BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. – Veljko Paunovic called for his players to show more maturity after watching the Chicago Fire squander a second half lead before falling 2-1 Saturday, to a stoppage-time winner from early Eastern Conference leaders the Montreal Impact.
The Fire (1-2-3, 6 points) took a first-half lead through a Kennedy Igboananike wonderstrike in the 29th minute, but the 50th minute introduction of Didier Drogba turned the tide in the visitors’ favor, and goals from the Ivorian and Ignacio Piatti saw the Impact (4-0-2, 12 points) take all the points in front of an announced attendance of 14,509 at a sun-drenched Toyota Park.
“It’s tough,” Paunovic told reporters at the post-match press conference. “It was difficult for us... after playing a good first half to see that we lost this game, but there is a long way to go. We have to learn from these games, we have to learn how to play when we have a lead and we also have to take advantage of the opportunities that we create. We have to mature, but that’s a part of the process and part of the game.”
“I believe we had a great opponent in front of us today,'' he said of the Impact. "We played tough against them and I would like to congratulate them on the win, they deserve it, absolutely.”
The visitors enjoyed 58 percent of the possession and had seven shots on target to the hosts’ two, as the Fire’s four-game unbeaten run came to an end. Chicago's lengthy run without conceding a goal also came to an end after a club record 411 minutes, when Drogba flicked home from close range just six minutes after coming on. That gave him five goals in three games against the Fire, who chased his signature before his move to Montreal.
Paunovic accused his players of showing the former Chelsea star too much respect and insisted that is something they will have to learn from if they are to maintain a push for the playoffs.
“What concerns me the most is that we weren’t mature in this game,” he stressed. “When Drogba came into the game we were impressed by him and that’s something that I am not happy about. He is one of the best players in the world, a great guy and everything. But our team has to understand that we have to respect ourselves as we are respecting our opponents; and I don’t think we were on that page. I don’t think we were good, but that’s something that we have to learn.”
Shane Murray is a contributor covering the Chicago Fire for MLSsoccer.com
