BRIDGEVIEW, Ill.(May 17, 2017) – The Chicago Fire remained unbeaten at home this season with a 3-0 win against the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday at Toyota Park.
MLS Matchcenter | Highlights | Two More Goals for Niko
Nemanja Nikolic struck twice and David Accam added his own goal while the Fire recorded their fourth shutout of the season. Nikolic’s brace gave him 10 goals in his first 11 games with the Fire, making him the fastest player in club history to reach double-digit goals. Mike Magee held the previous mark with 10 in his first 16 games in 2013.
Nikolic scored his first goal 15 minutes into the match. Brandon Vincent delivered the service, and Nikolic capitalized at the back post with a header to give the Fire an early 1-0 lead.
Accam doubled that lead in the 57th minute with a blast to the roof from a tight angle inside the box. The passing sequence that led to the goal began with Bastian Schweinsteiger finding Matt Polster on the wing. Polster then navigated a give-and-go with Luis Solignac at the edge of the box, and followed with a quick give-and-go exchange with Nikolic inside the area. Polster centered a pass to Michael de Leeuw for a slight touch before Accam’s top-shelf finish.
De Leeuw picked up his second assist in the Fire’s final goal. The Dutch attacker beat his mark at near midfield with a deft first touch that sent him through toward goal. De Leeuw passed on the shot to curl a pass on the ground to the far post, where Nikolic tapped in his second of the night.
Postmatch Reactions: Paunovic | Accam | Nikolic | Vincent
Nikolic has scored in four-straight games, the first Fire player to do so since Mike Magee in 2013. Additionally, Accam set a career high of his own with a goal in his third-consecutive game.
Fire goalkeeper Matt Lampson earned the shutout, his first of the season and fourth as a member of the Fire.
Chicago upped its home record in 2017 to 5-0-1, which is tied for the second-best mark in MLS to date.
The Fire return to action on Saturday, May 20 against D.C. United at RFK Stadium. Kickoff is 3 p.m. CT on UniMas.
MLS Regular Season
Chicago Fire (5-3-3, 18 pts.) 3:0 Colorado Rapids (2-7-1, 7 pts.)
May 17, 2017 – Toyota park
Attendance: 11,244
Scoring Summary:
CHI – Nemanja Nikolic (Brandon Vincent) 15
CHI – David Accam (Michael de Leeuw, Matt Polster) 57
CHI – Nemanja Nikolic (Michael de Leeuw) 74
Misconduct Summary:
COL – Michael Azira (caution) 62
Chicago Fire: Matt Lampson, Matt Polster, Johan Kappelhof, Joao Meira, Brandon Vincent, Dax McCarty ©, Bastian Schweinsteiger (Djordje Mihailovic 76), Luis Solignac (Jonathan Campbell 70), Michael de Leeuw, David Accam (Juninho 60), Nemanja Nikolic.
Subs not used: Stefan Cleveland, Arturo Alvarez, Drew Conner, Daniel Johnson.
Shots: 11; Shots On-Goal: 4; Saves: 4; Fouls: 9; Corners: 8; Offsides: 2
Colorado Rapids: Tim Howard ©, Marlon Hairston, Bobby Burling, Jared Watts, Eric Miller, Shkelzen Gashi, Michael Azira, Dillon Powers (Sam Hamilton 63), Mohammed Saied (Josh Gatt 63), Dominique Badji (Kevin Doyle 70).
Subs not used: Zac MacMath, Mike da Fonte, Axel Sjoberg, Caleb Calvert.
Shots: 7; Shots On-Goal: 3; Saves: 1; Fouls: 15; Corners: 1; Offsides: 2
