RECAP: Decision Day Draw for the Fire in New England, 2-2
A wild regular season for the Chicago Fire came to a fittingly crazy close on Saturday night.
With a first playoff berth since 2017 already secured, the Fire went into their Decision Day fixture with only seeding at stake.
A back-and-forth 2-2 draw against the New England Revolution sees Chicago finish 8th, sending them to the Eastern Conference Wild Card Game.
A Start From Hell
There was a lot that was outside the Fire’s control coming into the game. Anywhere from sixth to ninth place in the standings was a possibility, dependent on results elsewhere. The imperative for Chicago on the pitch was simple, though: earn all three points.
That goal became significantly harder to achieve after just 40 seconds of play at Gillette Stadium. Chris Brady played a risky build-up pass up the middle to Dje D’Avilla, who remained completely unaware of the looming Alhassan Yusuf. Yusuf appeared from the shadows, dispossessed D’Avilla, and converted his shot with ease to put New England up 1-0. That proved to be enough for the Revs to head into halftime with the lead.
Seeding Mania
Chicago came out for the second half guns blazing, optimistic about boosting their place in the standings. While the Fire struggled to break down the hosts’ defense, twists began to take place across the league. Inter Miami flipped the script on Nashville, putting the latter within touching distance for the Men in Red. The Columbus Crew forged ahead in their game, potentially relegating the Fire to ninth. Orlando City conceded goal after goal against already-eliminated Montreal, muddying the waters some more.
At long last, Chicago got their breakthrough in Massachusetts. Philip Zinckernagel’s off-the-ball movement allowed him to connect intricately with a Hugo Cuypers pass, smashing the ball into the roof of the net. The Dane added a 15th goal of the season to go with his 15 assists and moved the Fire back into a commanding position.
The Men in Red attacked relentlessly in search of a late winner, but were met with stoppage-time heartbreak courtesy of Dor Turgeman. The New England forward jumped highest to meet a Carles Gil free kick. His fine finish gave the Revs a 2-1 advantage six minutes into stoppage time. Chicago fell to ninth in the live standings and seemed resigned to a Decision Day defeat.
Somehow, some way, the Fire equalized. With 99 minutes on the clock, they turned a Zinckernagel set piece into a goal. Joel Waterman’s effort was directed into the back of the net by none other than Turgeman, making it 2-2 and bringing a dramatic game to a close.
The Aftermath
It’s hard to feel upset about the outcome when the Fire are going back to the playoffs after eight years. Could they have avoided the Wild Card Game altogether? Yes, but they could have also been forced into an elimination contest on the road on Wednesday.
This fact isn’t lost on head coach Gregg Berhalter.
“I’m really proud of the guys, their effort and their fight in the second half,” he said post-game on Saturday. “Now we have a home game, a home playoff game against Orlando.”
The manager also referred to the early struggles against New England as a “good learning experience” for his team.
Waterman, whose late heroics rescued a draw and ensured a home game on Wednesday, gave a level-headed analysis of the game.
“It’s a bit of a weird feeling because we weren’t good in the first half at all,” the Canadian international observed.
“We loved our second half and our fight.” He went on to say that “in the playoffs, it’s a whole different mentality.” According to Waterman, “the ultimate goal is to win an MLS Cup.”
First, the Fire will have to get through Orlando City.
The Eastern Conference Wild Card Game will take place at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview this coming Wednesday, with the winner advancing to face the Philadelphia Union in the First Round.
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