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Two teams in turmoil met at Soldier Field on Saturday, and though both showed mettle, neither ultimately left satisfied as the teams played to a 2-2 draw. The Chicago Fire entered the match in the midst of a team-record goalless drought, and the New England Revolution, on their third head coach in as many months, were desperate to show that they were the same team who had spent the majority of the season second only to FC Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference standings.
The point would prove costly for the Fire, who lost Brian Gutiérrez to injury in the dying minutes, further darkening the team’s the Fire’s postseason chances..
The Fire played the match without star midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri or starting right back Arnaud Souquet, both serving one-match suspensions for disciplinary action, in addition to losing several players to injury, notably Mauricio Pineda and Rafael Czichos, who were casualties of Wednesday’s game. That made Fire Head Coach Frank Klopas’s lineup choices easier. After lining up his team in a 4-4-2 midweek, he returned the team to their mainstay 4-2-3-1.
Between injuries, suspensions and rotation, Fire Head Coach Frank Klopas made seven changes from the lineup that started on Wednesday, including giving Gastón Giménez the captain’s armband, returning Kei Kamara to the position of starting striker, and playing Brian Gutiérrez in the central #10 role.
In his second match in charge of the Revolution’s first team, Acting Head Coach Clint Peay made six changes from the starting lineup that ultimately lost last week in Colorado, and lined his team up in a 4-1-4-1 for the first time this season.
The game started off with chippy play from both sides, but the first real chance of the game would be the Fire’s as Giménez got a strong shot on Revolution goalkeeper Earl Edwards Jr., followed by a second shot from Fabian Herbers on the ensuing ball seconds later.
The Fire would continue to press, but the Revolution began to grow into the game, and they would draw first blood, as Tomás Chancalay found himself inside the box with space and made no mistake in putting it in the back of the net.
The home team would not be bowed, however, and just one minute later, Brian Gutiérrez would take a pass from Jonathan Dean inside the 18 yard box and bury it. The team’s record goalless drought would end at 511’, the score would be leveled at 1-1, and Jonathan Dean would record his first top-flight point.
Play both ways would continue in the first half, with Brady making perrying an attempt by Vrioni in the 26’. Once again, the fire would respond, this time with Ousmane Doumbia getting a shot off the woodwork just two minutes later. Both teams would have chances, but that was as close as either team would come as the first half ended.
Fire fans would not have to wait nearly for the team’s next goal. Dean would work the ball down the pitch, leaving it for Gutiérrez in the box. Gutiérrez found himself surrounded by Revolution players, so would leave it off for Giménez who would make no mistake sending a low shot past Edwards Jr, putting the home team up 2-1 in the 54’. The lead would prove to be short lived, as Carles Gil would beat an off-balance Brady just five minutes later.
Having drawn level but with his team being outchanced, Clint Peay would be the first to go to this bench, bringing on former US Men’s National Team striker Bobby Wood for Giacomo Vrioni and Ian Harkes for Noel Buck. Klopas would respond moments later, bringing on Maren Haile-Selassie for Fabian Herbers, who put in one of his best shifts as a starter this season. The subs would not have their desired effect, and Kamara and Torres would cede their spots in favor of Kacper Przybyłko and Georgios Koutsias.
The next chance, however, would be off the feet of Chancalay, forcing Brady to be sharp as his positioning ensured the shot would go wide. The game would remain tied, and both teams seemed prepared to settle for a draw until a promising attack led by Brain Gutiérrez ended in disaster as he was injured just as he entered the box.
Play continued, but with Gutiérrez still down as Fire regained possession moments later, Ousmane Doumbia kicked the ball out so his teammate could receive aid. The play was checked for a possible penalty but was not found to have been a clear and obvious error, so the play continued with Alonso Aceves coming on for the fallen Fire midfielder as the game entered stoppage time.
The game would end, with the status of the man who ended the team’s scoring drought unknown as both teams settled for a 2-2 draw and a single point.
Klopas called out the play that resulted in Gutiérrez's injury in the postgame press conference, saying that "it's really disappointing that with a young player like that, constantly, he never gets protected by the referees. If I'm honest with you, I'm going to tell you how frustrated I am. He got pulled down again, no call. You have the linesman there. So for me, it's just really unfortunate that top players like that never get the protection. And we never do get the calls."
Despite the frustration, he did praise his team's efforts at several occasions and called out the play of Jonathan Dean and Wyatt Omsberg, two players normally on the bench who started on Saturday. "Extremely proud of Jonathan [Dean].... I knew coming in, he's the kind of player that, blue collar guy, you know what you're going to get every time.... leaves it all on the field every day. And that's great to get a guy like that get rewarded. I think Wyatt stepped in, also did a fantastic job. "
The point does little for the Fire’s postseason chances, however, and with five games remaining in their season, every game is do-or-die if the team wants to find its way back into the postseason, making the Fire’s next game against the New York Red Bulls, the team immediately ahead of them in the Eastern Conference standings, especially critical.
