Chicago Fire 2-0 Minnesota United
BRIDGEVIEW, IL–For the first time in nearly two years, the Fire won back-to-back league matches. This time, it was a 2-0 win over Minnesota United—their first ever win over the Loons in MLS. It is also the third successive clean sheet for the Fire with a return of seven points in three matches over eight days.
The Fire fielded an unchanged starting XI and they looked to catch the Loons asleep on restarts. The hosts nearly hit paydirt a pair of times in the first ten minutes with Aleksandar Katai hitting the post in the third minute and then Nemanja Nikolic just scuffing a rebound in the ninth.
It would be a restart from the Loons that turned into the first goal for the Fire. Dax McCarty led the counter of a Minnesota corner and the Fire’s attack marched down the opposite end of the pitch and was finished nicely by Nico Gaitan in the 21st minute. Gaitan would later leave the match in the 33rd minute with a pulled hamstring and was to go for an MRI after the match
A minute later, a long ball from Johan Kappelhof found Katai and he would beat Vito Mannone far post from an acute angle for his second goal of the season.
This was Francisco Calvo’s first match against the Loons since being traded to the Fire a little over a week ago. He’s getting well-acclimated to his new surroundings.
“I’m happy because Chicago is getting there. Three clean sheets in three games. That’s not coincidence. That’s something good that we’re doing.
“We try to put everything together. In this locker room, there’s a lot of talent. We just need to put everything together. Now we’re getting the results, but that’s past and now we have to think about San Jose.”
Calvo also expressed his preference to play at center back which he did on this night alongside Bastian Schweinsteiger.
“Two hundred percent [more comfortable],” said Calvo. “I feel more comfortable in the middle. I feel stronger over there. I can play left back, but I don’t like it. If I have to do it, I’ll do it, but I feel better in the middle.”
Loons coach Adrian Heath thought his team was really in the match on Saturday.
“Disappointing,” said Heath. “I don’t think we ever really got going this evening. Showed a little bit more endeavor, a little bit more fight, a little bit more enthusiasm in the second half. In the first half, we were on the back foot, we were second-best in nearly every aspect of the game. We showed a little bit more [energy]in the second half.”
The Fire travel to San Jose where they last won in the Pacific time zone in 2017 on Saturday at 2:30pm CT on Univision. The Loons host Columbus next Saturday at 7pm.
SCORING SUMMARY:
CHI-Nico Gaitan (Frankowski) 21
CHI-Aleksadar Katai (Kappelhof) 34
BOOKING SUMMARY:
MIN-Romaine Metanire (caution, deliberate handball) 42
CHI-Bastian Schweinsteiger (caution, tactical foul) 77
MIN-Angelo Rodriguez (caution, persistent infringement) 78
MIN-Abu Danladi (caution, dissent) 90+2
MIN-Darwin Quintero (caution, unsporting behavior) 90+3
CHICAGO FIRE (4-2-3-1): #1-David Ousted; #4-Johan Kappelhof, #31-Bastian Schweinsteiger #5-Francisco Calvo, #25-Jorge Corrales; #6-Dax McCarty, #14-Djordje Mihailovic (#19-Mo Adams 57); #10-Aleksandar Katai (#9-CJ Sapong 77), #20-Nico Gaitan (#13-Brandt Bronico 33), #11-Przemyslaw Frankowski; #23-Nemanja Nikolic
Subs not used: #45-Richard Sanchez, #18-Cristian Martinez,#21-Fabian Herbers, #17-Diego Campos
MINNESOTA UNITED FC (4-2-3-1): #1-Vito Mannone; #19-Romaine Metanire, #3-Ike Opara, #14-Brent Kallman, #4-Eric Miller (#11-Romario Ibarra 64); #8-Jan Gregus, #6-Osvaldo Alonso, #20-Rasmus Schuller (#25-Darwin Quintero 46); #13-Ethan Finlay (#99-Abu Danladi 46), #9-Angelo Rodriguez, #10-Miguel Ibarra
Subs not used: #97-Dayne St. Clair, #15-Michael Boxall, #7-Kevin Molino, #31-Hassani Dotson
TOTAL SHOTS: CHI 15-5 MIN
SHOTS ON GOAL: CHI 6-2 MIN
FOULS: CHI 14-19 MIN
OFFSIDES: CHI 2-0 MIN
CORNER KICKS: CHI 4-2 MIN
SAVES: CHI 2-4 MIN
Referee: Marcos de Oliveira
Assistant Referees: Jeffrey Greeson, Jose Da Silva
4th Official: Greg Dopka
VAR: Daniel Radford
Weather: Cloudy and 46º
Attendance: 11,531
Man of the Match: Aleksandar Katai (CHI)
Chicago Fire
Minnesota United FC
