare in the offensive third, took a touch into the area and crossed to a wide-open Chris Rolfe in the middle of the six-yard box. Rolfe easily beat Conway with a header to the far post for his second goal of the season.

A little over five minutes later, Barrett played a ball into the box to Justin Mapp, who was pushed down by New York defender Andrew Boyens. This time Salazar awarded a PK, which Blanco converted to make it 3-0.

Five minutes later, it was 4-0 when Barrett scored on a diving header of a Mapp service into the box. Blanco got the second assist on the goal, his third helper of the game.

Fire defender Gonzalo Segares knocked in a rebound after a Blanco corner kick was headed off the post to make it 5-0 in the 62nd minute before New York's Jozy Altidore broke up the shutout with his third goal of the season in the 73rd minute.

"Our guys are gutted, they emptied their tanks," Hamlett said. "That's what we talked about before the game, going out on the field and leaving it all on the field. They are excited because when you go on the road and score five goals, obviously that is exciting."

New York (3-2-3) will try to rebound from the tough loss when it travels to Houston on Saturday, while Chicago (6-2-1) has the week off, hosting D.C. United on June 7 in its next league match.

-By Pat Martin, MLS Editor