The Chicago Fire kept their slim playoff hopes alive on Saturday night as they beat Inter Miami 3-1 at SeatGeek Stadium.
The better team for most of the contest, Chicago took a commanding lead thanks to goals either side of the halftime break, one from Jhon Durán and the other from Xherdan Shaqiri. A Gonzalo Higuaín penalty did bring Miami back into the match, but the result was sealed late on following a counter attacking goal from Durán.
It wasn’t pretty, but it was enough, and that is all that matters for the hosts.
Story of the match
The start of the contest was an ugly one, with both teams taking bad touches and misplacing passes.
Chicago had the first real chance of the contest when a corner eventually fell to the feet of Boris Sekulić. He ripped a first-time strike towards goal, but the effort took a deflection before rattling the crossbar, and Miami were able to clear away the danger in the end.
They kept pushing forward, and another opportunity came soon after. A low pass found Jhon Durán in the area, and his instinctive attempt was close, but it rolled just wide of the frame.
The Fire thought they were going to jump in front at the half hour mark, as Xherdan Shaqiri hit a hard low shot in the box that was destined for goal. However, defender Christopher McVey was in the way, and he deflected the ball out for a corner from only a few yards away.
It was all Chicago in the first half, and they finally opened the scoring minutes before the break. Some nice play led to Sekulić finding space on the wing, and he hit a cross that deflected before flying into the area. That bounce proved to be crucial, as the ball ended up going right to Durán for a simple close-range header.
Things were more of the same to start the second half, and that was proven when the Fire doubled their advantage near the hour mark. Mauricio Pineda did well to dig out a cross from a tight angle, and his ball eventually fell to the feet of Shaqiri. He made the most of the opportunity, blasting a strike into the back of the net from a few yards out.
Just when it seemed like Chicago had wrapped up proceedings, they shot themselves in the foot. Federico Navarro foolishly stumbled into Alejandro Pozuelo in the area, and when both players hit the deck, the referee had no other choice than to point to the spot. Gonzalo Higuaín stepped up to take the penalty, and he converted it coolly, sending Gabriel Slonina the wrong way.
Miami sent bodies forward in search of a late equalizer, but that would lead to their downfall. The Fire countered following a corner, and they had a 2v1 advantage on the break, with Durán on the ball. He decided to keep it himself, and that decision was the right one as he slotted a finish past an onrushing goalkeeper to end the game in style.
Takeaways
Even though the Fire weren’t at Soldier Field they still had to deal with a pretty poor pitch. The ball just kept bouncing around, which made it hard for players to settle it and make quick passes.
It was nice to see Chicago start the match on the front foot, and then stay on it. In their last game in Bridgeview they never really got going, and the fanbase was rightly disappointed with their lazy performance. That was different this time around, as they kept pressing the opposition, and it ultimately led to a goal at the end of the first half, and then two more in the second. The team can be forgiven for being bad, sure, but they have to at least try, and they tried tonight.
Miami, on the other hand, didn’t even show up. Everything was off for them, whether it was their passing, their dribbling, their shooting, or even their positioning. It was a toothless performance, and it was clear that the players were even frustrated with themselves for most of the contest. They still can make the playoffs, but they certainly won’t do so if they keep playing like this.
The Fire probably won’t make the postseason when all is said and done, but they might make things a bit fun down the stretch. They are able to win the occasional ugly game, and if their defense is playing well, then the team can take on anyone. Who knows, maybe they’ve still got a little left in the tank.
I miss when Chicago House AC played at SeatGeek Stadium.
Man of the match - Jhon Durán
Jhon Durán didn’t really do much on the night, but his few impactful moments were the difference when all was said and done.
Given the nod up top, the youngster certainly tried to do as much as he could. He was a constant runner, which helped Chicago going forward on the break and in possession.
Those runs would amount to something, and it started at the end of the first half. A cross may have fortunately fallen his way, but there was nothing lucky about the finish as Durán headed home in clinical fashion. He was just as clinical at the end of the game, making the right call on the counter before slotting the ball into the back of the net to clinch the win for his side.
The Fire need a miracle if they want to make the postseason, but there’s a chance the Colombian striker could pull a few more rabbits out of the hat.