BRIDGEVIEW, Ill.
(March 10, 2018)
–
The Chicago Fire fell 4-3 in a dramatic opening night affair against Sporting Kansas City on Saturday at Toyota Park.
The Fire scored three unanswered goals to take a 3-2 lead midway through the second half, but ultimately fell 4-3. Aleksandar Katai scored in his MLS debut while Nemanja Nikolic tallied a brace to account for Chicago’s goals.
Sporting Kansas City took an early lead thanks to a header from Felipe Gutierrez. Fire goalkeeper Richard Sanchez came off his line to save an attempt inside the box from Johnny Russell, but the deflection sat just right for Gutierrez to power a header into the open net.
The Fire nearly broke through in the 52nd minute after Katai found Luis Solignac open at the back post. Katai beat his man on the left sideline, and then carried into the box. Solignac met the cross with a header, but it darted just wide of the target. Nikolic had a golden chance 10 minutes later, pinging a shot through traffic from inside the box, but a Sporting Kansas City defender cleared the attempt off the goal line.
Bastian Schweinsteiger engineered the Fire’s first goal. Schweinsteiger nutmegged a Sporting Kansas City defender to find his way into the box, and then whipped a pass to the near post. Katai met that cross with a header that registered his first career goal with the Men in Red.
Five minutes later, Nikolic drew the Fire level. Katai swung a corner kick into the mix and Dax McCarty headed a shot on target. Sporting goalkeeper Tim Melia blocked Dax’s shot, but Nikolic was next to the ball and tapped it into the net for his first of two goals.
Nikolic capped a nifty passing sequence with a one-touch finish to give the Fire a temporary 3-2 lead in the 82nd minute. Matt Polster sent a left-footed cross to Brandon Vincent near the far post. Vincent leapt and hit his pass on the volley to Nikolic, who then volleyed home the ensuing shot.
Jimmy Medranda equalized for Sporting 2 minutes later, pouncing on a blocked shot from Fire goalkeeper Richard Sanchez to make it 3-3. Gutierrez capped the scoring with a left-footed shot from close range in the 86th minute.
Katai, Kevin Ellis, and Elliot Collier made their Fire debuts during the match. Ellis came on for Katai in the 85th nearly 24 hours after being formally introduced by the club, and 2018 MLS SuperDraft selection Collier entered the match 3 minutes later for Christian Dean.
The Fire return to action on Saturday, March 17 against Minnesota United FC at TCF Bank Stadium. Kickoff is 1 p.m. CT on MLS LIVE and Univision Deportes 1200AM.
Postmatch Reaction | Paunovic
Chicago Fire 3:4 Sporting Kansas City
March 10, 2018 – Toyota Park
Attendance: 14,021
Scoring Summary:
SKC – Felipe Gutierrez (unassisted) 9
SKC – Johnny Russell (Daniel Salloi, Roger Espinoza) 44
CHI – Aleksandar Katai (Bastian Schweinsteiger) 70
CHI – Nemanja Nikolic (unassisted) 74
CHI – Nemanja Nikolic (Brandon Vincent, Matt Polster) 82
SKC – Jimmy Medranda (unassisted) 83
SKC – Felipe Gutierrez (Daniel Salloi, Johnny Russell) 86
Misconduct Summary:
SKC – Tim Melia (caution) 33
CHI – Johan Kappelhof (caution) 36
CHI – Bastian Schweinsteiger (caution) 50
SKC – Ilie Sanchez (caution) 56
Chicago Fire:
Richard Sanchez; Matt Polster (Jorge Corrales 90+3), Johan Kappelhof, Christian Dean (Elliot Collier 88), Brandon Vincent; Dax McCarty ©, Tony Tchani; Aleksandar Katai (Kevin Ellis 85), Bastian Schweinsteiger, Luis Solignac; Nemanja Nikolic.
Shots:
13;
Shots On-Goal:
6;
Fouls:
9;
Saves:
4;
Offsides:
4;
Corners:
3.
Sporting Kansas City:
Tim Melia; Graham Zusi, Ike Opara, Matt Besler ©, Seth Sinovic (Jimmy Medranda 69); Felipe Gutierrez, Ilie Sanchez, Roger Espinoza; Johnny Russell (Yohan Croizet 90+3), Khiry Shelton (Gerso Fernandes 55), Daniel Salloi.
Shots:
16;
Shots On-Goal:
8;
Fouls:
18;
Saves:
3;
Offsides:
1;
Corners:
4.
