CHARLOTTE, NC—It had been nearly nine years since Chicago Fire FC won consecutive road matches in league play. It had been rare in recent years since the Fire won from a trailing position. Both happened as the Fire overcame a first-minute goal to defeat Charlotte FC, 3-2, to move above the playoff line in the Eastern Conference in seventh place.
They are level on points with Orlando, Miami, and New England; though the Fire have more wins than New England and are ahead on goal difference on Orlando and Miami.
The Fire had a makeshift central defensive pairing with Mauricio Pineda and Jonathan Bornstein as Carlos Teran was out in an injured thigh and Rafael Czichos went into health and safety protocols. The omens didn’t look good just 22 seconds in as Yordy Reyna headed in a cross from Jaylin Lindsey to put Charlotte ahead.
Charlotte had not lost a match in the previous eight when scoring first, but the Fire had plans to change all that. Kacper Przybylko equalized after pouncing on a rebound following an initial shot from Gaston Gimenez in the 21st minute. It was Przybylko’s first goal for the Fire since May 28th.
“I mean obviously for me personally it’s like an ego boost, confidence boost, and I’m happy to score again because it’s basically my job,” sadi Przybylko. “But at the end of the day, it’s also important that I kept some balls in and some wins and really doing my job as a striker and making space for my teammates.”
Three minutes later, Jairo Torres sent in a cross, Xherdan Shaqiri headed it back and Federico Navarro blasted it past Kristijan Kahlina to put the Fire ahead 2-1. The Fire did not make it halftime with the lead as Karol Swiderski bundled the ball over the line just before.
Przybylko would strike again in the 52nd minute after Shaqiri sent a wonderful long ball his direction and turn Chrisitan Fuchs and beat Kahlina far post. Przybylko nearly got a third, a couple minutes later, but would strike the post.
From there, Charlotte piled on the pressure, but shots on target were few and the ones that were were stopped by Gaga Slonina including a near Olimpico late. The Fire would held on for the win and move into seventh in the Eastern Conference given results elsewhere.
“Well, the thing with us, all year, I thought we were playing really, really good football, but there’s a bit of naivety in some of the games where we didn’t close some games out, some games we were getting opportunities but we just weren’t taking them, so we are a lot more effective, a lot more efficient in the final third,” said Fire head coach Ezra Hendrickson.
“We are still not, you know, putting away as many chances as we should, but we are doing it enough to win, because we play very good defensively as a team. Even though tonight we gave up a couple soft goals, we were able to on the road score three goals to win this game and that’s not easy to do, especially in a place like this with those type of fans and that type of atmosphere.
“It’s just a matter of us now no shooting ourselves in the foot, so to speak, and continuing to be consistent and take our chances when we get them.”
The Fire travel to Philadelphia next Saturday to take on top of the East Union. Kickoff is at 6:30pm CT on WGN-TV.
SCORING SUMMARY:
CLT-Yordy Reyna (Lindsey) 1
CHI-Kacper Przybylko (unassisted) 21
CHI-Federico Navarro (Shaqiri, Torres) 24
CLT-Karol Swiderski (Bender) 45
CHI-Kacper Przybylko (Shaqiri) 52
BOOKING SUMMARY:
CHI-Kacper Przybylko (caution, unsporting behavior) 68
CLT-McKinzie Gaines (caution, unsporting behavior) 68
CHI-Boris Sekulic (caution, tactical foul) 71
CLT-Derrick Jones (caution, reckless foul) 75
CHI-Chris Mueller (caution, tactical foul) 78
CHARLOTTE FC (4-3-3): #1-Kristijan Kahlina; #24-Jaylin Lindsey (#12-Daniel Rios 76), #4-Guzman Corujo (#28-Joseph Mora 31), #5-Anton Walkes, #22-Christian Fuchs; #35-Quinn McNeill (#20-Derrick Jones 46), #13-Brandt Bronico, #26-Yordy Reyna (#16-Andre Shinyashiki 57); #17-McKinzie Gaines, #11-Karol Swiderski, #15-Benjamin Bender (#8-Jordy Alcivar 57)
Subs not used: #31-George Marks, #25-Harrison Afful, #7-Kamil Jozwiak, #2-Jan Sobocinski
CHICAGO FIRE (4-2-3-1): #1-Gaga Slonina; #2-Boris Sekulic, #22-Mauricio Pineda, #3-Jonathan Bornstein, #6-Miguel Navarro; #31-Federico Navarro, #30-Gaston Gimenez (#21-Fabian Herbers 67); #8-Chris Mueller (#36-Andre Reynolds 86), #10-Xherdan Shaqiri (#26-Jhon Duran 90+3), #7-Jairo Torres (#40-Brian Gutierrez 67), #11-Kacper Przybylko
Subs not used: #18-Spencer Richey, #37-Javier Casas, #27-Kendall Burks, #33-Victor Bezerra
TOTAL SHOTS: CLT 12-14 CHI
SHOTS ON GOAL: CLT 5-8 CHI
FOULS: CLT 20-19 CHI
OFFSIDES: CLT 0-1 CHI
CORNER KICKS: CLT 3-3 CHI
SAVES: CLT 2-3 CHI
Referee: Nima Saghafi
Referee’s Assistants: Andrew Bigelow, Tyler Wyrostek
Fourth Official: Luis Arroyo
VAR: Jairo Maruffo
Weather: Mostly Cloudy and 74º
Attendance:
Man of the Match: Kacper Przybylko (CHI)
