For Veljko Paunovic, the build-up to the Chicago Fire’s game-winning goal Saturday vs. Philadelphia exhibited a quality he’s looking for in spades from his side this season: patience.
“For me the crucial moment was that play when we scored the goal when Mikey Stephens gave us a pause, gave us a break and time to build the play that finally converted into our winning goal,” Paunovic said Monday. “So credit to Mikey but also our whole team who had a great patience on that play, and a great conversion from Kennedy (Igboananike).”
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Indeed, Michael Harrington's incisive pass to Igboananike was the 13th in the sequence preceding the goal, which originated when goalkeeper Matt Lampson opted under pressure to spray the ball to right back Rodrigo Ramos rather than clear it long. Once Stephens got on the ball in the attacking third, the Fire were able to find just the right moment to strike.
“We were patient,” Stephens echoed after the match. “I think Harrington turned back, played it to me and we had a little 1-2 game and I got it back out to him. I think Kennedy does a great job, that’s a really good finish to turn and shoot it like that. It was a good team goal and came off a good sequence of passing which is something that we worked on this week.”
The Men In Red held a slim halftime lead in possession against the Union Saturday before being aided by their man advantage for most of the second half, ultimately holding 54 percent of the ball for the match. After the patience in possession they showed Saturday, their challenge come Sunday at New York City FC (6 p.m. CT, FOX Sports 1) may be to avoid being sped up by an up-tempo opponent on a crowded pitch at Yankee Stadium.
“I think (NYCFC) plays differently when they play at home but the essence of their play is very offensive, they have very good individual quality also in that they know how to play as a team," Paunovic said. "Especially when they play at home they feel more comfortable. I see a team who wants to win, creates a lot of chances, and are very intuitive, they have very good players.”
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While Paunovic assembles a game plan and lineup best suited to avenge Chicago's season-opening loss to NYCFC, Stephens is confident that he and his teammates on all three lines are progressing well toward achieving the style of play the club desires.
"I do think (Saturday) was better offensively than the last game in terms of keeping the ball, so now we just try to build from there," Stephens said. "You hear this all the time but it is a process and we have a plan so as far as building from the back it’s working. Now we just need to continue to improve our sharpness in possession and especially have a killer instinct to get some more goals.”
