Chicago Fire 1-1 New York Red Bulls
Chicago, IL-One of the toughest things for the Chicago Fire this season is finishing matches this season. It’s happened a few times that the Fire had a match in hand, and they settle for a draw.
Chicago led by a goal which they gave up one in the final few minutes and ended in a 1-1 tie with visiting New York Red Bulls on Saturday night at Soldier Field.
“It’s the same thing that has happened three times now, late in the game,” Chicago Fire head coach Ezra Hendrickson said. “It’s a corner kick and we decide we’re not going to mark our man. On the corners, each man has a responsibility, each man has a player that they’re supposed to be marking. They know it, it’s not like we don’t know it. Against Cincy, same thing happened; last week against Atlanta, same thing, we don’t mark. And again tonight, we don’t mark.”
Trying to find the explanation as a coach seems to be out of reach for this team at the moment and the Fire are missing out on points in the league standings.
“I wish I could explain it to you, but I have no explanation for it.” Hendrickson said. “We just have to get people on the pitch who are going to man up in situations like this. When the game is on the line and say, ‘My man is not going to beat me. We are not going to lose this game because I let my man go free in the box.’
“Because it’s ridiculous now. And quite frankly, I’m fed up with it. But I have to take responsibility because at the end of the day, I’m the head coach, and it’s my team and we’re letting these points slip away. Obviously, I’m not out there marking but I have to get guys on the pitch who are going to step up in these pressure situations and just not get beat, just not get beat. We’re at home, a minute or two or so to go, they get a corner, and we lose our mark. Once again. It’s just ridiculous and it has to stop.”
The best part of the result the Fire remains unbeaten at home (1-0-5) while its overall mark is now (2-2-5, 11 points). New York Red Bulls are now (1-3-6, 9 points).
Chicago’s Kei Kamara scored the opening goal on a header from a Arnaud Souquet cross in the 34th minute for a 1-0 lead. But that wasn’t enough to carry the Fire the rest of the match.
“It’s not about the goal, first. Yes, we can hold our heads up high and say we’re still undefeated at home,” Kamara said. “But we have to give our fans more. You know, we work hard and even from the offensive line, yes, I got a goal but there should have been a couple more goals. Not connecting well between us, you know, going forward in that first half definitely could be something that kind of punished us a little bit but then yet again, just for us it’s like deja vu.”
The Red Bulls scored a goal late for the equalizer off a corner kick in the 89th minute. Corey Burke had a header off the John Tolkin service in the 89th minute.
“I saw another corner kick that we couldn’t defend, exactly like last weekend (Atlanta),” Rafael Czichos said. “We were talking a lot about it last week, that we have to defend our set pieces better. And we were not able to do it again. And this is why we’re here now, with only one point and not three.”
Trying to figure out how to resolve the problem will need for the players to work it out along with the coaching staff in practices.
“I think we have to think about our whole mindset when we lead a game,” Czichos said, “I don’t think it’s right to defend after and not to work for the second or third goal. I think if we would have kept playing our game, it would have been better at the end. We never give up. I think we have to realize that we didn’t lose a game, we still got to a point but like I said, we have to work on our mindset and when we want to make the playoffs, we have to stop only defending when we’re leading a game.”
Chicago hits the road next Saturday at Nashville at 7:30 CT while the New York hosts Philadelphia at 7:30 ET.
(Editor’s Note: For more of Amanda Cortese’s photos: click on the link.)
SCORING SUMMARY:
CHI-Kei Kamara (Arnaud Souquet) 34
NY-Corey Burke (John Tolkin) 89
BOOKING SUMMARY:
CHI-Rafael Czichios (yellow, unsporting Behavior) 4
NY-Cristian Casseres Jr. (yellow, unsporting behavior) 12
NY-Omir Fernandez (yellow, simulation) 38
CHI-Muaricio Pineda (yellow, unsporting behavior) 45+1
CHI-Miguel Navarro (yellow, unsporting behavior) 46
CHI-Chris Mueller (yellow, unsporting behavior) 50
CHI-Jonathan Dean (yellow, unsporting behavior) 81
CHICAGO FIRE: #34-Chris Brady, #5-Rafael Czichos, #6-Miguel Navarro, #4-Carlos Teran (#22-Mauricio Pineda 33), #2-Arnaud Soquet, #31-Federico Navarro (#21-Fabian Herbers 62), #17-Brian Gutierrez (#10-Xherdab Shaqiri 73), #8-Chris Mueller,(#3-Alonso Aceves 62), #30-Gaston Gimenez, #22-Kei kamara, #7-Maren Haile-Selassie (#240Jonathan Dean 73).
Subs not used: #19-Georgios Koutsias, #18-Spencer Richey, #11-Kasper Przybylko, #20-Jairo Torres.
NEW YORK RED BULLS: #1-Carlos Coronel, #15-Sean Nealis, #47-John Tolkin, #4-Andres Reyes (#5-Peter Stroud 83), #12-Dylan Nealis, #75-Daniel Edelman, #23-Cristian Casseres Jr., #11-Elias Manoel, #21-Omir Fernandez (#18-Wikelman Carmona 60), #17-Cameron Harper, #74-Tom Barlow. (#7-Cory Burke 56)
Subs not used: #18-Ryan Meara. #98-Hassad Ndam, #2-Jayden Reid, #16-Dru Yearwood.
TOTAL SHOTS: CHI 8-14 NY
SHOTS ON GOAL: CHI 4-4 NY
FOULS: CHI 15-15 NY
OFFSIDES: CHI 1-0 NY
CORNER KICKS: CHI 0-5 NY
SAVES: CHI 3-3 NY
FOULS: CHI 15-15 NY
OFFSIDES: CHI 1-0 NY
CORNER KICKS: CHI 0-5 NY
SAVES: CHI 3-3 NY
Referee: Chris Penso
Assistant Referees: Cameron Blanchard and Jeremy Hanson
Assistant Referees: Cameron Blanchard and Jeremy Hanson
Fourth Official: Fotis Bazakos
Video Assistant: Luis Gardia and Craig Lowery
Attendance: 11,432
Weather: Cloudy and 53º
Man of the Match: Miguel Navarro (CHI)
