Fire Drowned Out by Toluca

Toluca 3-1 Chicago Fire

BRIDGEVIEW, IL—The crowd was mostly for the team wearing red at SeatGeek Stadium, but the team in red was Toluca while the Chicago Fire wore white. In what was technically and figuratively a home game for Toluca, Los Diablos Rojos defeated the Fire, 3-1, in what ended as a rain-soaked evening in Bridgeview. 

Toluca and Sporting Kansas City will advance to the Round of 32 in the Leagues Cup while the Fire get the next 22 days off. 

Things started brightly for the Fire as Brian Gutierrez sent a through ball to Georgios Koutsias for the opening score just eight minutes in to give the Fire the lead. After that though, it would be all Toluca spearheaded by Marcel Ruiz. 

Ruiz sent a ball towards the box at the half hour mark that Paulinho would flick on to an on rushing Jesus Ricardo Angulo to level the score. Just before halftime, After Paulinho’s initial shot from outside the area was saved by Spencer Richey, the rebound was put in by Ruiz to give Toluca the lead at halftime.

Halftime would last 70 minutes as lightning moved through the area. When the second half began, Toluca picked up where they left off and in the 66th minute, Ruiz would head in Ernesto Vega’s corner kick to put away the Fire. 

“I think we had a good start in the game,” said Fire head coach Frank Klopas. “I think we had a very good start in the game. I think that’s important.

“And I think, once again, when you look at the two goals that we gave up, I think they were preventable goals. We had ten guys behind the ball, and I think both those goals, in my opinion, could have been prevented. And then, obviously, they changed the way they pressed. And I think we played a little bit into their hands because then they switched to a four four two with three reals as we were moving the ball. If you don’t initiate, you know, advance the ball when there’s no pressure, initiate them to pull them out of their formation.

“We were playing balls too early, and then that initiated their press. We came inside, then I think we talked about a couple things. We adjusted some things. We came out the second half. I felt we had a very good start in the game.

“Again, we came out the way we pressed. We just couldn’t get the second goal. The chances were, you know, the chances were there, maybe not crystal clear. And then again, we gave up. Once you give up the third goal, for me, the game was done there.”

Toluca and Sporting Kansas City will play each other for top spot in West Group 4 while the Fire will next play August 24th at New York City FC (6:30pm, Apple TV) and back in league play. 

SCORING SUMMARY:
CHI-Gerogios Koutsias (Gutierrez) 8
TOL-Jesus Ricardo Angulo (Paulinho) 30
TOL-Marcel Ruiz (unassisted) 45
TOL-Marcel Ruiz (Vega) 66

BOOKING SUMMARY:
TOL-Claudio Baeza (caution, tactical foul) 27
CHI-Federico Navarro (caution, reckless foul) 75
CHI-Kellyn Acosta (caution, tactical foul) 81

TOLUCA (4-2-3-1):  #1-Tiago Volpi; #20-Jesus Gallardo, #6-Federico Pereira, #13-Luan, #8-Carlos Orrantia (#17-Brian Garcia 61); #14-Marcel Ruiz, #23-Claudio Baeza (#198-Victor Arteaga 76), #16-Jean Meneses (#11-Maxi Araujo 61), #10-Jesus Ricardo Angulo (#19-Edgar Lopez 81), #7-Juan Dominguez (#25-Ernesto Vega 61); #26-Paulinho

Subs not used:  #22-Luis Garcia, #181-Ronaldo Beltran, #19-Edgar Lopez,#31-Robert Morales, #190-Isaias Violante, #4-Bruno Mendez, #182-Brayan Monroy, #217-Kiever Castillo

CHICAGO FIRE (3-4-3):  #18-Spencer Richey; #22-Mauricio Pineda, #14-Tobias Salquist (#16-Wyatt Omsberg 72), #2-Arnaud Souquet; #36-Andre Reynolds, #23-Kellyn Acosta, #30-Gaston Gimenez (#31-Federico Navarro 72), #21-Fabian Herbers (#15-Andrew Gutman 72); #17-Brian Gutierrez, #19-Georgios Koutsias (#12-Tom Barlow 76), #7-Maren Haile-Selassie (#50-Christian Koffi 72)

Subs not used:  #34-Chris Brady, #25-Jonathan Gal, #5-Rafael Czichos, #37-Javier Casas, #8-Chris Mueller, #27-Allan Arigoni

EXPECTED GOALS:  TOL 3.77-0.80 CHI
TOTAL SHOTS:  TOL 22-11 CHI
SHOTS ON GOAL:  TOL 11-5 CHI
FOULS:  TOL 5-10 CHI
CORNER KICKS:  TOL 11-7 CHI
SAVES:  TOL 4-8 CHI

Referee:  Josue Ugalde
Assistant Referees:  Victor Ramirez, William Chow
Fourth Official:  Keylor Herrera
VAR:  Benjamin Pineda 
AVAR:  Jose Carlos Rivero
Weather:  Mostly Cloudy and 82º
Attendance:  16,228
Man of the Match:  Marcel Ruiz (TOL)