Fire, NYCFC Play to Dour, Goalless Draw

Chicago ended up in a scoreless draw with visiting New York City FC at Soldier Field on Saturday night.

The Fire (5-11-7) earned a point that gives them 22 points and has left them second from the bottom of the Eastern Conference, while New York City FC goes to (11-9-3) with 36 points and good for the 5th spot in the table.

“I think you look at the positives,” Chicago Fire head coach Frank Klopas said. “Obviously, we’re a team that conceded a lot of goals and we were playing against a very good team. So, I think the important thing for us, we talked about clean sheets, and everything starts from there defensively. Because we feel that we were a team that was going to create opportunities. I think the one part is that clean sheet, we’re never happy to take a tie at home, I felt personally that this was a winnable game for us. I think defensively, we did a very good job. We were very organized; we knew what they were going to do. At the end of the day, they’re a good team. They’re good to get their opportunities.”

However, the Fire lacked its scoring chances to get an opportunity or a chance in scoring against New York City FC.

“I think our ideas were good,” Klopas said. “But then we got to a certain moment outside of the box, 25 yards out, and then our decision making, I think, let us down. We were making the wrong decisions. When we needed to pass, we didn’t, we passed it to the wrong places. When we needed to shoot, we didn’t, so I just think that we could’ve been sharper. I think that’s the one thing, I told the guys. I think there were moments there and I just think our decision making and ability to finish our plays.

NYCFC might have had the best moment of the match. Mitja Ilenic sent a right-footed shot off the post, and it caromed out and away from the goal in the 64th minute.

“When we look at winning performances, it’s about creating goal chances,” NYCFC head coach Nick Cushing said. “It’s about having a goal threat on the road. If we don’t have a goal threat, if we don’t open teams upon their home field, then it makes the game difficult to win.”

Still NYCFC has to have something to be positive about by getting a road point for their credit with the draw.

“We also have to look at the huge positives,” Cushing said. “We showed the maturity in a difficult place (Chicago), a difficult atmosphere, a team that is fighting and scrapping for their life to make sure that we didn’t lose the game. I thought they didn’t have many chances themselves.”

Chicago hits the road next playing two of the top teams with a match at FC Cincinnati on Wednesday, July 17th at 5:30 p.m. CT. and will also play at Inter Miami CF on Saturday, July 20th. While NYCFC will continue on the road to play at Atlanta also on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. ET.