BRIDGEVIEW, IL–It could’ve been the first win over LA since 2010, but it could also have been yet another heartbreaking and frustrating loss. In the end, it was a thrilling draw that left both sides disappointed that they didn’t win as it ended 2-2 between the Fire and LA Galaxy.
After an uneventful first 30 minutes, the next 60 were as open as any match this season. LA scored first after Jelle Van Damme moved into attack and set up Gyasi Zardes from 15 yards out in the 31st minute.
The Fire replied three minutes later after LA were caught ball watching as Michael de Leeuw was allowed to get a shot on target. Clement Diop was able to stop that, but the ball went right to Arturo Alvarez who had an open net to equalize. Five minutes later, the Fire were on top through a David Accam spot kick after Luis Solignac was felled in the box by Van Damme.
Solignac should have made it 3-1 in the 53rd minute with David Accam beating an at-sea Diop to a ball and then passing off to Solignac, but he would push his shot high with only Van Damme guarding the goal.
What could have been 3-1 Fire ultimately became 2-2 as substitute Alan Gordon fed a ball to substitute Giovanni dos Santos from 12 yards out to equalize.
Both teams pushed forward for a win. Mike Magee missed wide twice against his former team. Both teams had a goal disallowed for offside. Accam missed wide from point-blank range after service from John Goossens.
It’s actually 11 matches unbeaten at home in all competitions, and the Fire do move off the foot of the table after Columbus’s loss to Philadelphia.
Fire head coach Veljko Paunovic was a little disappointing with not getting all three points, but is proud that the team finally feeling more confident out on the pitch.
“I think we had a fantastic game,” said Paunovic. “I’m feeling very sorry for our guys, they’re disappointed that we couldn’t get more from this game. I think the performance was fantastic. I think we finally feel we are where we wanted to be all this year, we can finally field a team that can beat anyone in this league. I’m feeling proud of our guys, feeling proud of pushing hard until the end. A very important thing is that we played against one of the best teams in the league, and having that performance against them means a lot for the confidence, not only the game that we won in Montreal, which of course was a great boost for us, but most of everything. It’s that feeling that we were looking for that we didn’t have before during this season, never before. Now, finally, we have it; we can win, we can play, we can enjoy the game. It’s not frustration, it’s more expectation from every play, from every situation. Every time that we are close to the goal, every time we build out of the back, we have expectations. More than that, we believe it’s going to happen. We always believed, we always said that, but now finally, you can see it, you can see it coming, and you can see this team is growing.”
For LA Galaxy coach Bruce Arena, he was also disappointed that his team did not get all three points, but for decidedly different reasons—not the least of which one similar to those that Robbie Keane, who was not in the 18 on Wednesday night, swore at two years ago.
“It was a pretty sloppy game,” said Arena. “[There were] difficult conditions—really hot and humid. We played a good first 30 minutes and I don’t know how we fell apart the last 15 minutes of the first half, but it was a killer and we were fortunate they didn’t get the third goal in the second half.
Keane had a knock in training while Steven Gerrard was kept out due to rotational reasons with a game on Saturday in mind against Vancouver.
“We have a game Saturday. We’re going back home. It’s very hard to play three games in a week. If we learned how to schedule properly, we would go Saturday-Wednesday-Sunday. When you go Saturday-Wednesday-Saturday, that third game makes it real difficult. We put out a full team tonight, we’d have a tough time [the second]Saturday.”
That said, Arena felt his team should’ve won this game against the Fire.
“This was a game we should’ve got three points because we’re capable of winning this game.”
For the Fire, they travel to DC United on Saturday in their third match in a week. Kickoff is at 6:30pm on CSN Chicago Plus.
SCORING SUMMARY:
LA-Gyasi Zardes (unassisted) 31
CHI-Arturo Alvarez (unassisted) 34
CHI-David Accam (penalty kick) 39
LA-Giovanni dos Santos (Gordon, Lletget) 69
BOOKING SUMMARY:
LA-Jelle Van Damme (caution, dissent) 38
LA-Sebastian Lletget (caution, tactical foul) 71
LA-Baggio Husidic (caution, tactical foul) 77
CHI-David Accam (caution, reckless foul) 93+
CHICAGO FIRE (4-2-3-1): #25-Sean Johnson; #4-Johan Kappelhof, #16-Jonathan Campbell, #66-Joao Meira, #3-Brandon Vincent; #19-Khaly Thiam (#26-Michael Stephens 82), #2-Matt Polster; #12-Arturo Alvarez (#7-John Goossens 73), #8-Michael de Leeuw, #11-David Accam (C); #9-Luis Solignac (#15-Joey Calistri 87)
Subs not used: #28-Matt Lampson, #5-Michael Harrington, #13-Rodrigo Ramos, #18-Drew Conner
LA GALAXY (4-2-3-1): #31-Clement Diop; #20-AJ DeLaGarza, #44-Daniel Steres, #37-Jelle Van Damme (C), #27-Dave Romney (#3-Ashley Cole 85); #21-Jeff Larentowicz (#10-Giovanni dos Santos 60), #6-Baggio Husidic; #17-Sebastian Lletget, #18-Mike Magee, #24-Emmanuel Boateng (#9-Alan Gordon 66); #11-Gyasi Zardes
Subs not used: #1-Dan Kennedy, #22-Leonardo, #25-Rafael Garcia, #34-Nigel de Jong
TOTAL SHOTS: CHI 17-10 LA
SHOTS ON GOAL: CHI 8-3 LA
FOULS: CHI 16-11 LA
OFFSIDES: CHI 2-4 LA
CORNER KICKS: CHI 2-1 LA
SAVES: CHI 1-6 LA
Referee: Jose Carlos Rivero
Referee’s Assistants: Peter Balciunas, Jason White
4th Official: Sorin Stoica
Weather: Partly Cloudy and 84º
Attendance: 16,179
Man of the Match: David Accam (CHI)
