CHICAGO(Oct. 3, 2020) - Chicago Fire FC (4-7-4, 16 points) earned a hard-fought point on the road in a 2-2 tie against Montreal Impact (5-8-2, 17 points) at Red Bull Arena on Saturday evening.
Chicago opened the scoring in the 15th minute, capitalizing off a mistake from Montreal goalkeeper Clément Diop. Fire midfielder Djordje Mihailović intercepted a pass from Diop and immediately played the ball to forward Robert Berić. Berić took one touch, turned around and fired a right-footed shot that beat Diop to the far post.
Montreal equalized seven minutes later when midfielder Bojan cut inside and struck the ball on frame, requiring a save from Fire goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth. After the initial shot was blocked, Finnish midfielder Lassi Lappalainen was able to slot home the rebound to make it 1-1.
Montreal took the lead in the 67th minute when defender Zachary Brault-Guillard took a shot from just inside the 18-yard box that deflected off Fire defender Miguel Navarro and fell to a streaking Maximiliano Urruti. The Argentinian forward redirected the ball into the bottom left corner of the net.
The Impact were only able to hold the lead for six minutes as the Fire scored the game-tying goal in the 73rd minute. After Montreal was able to clear the ball from a Fire corner kick, Chicago regrouped as Ignacio Aliseda switched the ball across the field to Alvaro Medrán. The midfielder delivered a cross inside the six-yard box that was tipped and found its way to the head of Fire captain Francisco Calvo. The defender calmly headed it in for his first goal of the season.
Shuttleworth finished the match with six saves, including a diving fingertip save in the 85th minute to lock in a point on the road (WATCH). The Fire won the possession battle 55-45 tonight.
Next on the schedule: Chicago Fire FC will travel to Kansas City on October 7 to play Sporting KC in their second consecutive road match. The match will take place at Children’s Mercy Park and is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. CT. It will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and transmitted locally in Spanish on 105.1 WOJO-HD2. The pregame show, presented by CIBC, will begin at 7:15 p.m. CT on ESPN+. Note: The game will not air on WGN-TV as Channel 9 will be airing the Vice Presidential debate that night.
Notes:
- Berić scored in his fifth-straight match and leads the team with seven goals on the season. The five game goal streak is tied for the longest in Club history (David Accam, 2017).
- Calvo notched his first goal of the season and eighth of his MLS career as he was named the Heineken Man of the Match. The Fire announced yesterday that the Club exercised the contract option for the team captain for the 2021 season.
- Defender Johan Kappelhof returned from injury tonight, playing his first game since a 1-1 tie at New England Revolution on March 7. He subbed on in the 87th minute. Kappelhof started and played 90 minutes in the first two games of the season (at Seattle and at New England).
- The Fire controlled 54.5% of the possession in the match.
- The Fire have scored first in three consecutive matches (HOU, ATL, MTL).
- As a player, Fire Head Coach Raphael Wicky played against Impact Head Coach Thierry Henry in the opening match of group play at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Wicky and Switzerland took on Henry and France in a 0-0 draw. That game took place June 13, 2006.
- Gastón Giménez (Paraguay) and Miguel Navarro (Venezuela) have been called up to national team duty for a pair of CONMEBOL 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches. The Fire teammates will face each other on Tuesday, Oct. 13, when Paraguay travels to face Venezuela at 5:00 p.m. CT at Metropolitano de Merida Stadium in Merida, Venezuela.
- Every Fire broadcast starts with an original feature, The Open. Tonight’s version, “My First Love,” featured WGN-TV sports anchor Jarrett Payton. You can watch it here.
Goals:
- CHI - Robert Berić 15th minute
- MTL - Lassi Lappalainen 22nd minute
- MTL - Maximiliano Urruti 67th minute
- CHI - Francisco Calvo 73rd minute
Box Score:
Montreal Impact 2:2 Chicago Fire FC
Scoring Summary:
- CHI - Berić (7) (Mihailović 4) 15’
- MTL - Lappalainen (3) 22’
- MTL - Urruti (4) (Brault-Guillard 2) 67’
- CHI - Calvo (1) (Medrán 4) 73’
Misconduct Summary:
- MTL - Brault-Guillard (Caution) 75’
- MTL - Piette (Caution) 79’
Chicago Fire FC: GK Shuttleworth, D Sekulić (D Kappelhof 87’), D Pineda, D Calvo ©, D Navarro (D Bornstein 72’), M Mihailović (F Collier 73’), M Giménez, M Medrán, M Aliseda, F Herbers (F Sapong 72’), F Berić (D Bronico 87’)
Subs not used: M Azira, D Omsberg, D Reynolds II, GK Sparrow
Montreal Impact: GK Diop, D Camacho, D Fanni, D Brault-Guillard, D Raitala ©, M Wanyama, M Piette, M Shome (M Bayiha 86’), M Bojan, M Lappalainen, F Urruti (M Sejdic 86’)
Subs not used: D Waterman, D Yao, M Giraldo Ortiz, GK Sirois, GK Pantemis
Stats Summary: MTL / CHI
Shots: 12 /11
Shots on Target: 8 / 3
Saves: 1 / 6
Corners: 6 / 7
Fouls: 7 / 10
Offsides: 1 / 3
Possession: 45.5% / 54.5%
Referee: Guido Gonzales, Jr.
Assistant Referees: Adam Garner, Adam Wienckowski
Fourth Official: Kevin Broadley
VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero
