Chicago Fire FC 3-4 New York City FC
CHICAGO, IL—One wonders if 2020 is the new 2016 where everybody jump up and now blames the year for whatever bad news or bizarre event happens. As far as Chicago Fire FC are concerned, it’s more similar to the former as they are again at a point where they learn to be competitive but didn’t learn how to win even with all the turnover.
Sunday’s 4-3 loss to New York City FC at Soldier Field was a microcosm of that which led to them failing to reach the playoffs for the ninth time in eleven seasons. NYCFC finish as the #5-seed in the playoffs and will be away to Orlando City SC in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals after the international break.
The Fire needed a win to clinch a playoff spot no matter what anyone else did on Decision Day. Yet after 15 minutes, they found themselves a goal down after Maxi Moralez’s corner was headed in by Alexander Callens despite Bobby Shuttleworth getting a hand on it.
The last thirteen minutes of the half were simply crazy. It started with Gary Mackay-Stevens getting in between two defenders to pick up a thru-ball, getting past Shuttleworth, and scoring from an acute angle to make it 2-0. A minute later, Robert Beric pulled one back for the Fire being criminally unmarked on a cross from Djordje Mihailovic.
NYCFC restored their two-goal lead four minutes later after Valentine Castellanos set up Jesus Medina for a shot that found upper 90 from just inside the area.
By the 43rd minute, that two-goal lead evaporated. Przemyslaw Frankowski was able to collect another Mihailovic cross and bundle the ball over the line to make it 3-2. A minute later, Frankowski was right place, right time after Mihailovic scuffed his attempt on the volley and beat Sean Johnson far post.
The Fire began the second half looking for the goal that could put them in the playoffs, but it would be a Fire player who would “assist” on NYCFC’s winner in the 77th minute. Miguel Angel Navarro’s errant pass towards the middle the pitch was pounced on by Castellanos to make it 4-3. That turned out to be the difference as the Fire yet again sit out the postseason after failing to close the deal yet again.
It’s clear that the Fire are missing something to become a playoff team which makes the disappointment more frustrating according to the club’s top goal scorer Robert Beric who finished with 12 goals.
“First of all it’s a huge disappointment,” said Beric. “So, I don’t know what to say because I don’t think that we are so bad that we are not in the playoffs, that’s for sure. That we are not in the top 10 teams. But something is missing and that is through the whole season. We are struggling, in the MLS is Back tournament, it was the same thing. All the time there’s something missing in the last, let’s say, last minutes, little later maybe I don’t know. Concentration, experience, I don’t know how to describe it. But like I said, the disappointment is huge.”
Fire head coach Raphael Wicky does feel that the team laid a good foundation despite a difficult season.
“Yeah, look, of course, we’re all very disappointed [in missing the playoffs],” said Wicky. “This is an objective we all had, we all wanted to go in there and we didn’t accomplish that, and of course we’re disappointed. It hurts because we all felt that we could’ve been in there, but in the end of the day you are where you are.
“But, I believe in the foundation we’ve laid, I think it’s a good foundation, we can work with that next season. But we have to, in the crucial moments of the games, like today, again, we have to be better, we have to do less of those mistakes. But it is a disappointment, of course, when you don’t achieve your objectives.”
The 2020 Chicago Fire are in some ways like their 2016 predecessors—a team that learned to be competitive, but a team that did not learn how to win. It’s now up to Georg Heitz and Raphael Wicky to find those elements that can help the the Fire win in 2021.
SCORING SUMMARY:
NYC-Alexander Callens (Moralez) 15
NYC-Gary Mackay-Steven (Castellanos) 32
CHI-Robert Beric (Mihailovic) 33
NYC-Jesus Medina (Moralez, Parks) 37
CHI-Przemyslaw Frankwoski (Mihailovic) 42
CHI-Przemyslaw Frankowski (Mihailovic) 43
NYC-Valentin Castellanos (unassisted) 77
BOOKING SUMMARY:
None
CHICAGO FIRE (4-2-3-1): #1-Bobby Shuttleworth; #2-Boris Sekulic (#28-Elloit Collier 76), #5-Francisco Calvo, #22-Mauricio Pineda (#23-Carlos Teran 88), #3-Jonathan Bornstein (#6-Miguel Angel Navarro 58); #30-Gaston Gimenez, #10-Alvardo Medran; #11-Przemyslaw Frankwoski, #21-Fabian Herbers (#7-Ignacio Aliseda 58), #14-Djordje Mihailovic; #27-Robert Beric
Subs not used: #24-Connor Sparrow, #4-Johan Kappelhof, #20-Wyatt Omsberg, #23-Carlos Teran, #13-Brandt Bronico, #40-Brian Gutierrez
NEW YORK CITY FC (4-2-3-1): #1-Sean Johnson; #3-Anton Tinnerholm, #4-Maxime Chanot, #6-Alexander Callens (#33-Sebastien Ibeagha 46), #22-Ronald Matarrita (#20-Gudmundur Thorarinsson 68); #55-Keaton Parks (#26-Nicolas Acevedo 68), #8-Alexander Ring; #19-Jesus Medina (#15-Tony Rocha 82), #10-Maxi Moralez, #17-Gary Mackay-Steven (#29-Ismael Tajouri-Shradi 81); #11-Valentin Castellanos
Subs not used: #41-Brad Stuver, #25-Joe Scally, #14-Juan Torres, #80-Justin Haak
TOTAL SHOTS: CHI 19-20 NYC
SHOTS ON GOAL: CHI 7-10 NYC
FOULS: CHI 9-12 NYC
OFFSIDES: CHI 4-2 NYC
CORNER KICKS: CHI 3-8 NYC
SAVES: CHI 6-4 NYC
Referee: Fotis Bazakos
Assistant Referees: Andrew Bigelow, Peter Balciunas
Fourth Official: Timothy Ford
Video Assistant Referee: Jose Carlos Rivero
Weather: Mostly Sunny and 75º
Man of the Match: Valentin Castellanos (NYC)
