Chicago Fire FC Ties Toronto FC 0-0 at BMO Field

TORONTO (May 31, 2023) – Chicago Fire FC (3-4-8, 17 points) played Toronto FC (3-5-8, 17 points) to a scoreless draw on Wednesday at BMO Field in a back-and-forth affair that saw the Chicago Fire switch goalkeepers in the first half.

Chicago goalkeeper Chris Brady was forced to leave the field with a cut on his forehead after making three big saves to keep the score at zero. First, Federico Bernadeschi on the right side slipped past the Chicago defense to get off a powerful shot in the 23rd minute. Brady was focused on the play and got a hand on the ball to deflect it. Just one minute later, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty sent a cross in from the right side that Kosi Thompson shot on goal. Brady made the save but wasn’t able to hold onto the ball, which spilled forward. Both Brady and Deandre Kerr lunged forward toward the rebound, with Brady redirecting the ball but catching Kerr’s knee. The impact opened a wound on the goalkeeper’s forehead and he left the field in the 30th minute, replaced by veteran Spencer Richey.

Richey was called to action in the 43rd minute when a miscommunication allowed Toronto to steal the ball out from under him. Toronto passed it around before Marshall-Rutty sent a shot that Richey saved and parried over the goal.

With the tie, Chicago earned its third shutout of the regular season and remains unbeaten in the team’s last three MLS matches, and five matches overall.

It looked as if Chicago would open the scoring in the 10th minute when the Fire earned a free kick on the left side of the field. Xherdan Shaqiri sent a pass to the far side of the six-yard-box where Kendall Burks met the ball with a powerful header that went just wide of the right post.

NEXT MATCH: Chicago will remain on the road for its match against FC Cincinnati at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, June 3 at TQL Stadium. The match will be broadcast on Apple TV+, streamed in English on wlsam.com, and transmitted locally in Spanish on TUDN 1200 AM.

Social: Twitter - @chicagofire, @vamosfire (Hashtags: #CF97 #VamosFire) | Instagram - @chicagofire | Facebook

Notes:

• Tonight’s result marked the Fire’s third clean sheet of the 2023 MLS season.
• Team-leading goal scorer Kei Kamara returned to the starting lineup to spearhead the attack. Kamara has scored four goals in the MLS regular season for the Fire.
• Xherdan Shaqiri lined up behind Kamara next to Georgios Koutsias for the second-straight match.
• Federico Navarro returned to the XI following a one-match red card suspension, lining up next to his compatriot, midfielder Gastón Giménez. Flanking the two Argentines were Maren Haile-Selassie on the right and Miguel Navarro on the left.
• Returning to the backline for a second-straight game was defender Kendall Burks. Burks joined captain Rafael Czichos and Arnaud Souquet on the defense.
• Goalkeeper Chris Brady backstopped the group at the outset, earning his 13th start of the season in goal.
• Defenders Jonathan Dean (left upper leg), Carlos Terán (right knee) and Justin Reynolds (left upper leg), midfielders Chris Mueller (hip), and Sergio Oregel Jr. (right lower leg) and Mauricio Pineda (concussion protocol) and forward Victor Bezerra (left upper leg) are unavailable for selection tonight.

Box Score:
Toronto FC 0:0 Chicago Fire FC

Goals:
None 

Discipline:
CHI - M. Navarro (Yellow Card) 34’
TOR - Kaye (Yellow Card) 45+3’
TOR - Sorber (Yellow Card) 83’ 

Chicago Fire FC: GK Brady (Richey, 30’) D Burks, D Czichos (capt.), D Souquet, D M. Navarro (Aceves, 76’), M Haile-Selassie (Torres, 90’), M F. Navarro, M Giménez (Herbers, 77’), M Shaqiri, F Koutsias (Gutiérrez, 46’), F Kamara (Przybyłko, 64’)

Subs not used: D Omsberg, M Casas Jr., F Rodríguez

Toronto FC: GK Johnson, D Franklin, D Mabika, D Hedges, D Laryea, M Kaye, M Thompson (Servania, 60’), F Marshall-Retty (Perruzza, 85’), F Bernardeschi (Mbongue, 85’), F Insigne (capt.), F Kerr (Sapong, 60’)

Subs not used: GK Romero, D Petretta, D Rosted, M Antonoglou, F Akinola

Stats Summary: TOR / CHI
Shots: 19 / 4
Shots on Goal: 7 / 1
Saves: 1 / 7
Passing Accuracy: 88.7% / 80.7%
Corners: 7 / 4
Fouls: 16 / 14
Offsides: 1 / 1
Possession: 57.2% / 42.8%

Attendance: 22,778

Referee: Nima Saghafi
Assistant Referees: Brian Poeschel, Gianni Facchini
Fourth Official: Michael Venne
VAR: Alejandro Mariscal
Asst. VAR: Fabio Tovar