Chicago Fire FC 2-3 Vancouver Whitecaps FC
BRIDGEVIEW, IL–If two of the main goals of the last preseason game were to get through with everyone healthy and to work out the bugs on the pitch, the Fire met neither one as they fell to the Vancouver Whitecaps, 3-2, in an unusually chippy match for preseason at SeatGeek Stadium. The Fire finish the preseason with a 3-2-1 record.
The match was not one minute old before Miguel Angel Navarro left the match with an apparent leg injury for the Fire, joining Stanislav Ivanov, Fabian Herbers, Elliot Collier, and Ignacio Aliseda on the injured list. The Whitecaps scored shortly thereafter in the fifth minute after an errant Gaston Gimenez back pass was intercepted by Cristian Dajome at midfield and he was able to get in behind the defense and blast the ball past Bobby Shuttleworth to give the Whitecaps, who were missing several players themselves mainly due to visa issues and international call-ups, the lead.
The Fire did have a quick reply four minute later. Luka Stojanovic was clattered in the area and a penalty was awarded to the Fire which Robert Beric converted. However, defending on set pieces once again would be the Fire’s undoing.
At the half hour mark, Lucas Cavalini headed in Leonard Owusu’s corner to restore Vancouver’s advantage. Cavalini then curled in a free kick at the hour mark beating Shuttleworth near post.
The Fire did pull one back in the 79th minute as Francisco Calvo headed in a cross from substitute Jhon Espinoza to make it 3-2, but they would get no closer.
“It was a very intensive game,” said Fire head coach Raphael Wicky after the match. “I think we needed that, both teams needed that, a week prior to the opener. So, I’m very happy with the intensity. Obviously, I’m not happy with the result, but other than that it was a game where we showed a great attitude in the second half. We actually played some decent football with some good chances where we could have equalized.”
The Fire open their 24th season at Soldier Field next Saturday at 7:30pm on WGN-TV and CFFC Live online.
