Chicago Fire FC and D.C. United Battleto 2-2 Draw at Soldier Field

CHICAGO_ (July 21, 2021)_ - Chicago Fire FC (3-8-3, 12 points) battled D.C. United (5-7-2, 17 points) to a 2-2 draw at Soldier Field on Wednesday night. With the result, Chicago is unbeaten in its last four home games dating back to June 26.

After an evenly contested start to the first half, the Fire took the lead in the 32nd minute when midfielder Gastón Giménez scored his first career goal for the Club, producing a thumping header from just inside the 18-yard box. Defender Boris Sekulić provided the assist, his third of the season.

Chicago doubled its lead in the 61st minute when a beautiful sequence created an opening for defender Miguel Navarro to drive a pass into the box. Played into a dangerous area, Navarro’s cross deflected off defender Andy Najar before finding its way into the back of the net.

D.C. would fight back late in the match, scoring twice in the final eight minutes. Midfielder Kevin Paredes cut into the Fire’s lead with a one-time finish in the 82nd minute, before forward Ola Kamara equalized from the penalty spot in the 87th minute.

Fire goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth made four saves on the night including two stops early in the 7th and 8th minute of the match. Shuttleworth received some help from defender Wyatt Omsberg as they combined to keep the ball out of the net in the 53rd minute.

NEXT GAME: Chicago Fire FC will continue the Club’s two-game homestand on Saturday, July 24 against Toronto FC. The match will begin at 7:00 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on WGN-TV, CFFC Live and TUDN 1200 AM. Tickets for the Fire’s game on Saturday are available for purchase here. 

NOTES:

• Chicago has scored 11 goals at home since June 26, which is the most in the league during that stretch.
• With the 2-2 result, the Fire is unbeaten in its last seven home games against D.C. United (2-1-4).
• Overall, the Fire’s home record against D.C. United now stands at 12-7-13 since 1998.
• Giménez, who was named Heineken Man of the Match, notched his first goal at the club level since scoring for his former team Vélez Sarsfield on April 27, 2019 in the Copa Superliga.
• Sekulić notched his third assist of the season and his first since April 24. Overall, the defender has tallied five career assists for the Fire since the start of the 2020 season.
• Navarro forced an own goal for the second time this season, previously creating an own goal in the 3-3 draw at home against the Philadelphia Union on June 26.
• Midfielder Stanislav Ivanov made his first appearance for the Fire, playing 15 minutes in tonight’s match. Prior to the start of the season, Ivanov was placed on the Club’s Injured Reserve list on March 23 after receiving arthroscopic surgery in his left knee to repair a medial meniscus tear.
• The Fire were without team captain Francisco Calvo, who is representing Costa Rica in the Concacaf Gold Cup.
• Head coach Raphael Wicky missed tonight’s match due to a health matter concerning a close family member. Assistant coach Frank Klopas led the team for a second straight match in his absence.

Box Score:
Chicago Fire FC 2:2 D.C. United

Goals:
CHI - Giménez (1) (Sekulić 3) 32’
CHI - Najar (Own goal) 61’
DC - Paredes (2) (Reyna 1) 82’
DC - Kamara (6) (Penalty kick) 87’

Discipline:
DC - Najar (Yellow Card) 55’
CHI - Giménez (Yellow Card) 62’
CHI - Medrán (Yellow Card) 65’
DC - Skundrich (Yellow Card) 84’

Chicago Fire FC: GK Shuttleworth, D Omsberg, D Pineda, D Bornstein ©, M Sekulić, M Navarro, M Frankowski (Ivanov 75’), M Medrán, M Giménez (Herbers 74’), F Berić (Offor 74’), F Aliseda (Gutiérrez 84’)

Subs not used: GK G. Slonina, D Espinoza, M Stojanović, F Collier

D.C. United: GK Hamid, D Najar, D Brilliant ©, D Alfaro, M Mora (Paredes 46’), M Moreno, M Nyeman (Skundrich 71’), M Asad (Reyna 46’), M Robertha, M Gressel (Yow 71’), F Kamara (Felipe 90’)

Subs not used: GK Kempin, D Odoi-Atsem, F Bolivar

Stats Summary: CHI / DC
Shots: 9 / 12  
Shots on Goal: 2 / 6
Passing Accuracy: 77.8% / 81.2%
Saves: 7 / 2
Corners: 1 / 3 
Fouls: 12 / 16
Offsides: 0 / 0
Possession: 51.7% / 48.3%

Attendance: 8,306

Referee: Marcos de Oliveira
Assistant Referees: Jose Da Silva, Andrew Bigelow
Fourth Official: John Griggs
VAR: Sorin Stoica, Jeff Muschik