Fire eliminated from playoff contention with Toronto draw

Chicago Fire 1-1 Toronto FC

BRIDGEVIEW, IL—For the seventh straight season, Chicago Fire FC will miss the playoffs as a 1-1 draw with Toronto FC confirmed their elimination. The Fire remain bottom of the Eastern Conference having won just once in their last ten competitive matches. Toronto remains in eighth place in the East, but level on points with Philadelphia and Montreal—both of whom have a match in hand. 

A first half that was heading goalless turned in stoppage time when VAR, after a lengthy review, determined that Gaston Gimenez tripped up Federico Bernardeschi in the area and referee Ricardo Araya awarded Toronto a penalty which Prince Owusu converted. 

The Fire then pressed for an equalizer and ultimately got one in the 84th minute as Jonathan Dean knocked in from a cross by Ariel Lassiter. It is Dean’s first goal with the Fire. 

Outside of that, there were few chances produced by either club as there just six shots for each team and the teams combined for just five on target. The end result was likely a fair result, but one that definitely benefited neither team. 

Outside of two matches remaining this season (away at Charlotte on Wednesday and home on October 19th vs. Nashville), a momentous offseason awaits the Fire according to Fire head coach Frank Klopas. 

“We’ll see there’s two games left. and then I think there’s an opportunity as difficult as moments are. For me, I think that really, honestly, this is will be probably the biggest off season in the club’s history,” said Klopas. 

“In my opinion, there’s an opportunity, I think there’s a lot of good things that are in place right now. We’re moving into a performance center at the end of the year. There’s a lot of question marks with everyone, even myself, but also with players and then there’s an opportunity. 

“I think for this club, if you’re going to ride to take the next step next year, as far as for me, you know, I’m looking forward to the next two games preparing for that and finishing strong. and like I said, I stepped into this and and you remember last year I said that would do anything for the club. I felt at that time it was the right thing to do. We’ll have to evaluate at the end of the season what’s the right thing for me where I can best serve the club. 

“I do believe that, you know, this offseason is the most critical one for me in the Fire’s history, because everything is lined up for this team to take the next step. And the one place that we have not has been on the field, not because of lack of trying. Sometimes you bring the right players, sometimes they they they adjust, sometimes they don’t that that’s part of the game. But the opportunity there, the infrastructure that’s been in place, the investment that our owner [Joe Mansueto] has made, the patience that he’s shown and the opportunity is now in the offseason with lot of contracts that are up, a lot of options that you need to make decisions on so that’s an opportunity to take that next step if we get it right.” 

That offseason will come after the October 19th finale against Nashville at Soldier Field. A lot of decisions need to be made and one that owner Joe Mansueto needs to get right is hiring a new sporting director who can take the club from Point B to Point C and finally back to being a big club in MLS. More will be said by this reporter later this week, but decisions will need to made after the Fire’s season ends once again on Decision Day. 

SCORING SUMMARY:
TOR-Prince Owusu (penalty kick) 45+4
CHI-Jonathan Dean (Lassiter) 84

BOOKING SUMMARY:
CHI-Gaston Gimenez (caution, reckless tackle) 17
TOR-Jonathan Osorio (caution, unsporting behavior) 45+11
CHI-Kellyn Acosta (caution, reckless foul) 58
TOR-Shane O’Neill (caution, reckless foul) 60
TOR-Sean Johnson (caution, time wasting) 83
CHI-Rafael Czichos (caution, tactical foul) 90+1
CHI-Wyatt Omsberg (caution, reckless tackle) 90+3

CHICAGO FIRE (3-5-2):  #34-Chris Brady; #5-Rafael Czichos, #16-Wyatt Omsberg, #2-Arnaud Souquet (#27-Allan Arigoni 59); #36-Justin Reynolds (#24-Jonathan Dean 75), #23-Kellyn Acosta, #30-Gaston Gimenez, #21-Fabian Herbers (#8-Chris Mueller 59), #11-Ariel Lassiter; #9-Hugo Cuypers (#12-Tom Barlow 75), #19-Gerogios Koutsias (#17-Brian Gutierrez 59)

Subs not used:  #18-Spencer Richey, #22-Mauricio Pineda, #31-Federico Navarro, #14-Tobias Salquist

TORONTO FC (3-4-2-1):  #1-Sean Johnson; #28-Raoul Petretta (#27-Shane O’Neill 46), #5-Kevin Long, #17-Sigurd Rosted; #22-Richie Laryea, #14-Alonso Coello (#47-Kosi Thompson 61), #19-Kobe Franklin (#16-Tyrese Spicer 87), #10-Federico Bernardeschi; #21-Jonathan Osorio, #8-Matty Longstaff (#24-Lorenzo Insigne 87); #99-Prince Owusu (#29-Deandre Kerr 61)

Subs not used:  #23-Brandon Servania, #6-Aime Mabika, #90-Luka Garvan, #95-Nate Edwards

EXPECTED GOALS:  CHI 0.93-1.17 TOR
TOTAL SHOTS:  CHI 6-6 TOR
SHOTS ON GOAL:  CHI 3-2 TOR
FOULS:  CHI 15-14 TOR
OFFSIDES:  CHI 1-0 TOR
CORNER KICKS:  CHI 1-2 TOR
SAVES:  CHI 1-2 TOR

Referee:  Ricardo Araya
Assistant Referees:  Corey Rockwell, Brian Dunn
4th Official:  Victor Rivas
VAR:  Daniel Radford
AVAR:  Claudiu Badea
Attendance:  16,097
Weather:  Cloudy and 70º
Man of the Match:  Ariel Lassiter (CHI)