WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Chicago Fire secured a crucial three points on the road in D.C. to snap a three-game losing skid. Hugo Cuypers was once again at the center of the action, scoring the winner in front of an announced 11,243 fans at Audi Field Wednesday night.
In a match that seemed poised for an interesting midfield battle between two differing systems, the Fire were forced to field a non-first-choice trio. Djé D’Avilla and Mauricio Pineda sat together at the base of the midfield, which was essentially a given considering they were the only two natural midfielders to make the trip. Robin Lod, returning to the field after missing last week’s match with an injury, started as the nominal #10 to counteract the defensive pairing behind him.The opening stages of the match saw little sustained momentum from either side. Philip Zinckernagel and Jonathan Bamba each saw shots miss the target in the first quarter of an hour, and Jack Elliott whiffed on a ball after making a solid run in behind. The biggest chance in the half fell to D.C.’s Jackson Hopkins, whose shot from close range lacked the necessary power to beat Chris Brady. The Fire’s #1 made a simple save.
Bamba had a chance of equal value on the other end a few moments later. The French winger had a headed opportunity to open the scoring, again from a free kick play. Unfortunately, the DP nodded the ball over the bar, representative of what was a pretty lackluster first half for the Fire in front of goal.
A defensive logjam from the Fire right before halftime gave D.C. the lead. Pineda lost track of Tai Baribo in the penalty box, handing the Israeli center forward a free look at Brady’s net. The star striker converted from close range, leaving the keeper with absolutely no chance.
As the second half started, the weather took a turn for the worst, gradually transforming from a light drizzle into a full-on downpour. On the field, things took a turn for the best for the Fire. Right on the hour mark, Lod was the man to draw things level. The Finn got on the end of a Zinckernagel cross, heading home to make it 1-1.
Immediately after scoring, Lod, along with Joanthan Bamba, was replaced from the bench. Puso Dithejane and Maren Haile-Selassie were introduced, with both instantly impacting the game. Dithejane in particular looked lively, as he has in recent weeks, and won a penalty shortly after coming on.
After missing a penalty two weeks ago against FC Cincinnati, top scorer Hugo Cuypers was seemingly taken off of penalty duty. It didn’t make a difference; Zinckernagel stepped up to the plate and missed, but Cuypers was there to clean up the rebound. The Belgian forward scored his 12th goal of the season, extending his impressive league-leading tally.
The dagger came in the 86th minute when a long-range Zinckernagel free kick effort was parried back toward the six-yard box by Sean Johnson. The save was directed straight toward a wide-open Haile-Selassie, who slotted the ball into the net for a simple finish.
This win moves the Fire to 4th in the East, trailing just red-hot Nashville SC, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, and Marko Mitrović’s New England Revolution. At this point, the Fire are exactly where they want to be two games out from the World Cup break and with an extra game in hand on many of their playoff rivals.
Player Ratings
Starting XI (4-2-3-1) — Brady (7); Gutman (7), Mbokazi (7.5), Elliott (7), Dean (6.5); D’Avilla (6), Pineda (6); Bamba (7), Lod (7.5), Zinckernagel (7); Cuypers (8)
Substitutes — Dithejane (7.5), Haile-Selassie (7.5), Mueller (NR), Shokalook (NR)
