The Chicago Fire made it three wins from three on Saturday night as they beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 at BC Place.
Chicago dominated the first half, and an early goal from Xherdan Shaqiri meant that they ended the half with the lead. Vancouver responded well following the break, equalizing through Lucas Cavallini, but Rafael Czichos’ header put the visitors back in front. That goal would be the winner, and a Chris Mueller curler late on was the cherry on top of a monumental road victory for the Fire.
Story of the match
In a surprise turn of events, it was Chicago who took an early lead on the night. A woeful throw-in was intercepted by Federico Navarro, and he got the ball right to Xherdan Shaqiri on the edge of the area. He did the rest, curling a shot into the bottom corner with his weaker right foot.
Miguel Navarro almost accidentally scored a screamer soon after. He blasted a shot towards goal, and it somehow curved in a dangerous direction, but the ball went just over. He then followed that up with a strike that came nowhere close.
The Fire dominated early on, controlling possession and the entire flow of the game. Vancouver might not have even had the ball in the opposing box in the first part of the first half.
It was almost 2-0 in stunning fashion. A well-worked move led to Brian Gutiérrez getting the ball on the wing, and he cut inside before dancing past a defender and shooting towards the near post. The effort seemed destined for the back of the net, but it was instead deflected away by a defender.
Chicago kept piling on the pressure, and this time it was Chris Mueller who got in on the action. His curler looked like it had a chance, but the effort went just wide.
There was yet another chance moments later. Mauricio Pineda was picked out in the box, and he did well to settle himself before getting an attempt off. However, he was denied by the post, and the ricochet off a defender barely went by the wrong side of the woodwork.
Despite getting pummeled, Vancouver came super close to tying things up right before the break. A cross into the area found Lucas Cavallini, and he got a foot on the ball. His effort was too weak, though, so Gabriel Slonina was able to make a simple save.
The Whitecaps were a completely different team to start the second half, and they took little time to find an equalizer. Substitute Ryan Gauld dropped an absolute dime of a cross towards the back post, and it picked out Cavallini for an easy finish from close range.
Things started to even up a bit, and the contest became quite an open one. There was a moment where both sides had genuine penalty shouts, but neither were given, which was probably the right move.
A big chance came with 15 minutes to go, as Gauld got the ball in a dangerous position. His touch was too heavy, though, which allowed Slonina to fly off his line and make the big save.
That miss would prove to be crucial since Chicago jumped in front moments later. A loose ball in the area fell to Mueller, and he got the ball out wide before whipping a cross into the box. It was a jump ball, and Rafael Czichos rose highest to head home from just a few yards out.
The Whitecaps pushed forward in search of another tying goal, but it would be the Fire who scored next to seal the result. Hitting on the counter late on, Mueller received the ball before cutting inside and curling a shot into the top corner. It was a wonderful goal, but it was all a bit too easy.
That was the end of the scoring, which meant that it was the away side who finished the night with all three points.
Takeaways
Pour one out for Jonathan Bornstein, who lost his spot in the starting lineup despite being quite good for Chicago in their last two games. Miguel Navarro wasn’t horrific on the night, but the former did deserve to start at left back instead.
Maybe it was just this game, but being on artificial turf made the Fire look better than usual, at least in the first half. Their passing seemed crisper, and they were especially quick on the dribble. This almost certainly means nothing, of course, although putting turf at Soldier Field sounds like a vibe.
Vancouver played the deepest defensive line on set-pieces I’ve ever seen in my life. Almost everyone was in the six-yard box, and it looked like they were asking for chaos. The tactic worked every time, to be fair. If it looks stupid but it works, it ain’t stupid.
Chris Mueller complains a lot, especially when his teammates make the wrong decisions. Some of his complaints were warranted, though, and it’s hard to judge the guy when he ends up sticking the ball in the top corner.
This is such a big win for Chicago. Obviously it was on the road, and everyone knows how rare those kinds of wins are for the Fire. What was really impressive, though, was the fact that they bounced back instead of collapsing after a woeful start to the second half. They didn’t hide like they did versus the Columbus Crew. They came out and took the lead back, and then they made sure they didn’t give it up again. If they do end up making the playoffs, this result will be a big reason why.
Man of the match - Rafael Czichos
The matchwinner for a second game running, Rafael Czichos was Chicago's hero once again.
All things considered, he was having a relatively quiet contest. In the first half he wasn’t challenged much, so the center back mostly passed the ball around in possession. For the early stages of the second half he was fighting a bit more, but he was holding his own at the back.
Then, in the blink of an eye, Czichos rocked up when it mattered most. Staying forward following a set-piece, he beat three Vancouver defenders to an aerial ball, climbing highest to head a cross into the back of the net. It was a monstrous moment, and it put Chicago back in front.
From that point on it was all business, as the captain led the backline and helped his side hold on to the lead and the victory. He was as good as always, and it’s starting to look like he’s almost too good for this team and this league.
If a Designated Player slot opens up in the future, the Fire should honestly give it to Czichos. He certainly deserves it.