RECAP: Chicago Fire Shock Unbeaten Nashville, 1-0
Five games into the MLS season, Nashville SC remained the only unbeaten team in the Eastern Conference. With 13 points and a stronghold atop the standings, the Tennessee side seemed untouchable.
That all meant nothing to the Chicago Fire.
The Men in Red pulled off a stunner in Chicago on Saturday night, upsetting the table-toppers 1-0.
Philip Zinckernagel’s record-breaking goal was the difference on a chilly evening in the Windy City.
17-Second Stunner Silences Nashville
There was drama before the match even started. Hugo Cuypers was ruled out with injury, forcing Maren Haile-Selassie to step into a false nine role. Furthermore, Joel Waterman suffered an injury in the warmup. Jack Elliott, named to the bench initially and expected to be on a minutes watch after a bout with sepsis, sprang into action on short notice. Nashville, already the heavy favorites, became even more favored.
It took all of 17 seconds for the Men in Red to change the narrative. Nashville lost possession of the kickoff, courtesy of a Haile-Selassie tackle. The Swiss winger played in Anton Saletros, who in turn found Jonathan Bamba. The latter saw Philip Zinckernagel completely unmarked at the back post and played a low lateral pass that Zinckernagel simply tapped home for a 1-0 advantage. His strike broke a 14-year-old record for fastest goal in Fire history and put Chicago up out of the blue.
With 18 minutes gone, the visitors threatened to equalize through the ever-potent combination of Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surridge. The cutback and low cross from Mukhtar sliced open the Fire back line, but Surridge’s effort was wide of the mark by a few inches. Chicago breathed a sigh of relief as their 1-0 lead lived to see another day.
It was all Fire the rest of the way in the first half, but there was no insurance goal. Windy conditions played their part as both teams struggled to keep the ball under control. In the end, the hosts rode their instant go-ahead goal all the way to the break.
Fire Defend With Their Lives
Chicago opened the second half with high attacking intensity, producing a major opportunity in the 50th minute. Haile-Selassie played the ball into Bamba’s path, and the wind kept it within reach for the Ivorian. He got there in time to get a short-range shot off, but Brian Schwake palmed it away.
Nashville spent most of the second half on the back foot, yet nearly got a reprieve when they earned a free kick just 25 yards out in the 74th minute. Mukhtar cleared the wall with his attempt as the wind sent the ball into an erratic swirl. Chris Brady somehow managed to read the trajectory and tip the ball an inch over the crossbar, averting a crisis.
In the 90th minute, a defensive breakdown for the Fire left Jeisson Palacios with a free header at the back post. He powered it downwards, and Brady was again up for it, making a hugely important reflex save with his legs. The World Cup hopeful drew loud chants from the 15,932-strong crowd at Soldier Field as he kept the hosts in front. There was one more major opportunity for Palacios in stoppage time, but Andrew Gutman produced a huge clearance to secure a show-stopping upset for the Fire.
All Smiles After a Herculean Effort
Against all odds, the Men in Red were the ones to walk away with all three points on Saturday.
This delighted head coach Gregg Berhalter, who did a phenomenal job managing his still-shorthanded squad.
“Through the course of the game, things change,” Berhalter said post-match.
“Scenarios come into play that you don’t expect, injuries pop up, and you have to adapt, and you have to make the best of it. And that’s what the boys did today.”
Due to the injuries suffered by Waterman and Sam Rogers, and Elliott’s recovery-induced minutes limitation, the Fire played much of the later stages with 20-year-old Mbekezeli Mbokazi and 17-year-old Christopher Cupps anchoring the defense in front of Brady, only 22 years old himself.
Not to mention, all three players had been away for the international break until just a day before the game.
Even so, Brady was immensely impressed by his fellow youngsters.
“Helping them build their way into the game is pretty much the only thing we have to be mindful of, but all these guys are professionals,” said Brady about the dynamic that comes with leading a young and inexperienced back line.
“They all handle business the way they need to, and that definitely showed tonight.”
Another factor Chicago had to combat was the blustery wind throughout the game. The offense, particularly the record-breaking Zinckernagel, handled the conditions well.
“It’s not an excuse, but it’s obviously tough weather, and I think we played both halves with the wind against us,” Zinckernagel remarked.
“It doesn’t really matter now. We won, and we move on, and hopefully we’ll score some more goals soon.”
More Success to Come?
After a lackluster start to the campaign, the Fire have shot up to 5th in the standings with 10 points from six games.
They’ll look to extend their winning run to three games when they host Atlanta United next Saturday.
Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. at Soldier Field.
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