Fire Drop First Match Back from Leagues Cup Break

Chicago Fire 1-3 Orlando City SC

CHICAGO, IL—Chicago Fire FC returned to action for the first time in 16 days, but returned to the loss column in league play since the last time they played Orlando as they fell 3-1 at Soldier Field on a Sunday night. 

The Fire remain above the playoff line due to favorable results elsewhere, but by two points over 10th place DC United and level on points with eighth place Montreal. 

Both teams had chances in the first half. Georgios Koutsias thought he had opened the scoring in the 25th minute, but VAR determined he was offside in the buildup. Orlando saw one shot in the first half denied by Spencer Richey and then had penalty appears denied just before halftime after Torres went down in the box, but nothing was given. 

The second half came alive starting just two minutes in when Miguel Navarro sent a long ball that found Mauricio Pineda in the box and Pineda beat Pedro Gallese far post to put the Fire ahead. However, Orlando would see that goal in the 50th minute with Wilder Cartagena heading in a Torres corner and then Ivan Angulo doubling it four minutes later by heading from close range following a flick-on from Cesar Araujo. 

Koutsias would have a second goal disallowed for a handball in the box at the hour mark. Eight minutes later, Orlando added a third from the penalty spot courtesy of Torres after Dagur Thorhallsson was tripped inside the box by Navarro. 

Fire head coach Frank Klopas missed Sunday’s match after testing positive for COVID-19 and assistant CJ Brown stepped in as coach. He said that the difference between the Fire and the Lions on this night was the latter’s willingness to put themselves on the line more. ]

“I think we were pushing it,” said Brown. “We tried. We started off the half really well. Obviously, the calls didn’t go our way and some of that, but the guys are playing and trying to build in all the phases of the game the way we’re asking them to. And we’re getting opportunities, we’re getting chances, we’re not finishing them. 

“And then we have the lack of concentration, the lack of focus and to me, I think, a little bit is a lack of willing to suffer and put your body on the line. Orlando put their body on the line for those goals and it worked for them. So, we now need to figure out how to be that type of team. We can play soccer, we can move the ball to the lines, we can create opportunities and now we need to learn how to suffer and really put our bodies on the line to win games. And I think that’s what you saw in the second half.”

The Fire’s loss completed a reverse double for Chicago against Orlando on Sunday night as the Red Stars were thrashed, 5-0, by Orlando Pride in Orlando. The Red Stars returned to the bottom of the NWSL table and are now eight points adrift of the final playoff place with six matches to play. They travel to North Carolina to play the Courage next Sunday (1pm CT, Paramount+). 

The Fire return to action on Saturday at LA Galaxy. Kickoff is at 9:30pm CT on Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass. 

For more of Amanda Cortese’s photos, please click on the link.

SCORING SUMMARY:
CHI-Mauricio Pineda (Navarro) 47
ORL-Wilder Cartagena (Torres) 50
ORL-Ivan Angulo (Araujo, Santos) 54
ORL-Facundo Torres (penalty kick) 68

BOOKING SUMMARY:
ORL-Rodrigo Schlegel (caution, reckless foul) 34
ORL-Facundo Torres (caution, reckless foul) 56
CHI-Gaston Gimenez (caution, reckless tackle) 59
CHI-Ousmane Doumbia (caution, tactical foul) 71
CHI-Xherdan Shaqiri (caution, unsporting behavior) 74
CHI-Mauricio Pineda (caution, tactical foul) 77

CHICAGO FIRE (4-2-3-1):  #18-Spencer Richey; #6-Miguel Navarro, #4-Carlos Teran, #22-Mauricio Pineda, #24-Jonathan Dean; #30-Gaston Gimenez (#11-Kacper Przybylko 79), #26-Ousmane Doumbia (#20-Jairo Torres 90); #17-Brian Gutierrez, #7-Maren Haile-Selassie (#21-Fabian Herbers 62), #10-Xherdan Shaqiri; #19-Georgios Koutsias (#23-Kei Kamara 62)

Subs not used:  #25-Jeffrey Gal,  #31-Federico Navarro, #3-Alonso Aceves, #2-Arnaud Souquet, #16-Wyatt Omsberg

ORLANDO CITY SC (4-2-3-1):  #1-Pedro Gallese; #3-Rafael Santos, #6-Robin Jansson, #15-Rodrigo Schlegel, #23-Dagur Thorhallsson (#24-Kyle Smith 71); #16-Wilder Cartagena, #5-Cesar Araujo; #77-Ivan Angulo (#21-Junior Urso 79), #10-Mauricio Pereyra (#11-Martin Ojeda 79), #17-Facundo Torres (#26-Michael Halliday 89); #13-Duncan McGuire (#7-Ramiro Enrique 71)

Subs not used:  #31-Mason Stajduhar, #8-Felipe Martins, #27-Jack Lynn, #28-Abdi Salim

EXPECTED GOALS:  CHI 0.55-1.65 ORL
TOTAL SHOTS:  CHI 11-10 ORL
SHOTS ON GOAL:  CHI 4-3 ORL
FOULS:  CHI 16-16 ORL
OFFSIDES:  CHI 4-2 ORL
CORNER KICKS:  CHI 3-6 ORL
SAVES:  CHI 0-3 ORL

Referee:  Lukasz Szpala
Assistant Referees:  Adam Wienckowski, Jason White
4th Official:  Jeremy Scheer
VAR:  Daniel Radford
AVAR:  Tyler Wyrostek
Weather:  Sunny and 81º
Attendance:  18,103
Man of the Match:  Facundo Torres (ORL)