The Chicago Fire snatched defeat from the jaws of victory on Saturday night as they blew a 2-0 lead and lost 3-2 to the Columbus Crew at Soldier Field.
Things were going so well for Chicago. They went into the break 2-0 up thanks to goals from Rafael Czichos and Chris Mueller, and they were in complete control of the contest.
However, Columbus made some changes at the break, and those changes proved to be crucial. A brace from Derrick Etienne Jr tied things up, and then debutant Designated Player Cucho Hernández scored a lovely chip to put his side in front.
The Crew were able to hold on to the win, securing a remarkable result on the road in the process.
Story of the match
After a relatively uneventful opening to proceedings, the first big chance came midway through the first half. A low cross deflected right to Jhon Durán at the backpost, but his instinctive strike was blocked by a defender.
Chicago stayed on top following that opportunity, and another chance came their way soon after. Columbus just couldn’t get rid of the ball, and it ultimately bounced right to Xherdan Shaqiri, who cut inside before going for goal. His shot rolled just wide, however.
They would go on to make the most of their advantage, though, jumping in front a few minutes later. A well worked set-piece routine led to Chris Mueller whipping in a cross right to Rafael Czichos at the near post, and he won his aerial duel, flicking a header off of the post and into the back of the net.
It really should have been 2-0 before the half. Brian Gutiérrez won the ball on the wing and created some space for himself before picking out Durán, who was open near the edge of the area. He made a mess of the finish, though, blasting an attempt way over.
Unbelievably enough, the Fire actually made it 2-0 just moments later. It was too easy once again, as this time it was Durán who was free out wide before he hit a low cross into the box. The ball eventually rolled to Mueller, and he slotted home from close range.
That capped off a dream opening 45 for the hosts.
Columbus was the better of the two sides following the break, and they eventually halved the deficit as a result. Derrick Etienne Jr snuck in behind the backline, and once he got the ball it was simple as he took a few touches before curling a shot into the back of the net.
The game really kicked into gear following that moment, and both teams had openings on either side of the field.
In the end, it would be the Crew who scored next. Some lovely play led to Luis Díaz getting the ball in loads of space at the back post, but instead of shooting himself, he set up the aforementioned Etienne Jr for an easy tap-in.
The two teams both started pushing for a winner. Federico Navarro’s strike from the edge of the area was blocked, and then Cucho Hernández saw an audacious effort go a bit over the bar.
Hernández wouldn’t miss at the second time of asking, though, as he went on to complete Columbus’ comeback. Flying forward on the counter, it seemed like he took too heavy of a touch, but he managed to get to the ball first before dinking it over the onrushing Gabriel Slonina.
Things then somehow got worse for Chicago when Miguel Navarro was sent off. Already on a yellow, he swung an arm out to try and block an attacker, and that’s exactly what he did. That’s not allowed, though, so the referee had no other choice than to show him a second yellow and send him off. In an even more cruel twist, a VAR review then decided to upgrade the offense to a straight red card since it looked more like a physical attack then a poor defensive play.
That proved to be the final marquee moment of a remarkable game.
Takeaways
Arlo White should not have been on commentary for this game.
That first half from Columbus may have been the worst half I’ve seen from a team this season. They looked like they had no idea what was going on, whether it was at the back or going forward. They made stupid defensive mistakes, and they failed to clear the ball or mark a runner on several occasions. The attack was not much better, as they just kind of aimlessly lumped the ball in behind most of the time. The Crew should be better than that, but this year’s just been a weird one, and this was more of the same.
That was until the second half, which was a lot better, to be fair. Caleb Porter got everything right, and his adjustments were what guided the Crew to victory.
Jhon Durán needs to stay in the starting lineup for the foreseeable future. He gave the Fire a much needed spark, as he was incredibly energetic and made several smart runs into space. He may not have scored, but he did a lot more than Kacper Przybyłko probably would have done.
Chicago deserved this.
Man of the match - Derrick Etienne Jr
If you look up the word “supersub” in the dictionary, you’ll find a definition of the word supersub. In an ideal world, though, you’d see a photo of Derrick Etienne Jr.
That’s exactly what the winger was on this night. Coming on at halftime with Columbus down 2-0, he played a key role in bringing his side back to life. He scored two lovely goals, which set the stage for Cucho Hernández to ultimately win the game late on.
However, that final strike would not have mattered if not for all the work Etienne Jr did. His performance was an incredible one, and it should lead to him starting next time out.