RECAP: Composed Fire Defeat Necaxa 2-0 in Leagues Cup
After a year away, the Chicago Fire returned to Leagues Cup on Thursday, and what a return it was. The Men in Red put their attacking creativity on full display, blanking Liga MX side Necaxa 2-0 at Seatgeek Stadium.
Jonathan Dean and Andrew Gutman scored as the Fire picked up a first win over foreign opposition since 2010.
Leagues Cup always begs the question: will teams start their best players? The Fire opted for a strong lineup, switching to a 4-3-3 after using a 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2 in recent games.
Puso Dithejane graduated from super-sub to starting left winger on the heels of a solid run of form. Sergio Oregel Jr, Sam Rogers, and Jonathan Dean all returned to the starting 11 as well.
A Fiery First Half
It was a back-and-forth start to the game during which both sides threatened to open the scoring. Chris Brady made a couple of confident saves, while Robert Lewandowski saw a pair of early shots trickle just wide. Philip Zinckernagel forced a stop out of Luis Jimenez with a thunderous attempt from the left side in the 27th minute, but the score stayed 0-0.
Two minutes later, Chicago had yet another major opportunity. Anton Saletros and Dithejane found themselves in a 2-on-2 situation that fell apart when Saletros misplaced a pass. Zinckernagel picked up the scraps and struck from distance, forcing a good save from Jimenez.
The breakthrough finally came in the 31st minute. Andrew Gutman combined with Oregel on the left flank to create a dangerous situation in the box. Though Oregel’s cross was too far for Lewandowski, Dean was there to pounce. The right back fired a left-footed shot into the back of the net to put the hosts 1-0 up.
Necaxa didn’t back down, as Brady had to use his legs to divert a good effort from Mauro Zaleta in the 37th minute. Nonetheless, the Fire stayed resilient at the back and maintained their lead to the halftime whistle.
Fullback Fun Continues
Coming out of the break, the game remained just as open as it was in the first half. Lorenzo Faravelli launched a strong, low-footed shot in the 53rd minute after a scramble induced by a Necaxa free kick, but Brady was once again up to the task. Three minutes later, Faravelli succeeded in defeating the Fire goalkeeper, only to be denied by the woodwork.
An insurance goal felt necessary to give the Men in Red some breathing room, and it very nearly came in the 59th minute. Dithejane fed a ball into the path of Lewandowski, who had his shot parried away by an on-rushing Jimenez. The crowd at Seatgeek Stadium promptly erupted into deafening chants of the Polish striker’s name, which continued as he was substituted off in the 64th minute.
Chicago took the wind out of Necaxa’s sails with 69 minutes on the clock. Oregel picked out Saletros, who lofted a ball into the danger area. Gutman broke free of his marker, took a touch and finished with ease to make it 2-0. The Fire immediately pushed for a third goal, buoyed by the fresh legs of Robin Lod and Jonathan Bamba.
Though they weren’t able to add the icing to the cake, Chicago managed to keep a clean sheet and secure a precious three points in the race for the Leagues Cup quarterfinals.
A Stamp of Approval from Berhalter
Head coach Gregg Berhalter rolled the dice with yet another formation switch, and it worked perfectly on Thursday. Going forward, his side were cohesive, creative, and relentless. At the back, both the (depleted) defense and Brady in goal were solid throughout.
“I thought the whole back line played really well… it was good to see them get the shutout,” Berhalter told CHISN after the win.
“[Rogers] hasn’t played since matchday one, and for him to step in and have that type of performance was really good.” The manager also took the time to praise his goalkeeper, saying “[Brady] was really calm and had a good game.”
Such is the nature of Leagues Cup that Chicago is now an instant candidate to advance to the knockout stage.
That opportunity, a vital one for a team that’s been trophyless since 2006, could vanish if the team were to lose its next game.
They have a quick turnaround, though this doesn’t seem to bother Berhalter.
“We just go for it, this is what it’s all about,” the head coach said.
“We’ve just got to be professional, we’ve got to recover. We’ve got to rotate the squad at times, but still have strong lineups on the field and go for it.”
Next up for the Fire in the cutthroat environment that is Phase One of Leagues Cup is a matchup with Santos Laguna on Sunday.
That game also takes place at Bridgeview’s Seatgeek Stadium, with kickoff set for 7 pm.
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