Fire tripped up again at home vs FC Cincinnati

CHICAGO, IL–Being on the road didn’t faze FC Cincinatti, but Chicago Fire FC continue to have problems at home as FC Cincinatti held off the Chicago Fire FC 3-2 at Soldier Field on Saturday night.

Evander scored a pair of goals and Kevin Denkey had the other leading FC Cincinatti (6-2-1, 19 points). While the Fire (3-3-3, 12 points) got goals from Hugo Cuypers and Brian Gutierrez.

“I’m extremely disappointed with the performance with the group tonight,” Chicago Fire head coach Gregg Berhalter said. “We talked about carrying momentum and carrying the same type of intensity that we showed up last week (against Inter Miami).  I didn’t feel like we did that. We can talk all we want in the prematch, and during the week of what type of team we want to be. Now, it’s going on the pitch and doing it. I don’t feel like we brought enough today,”

FC Cincinatti got on the board early in the ninth minute. When Da Silva chipped a shot over Chicago Fire keeper Chris Brady. Sergio Santos set up the pay with the assist.

Cuypers brought the Fire back tying the match with his sixth goal of the season in the 31st minute by beating a defender and getting the shot past FC Cincinatti keeper Roman Celentano. Jonathan Bamba set the goal with the pass.

Denkey put FC Cincinatti up 2-1 in the 42nd minute. After a mistake on defense by the Fire, Santos took a ball off the leg off defender Sam Rogers and fed the ball to Denkey for the shot.

Evander added his second goal of the match off an assist from Lucas Orellano in the 71st minute and made the score 3-1.

Brian Gutierrez brought the Fire back within a goal on a penalty kick in the 85th minute after a foul by FC Cincinatti in the penalty area. The Fire couldn’t find the tying goal the rest of the way.

For Chicago, there were more problems that the club has to look at to improve themselves on the field.

“It’s not a segment of the game,” Berhatler said. “It’s being collective as a team. We gave up three goals at home. We gave (FC Cincinatti) too many clear chances and gifted them goals. You can’t do that do that against a team like Cincinatti. It’s a collective performance. or a collective loss.”

FC Cincinatti had its fortunate way of coming away with the victory which took a lot of work against a strong Chicago side.

“It was optimistic that comes to mind,” FC Cincinatti coach Pat Noonan said. “A lot of it had to do with the first half performance. I thought Chicago was in control and was much better. So, to go in at halftime up 2-1 felt as a scoreline was to be fortunate. Second half, we were able to have more composure with the ball. We were more decisive in how we attacked and how we defended. Chicago was strong tonight. We can’t lose sight of that and happy about the result.”

FC Cincinatti returns home to face Kansas City next Saturday at 1:30 p.m. EDT, while the Chicago Fire FC travels to Nashville for a match at 7:30 p.m. CDT.

CIN-Evander (Santos) 9′

CHI-Cuypers (Bamba) 31′

CIN-Denkey (Santos) 42′

CIN-Evander (Orellano) 71′

CHI-Gutierrez PK 85 ‘

CIN-Denkey (yellow, dissent) 43

CHI-Acosta (yellow, unsporting behavior) 89

CIN-Celendano (yellow, delay of game) 95

CIN-Orellano (yellow, poor sportsmanship) 86

CHICAGO FIRE: #1-Brady, #15-Gutman, #4-Teran (#5 Rogers 21), #3-Elliott, #26-Glasgow, #17-Gutierrez, #35-Orecel (#7-Halle-Selessie 65), #22-Pineda (#42-D’Avilla 65), #19-Bamba, #9-Cuypers, #11-Zinckernagel (#23-Acosta 71).

Subs not used: #23-Acosta, #34-Gonzalez, #12-Barlow, #24-Dean, #25-Gal, #36-Reynolds.

FC Cincinatti: #18-Celentano, #91-Yedlin (#2-Powell 86), #21-Miazga (#3-Flores 46), #12-Robinson, #4-Hagglund, #29-Engel, #27-Anunga, #20-Bucha, #10-Evander (#2-Valenzuela 80) #9-Denkey (#11-Baird 86), #17-Santos. (#23Orellano 54).

Subs not used: #14-Smith, #13-Louro,, #37-Jimenez, #19-Chirila.

TOTAL SHOTS:  CHI 19-13 CIN

SHOTS ON GOAL: CHI 4-8 CIN
FOULS:  CHI 13-11 CIN
OFFSIDES:  CHI 0-2 CIN
CORNER KICKS:  CHI 6-1 CIN
SAVES:  CHI 5-2 CIN

Referee: Lorenzo Hernandez
Assistant Referees: Andrew Bigelow, Nick Balcer

Fourth Official: Ricardo Montero

Video Assistant: Sorin Stoica

Weather: Mostly cloudy and 49º

Attendance: 17,732

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