Chicago Fire FC 0-0 Orlando City SC
CHICAGO, IL—Before the biggest home opener crowd since 1998, Chicago Fire FC played Orlando City SC to a 0-0 draw at Soldier Field. The Fire have two points and zeroes beneath the columns goals scored and goals allowed.
Neither side got much going in the first half of the match, though Stanislav Ivanov came closest in the first 45 with a blistering shot that Lions keeper Pedro Gallese parried over the bar.
Orlando thought they had scored in the 73rd minute when Junior Urso’s shot deflected off Boris Sekulic and past a wrong-footed Gabriel Slonina, but VAR adjudged Ercan Kara to have handled the ball in the buildup to the shot and the goal was disallowed.
The Fire came close again in stoppage time as Xherdan Shaqiri’s cross found Brian Gutierrez far post, but the latter’s header would go over the bar.
Arguably, not a many chances produced compared to last week against Miami, but (with some help from VAR) the defense held firm again and kept their second successive clean sheet. It was also a physical contest with 35 fouls (21 on the Fire) and seven yellow cards (five on the Fire).
Fire head coach Ezra Hendrickson is not overly concerned with his team’s lack of scoring, and is confident that his team will get the goals soon.
“It’s not too concerning because I think we have enough quality to get some goals,” said Hendrickson. “I think the goals will come. Had we been sitting here after a 3-3 tie, I would’ve liked that. Not that I like a 0-0 tie, but at least we’re doing the defensive part of it and we’re keeping that intact. Now, if we continue to keep [the other team’s]games at zero and then get the attacking part of it going, then all is well.
“Right now, it’s just a couple games into the season. Guys are still learning each other. Today was kind of hard to play the way we wanted to play because of the wind and the field not being the greatest. As far as major concern, no, but I like to see goals and goals win games. If we continue to keep the zero [defensively]and add the second part to it, I’d be much happier.”
The Fire will travel to our nation’s capital to take on DC United next Saturday at 6:30pm CT on WGN-TV.
SCORING SUMMARY:
None
BOOKING SUMMARY:
CHI-Fabian Herbers (caution, reckless foul) 12
CHI-Miguel Navarro (caution, tactical foul) 63
CHI-Jhon Duran (caution, reckless foul) 80
CHI-Boris Sekulic (caution, reckless foul) 81
ORL-Carlos Araujo (caution, tactical foul) 90
ORL-Pedro Gallese (caution, time wasting) 90+3
CHI-Gason Gimenez (caution, reckless tackle) 90+3
CHICAGO FIRE (4-2-3-1): #1-Gabriel Slonina; #2-Boris Sekulic, #20-Wyatt Omsberg, #5-Raphael Czichos, #6-Miguel Navarro; #22-Mauricio Pineda, #30-Gaston Gimenez; #99-Stanislav Ivanov (#26-Jhon Duran 78), #10-Xherdan Shaqiri, #21-Fabian Herbers (#40-Brian Gutierrez 63); #11-Kacper Przybylko
Subs not used: #18-Spencer Richey, #3-Jonathan Bornstein, #9-Chinoso Offor, #14-Jhon Espinoza, #27-Kevin Burks, #37-Javier Casas, #31-Federico Navarro
ORLANDO CITY SC (4-2-3-1): #1-Perdo Gallese; #2-Ruan, #25-Antonio Carlos, #15-Rodrigo Schlegel, #4-Joao Moutinho; #5-Carlos Araujo, #11-Junior Urso; #17-Facundo Torres (#21-Andres Perea 87), #10-Maruicio Pereyra, #19-Benji Michel (#13-Tesho Akindele 53); #7-Alexandre Pato (#9-Ercan Kara 71)
Subs not used: #31-Mason Stajuhar, #34-Joey DeZart, #26-Michael Halliday, #8-Sebas Mendez, #24-Kyle Smith, #68-Thomas Williams
TOTAL SHOTS: CHI 9-5 ORL
SHOTS ON GOAL: CHI 4-0 ORL
FOULS: CHI 21-14 ORL
OFFSIDES: CHI 3-1 ORL
CORNER KICKS: CHI 5-3 ORL
SAVES: CHI 0-4 ORL
Referee: Ismir Pekmic
Assistant Referees: Jason White, Tyler Wyrostek
4th Official: Matthew Thompson
VAR: Sorin Stoica
AVAR: Claudiu Badea
Weather: Cloudy and 66º
Attendance: 25,477
Man of the Match: Pedro Gallese (ORL)
