The Chicago Fire were beaten once again on Wednesday night as they lost 3-2 to the New England Revolution, who named a second-string starting lineup.
The contest was a fun one, as there were five goals scored on the night, with the final one coming in stoppage time. In the end, both sides ended up doing what they’ve done for most of the season, as New England found a way to win, while Chicago found a way to lose.
Story of the match
Despite playing a weaker side, New England took the lead on the night. A set piece wasn’t defended properly by the hosts, which allowed Henry Kessler to pounce on the loose ball and smash a volley into the back of the net.
The rest of the half was quite a bore, but Chicago did tie things up before the break. It was a bit of a gift, to be fair, as header from Carlos Terán should have been easily saved by Matt Turner. He made a mess of the situation, though, and he let the ball cross the line as a result.
Things picked up in the second half, and the Revolution retook the lead just past the hour mark. It was a beautiful goal all things considered, as a long kick from Turner was flicked on by Gustavo Bou into the path of Teal Bunbury, and he took an exquisite touch before slotting home with confidence and composure.
Remarkably enough, the home side equalized immediately afterward. Chinonso Offor’s mistimed shot led to him settling the ball somehow, and he did well to lay a pass off to an onrushing Gastón Giménez. He then made no mistake with the finish, passing the ball into the back of the net.
There was nearly a fifth goal when Ignacio Aliseda picked up the ball in the area and got a shot off that flew past the goalkeeper. However, Kessler was able to save the day, as he got back to clear the attempt off the line.
Just as it seemed like the contest was set to end level, New England grabbed a winner in stoppage time. Tajon Buchanan did incredibly well to drive up the field, bodying off a challenge before finding Carles Gil on the right side. The Spaniard then danced past his marker before rifling a shot into the roof of the net, stealing all three points in the process.
Takeaways
This could be a new low for the Fire. They lost at home, to their rivals, who were playing a B-team, and they didn’t even need to win the game. There was also practically nobody at Soldier Field, and it looked like Chicago were playing in an empty stadium at times. Down monumental, to say the very least.
The Revolution winning just seems inevitable at the moment, like an MLS Thanos. No matter what happens, they always look like they’ll be the ones who end up victorious at the end of the day. New England will almost certainly end the regular season with the Supporter’s Shield, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them hoist the MLS Cup trophy as well before it’s all said and done.
Man of the match - Carles Gil
Gil got his lick after all.
Carles Gil may not have started the contest, but he certainly ended it.
Coming on as a sub at halftime, he didn’t actually do much on the night. However, he was able to do enough, as his spectacular goal in the final few minutes was what dragged his team to victory.
The Spaniard is a star, and this moment of magic was proof of that.