RECAP: Chicago Fire Fall Victim to Own Mistakes in Loss to NYCFC, 3-1
The Chicago Fire were defeated on the road by New York City FC on Sunday afternoon, 3-1.
A big opportunity to move up the MLS standings went begging for the Fire, who dug their own grave at Yankee Stadium.
Chicago’s four-match win streak thus comes to an end.
Action on Both Ends in the First Half
For much of the first half, it was NYCFC who looked more threatening. Tayvon Gray had a bouncing header knocked away by Chris Brady just four minutes in. Alonso Martinez forced another save out of Brady in the 17th minute, as the goalkeeper dove to his right to make a stop.
Against the run of play, the Men in Red took the lead at the 19-minute mark. Andrew Gutman switched the field of play over to Jonathan Dean, who sent a low ball to Philip Zinckernagel at the edge of the box. Zinckernagel took a clean first-time strike, rolling the ball into the bottom corner to make it 1-0 to Chicago. The goal was the Dane’s third in three games across all competitions.
Both teams kept knocking on the door as the first half went on. In the 23rd minute, a favorable rebound left Martinez alone in front of an empty net, but he sent his effort flying into the stands. Just a minute later, the New York City striker had a long-range shot bounce off the crossbar.
The Fire thought they’d punished the hosts’ mistakes in the 25th minute. Gutman got on the end of a Zinckernagel pass and walked the ball into the goal. It was eventually disallowed for a marginal offside. Six minutes after that, Chicago was dealt a massive blow as Brian Gutierrez was sent off for violent conduct. The youngster struck Aiden O’Neill in the face with his elbow, picking up a second red card of the year.
Fire Outplayed in the Second Half
PHOTO: NYCFC/Facebook
New York City came out for the second half ready to capitalize on the Fire’s personnel disadvantage. Their attacking onslaught was finally rewarded in the 58th minute, as Mounsef Bakrar leveled the game at 1-1 with a tap-in goal off an assist by Justin Haak.
The hosts didn’t back off after the equalizer. Birk Risa’s ambitious strike in the 68th minute was saved by the incredible Brady, but NYCFC got their go-ahead goal on the next attack. Leonardo Barroso failed to head the ball out of trouble, allowing Hannes Wolf to take two touches and score from inside the box. In the 73rd minute, the Men in Red nearly went down 3-1, but Brady denied Maxi Moralez from short range.
In the following minutes, the visitors slowly gained some attacking momentum through Gutman, Barroso, and Omari Glasgow. Despite the late push, it wasn’t meant to be for the Fire.
Dje D’Avilla received a second yellow card for a last-man challenge on Agustin Ojeda, giving away a penalty. A lengthy VAR review was not enough to overturn the decision, though the tackle seemed clean. Martinez finally got his goal, converting the penalty to secure a 3-1 win for NYCFC.
Disappointment and Frustration in the Fire Camp
Fire head coach Gregg Berhalter was understandably frustrated following the match.
He didn’t shy away from the fact that the team shot itself in the foot.
“For [Brian Gutierrez] to make that action puts his whole team in jeopardy,” Berhalter said of the first red card.
“I think for a player to do that is irresponsible. Anything that happens after that is almost a moot point. Gutierrez received a similar red card against the Columbus Crew in the season opener, raising questions about his aggressive tendencies. He needs to do some soul-searching and figure out why this is recurring,” Berhalter concluded.
Another point of discussion in the post-game press conference was the referee’s decision to send off D’Avilla.
Again, Berhalter didn’t beat around the bush.
“I just think that when you’re called over to VAR, you’re called over for a reason,” he said.
“For the referee to go and then double down on an error is confusing to me. [D’Avilla] wins the ball completely, barely makes contact with the guy.”
The Men in Red cannot afford to dwell on the defeat for too long.
They continue to fight for a favorable position in the race for the MLS Playoffs.
Moving on from the Yankee Stadium fiasco is a must.
“We have to move forward from this game, erase it as quickly as possible,” Berhalter emphasized.
Next up for the Fire is a trip to Florida for a Saturday match with Orlando City. Chicago will enter the match ranked 11th in the MLS Eastern Conference, two points off a playoff spot.
Orlando sits in 4th place, having last lost an MLS match on March 8th.
The two teams have already squared off this year, with the match ending in a 0-0 draw at Soldier Field.
PHOTO: NYCFC/Facebook
Discover more from Chicago Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
