Bridgeview, Ill. (Sept. 8, 2024) – Chicago Fire FC II (8-7-9-5, 38 points) earned a 1-1 draw against FC Cincinnati 2 (13-7-3-1, 43 points) Sunday afternoon at SeatGeek Stadium. Lamonth Rochester tallied the Fire’s lone goal of the match, while Ben Stitz earned his team-leading seventh goal of the year for Cincinnati. The visitors earned an additional point in an ensuing shootout victory.
Despite a hot start for Chicago powered by its characteristic high press, Cincinnati regained possession of the ball for much of the first half. The visitors turned that into a couple of clear cut chances midway through the half that were turned away by goalkeeper Jeff Gal. The Fire defense held firm throughout the rest of the half otherwise and the teams retired to the locker room determined to draw first blood in the second half.
The Men in Red once again came out to a hot start but finally made it count. Ten minutes in, the Fire earned a corner kick after a few forays into the Cincinnati box. After an initial clearance, Jonathan Dean swung a ball toward a wide-open Rochester at the top of the six-yard box. The Jamaican defender volleyed the ball cleanly in the net to score his third goal of the year and put Chicago in the lead.
Cincinnati fought back and soon earned its equalizer. In the 70th minute, Kenji Mboma Dem broke away from the Chicago defense for a one-on-one opportunity with Gal. The Fire goalkeeper stopped Mboma Dem, but tripped him to concede a penalty kick. Stitz stepped up to the spot and scored to make the match 1-1, a score that would hold through the end of regulation time.
The visitors’ late momentum carried into the shootout, winning the coin toss to shoot first and score four times despite one save by Gal. The Fire could not keep up and lost the shootout and the additional point.
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Box Score:
Chicago Fire FC II 1 (3):1 (4) FC Cincinnati 2
Shootout:
Chicago Fire FC II: Poreba (scored), Soudan (saved), Koffi (scored), Calle (scored), Rochester (saved)
FC Cincinnati 2: Mboma Dem (scored), Stitz (scored), Benalcazar (saved), Ramos (scored), Valoyes (scored)
Discipline:
CHI - Oregel, Jr. (Yellow Card) 7’
CIN - Daley (Yellow Card) 49’
CHI - Rochester (Yellow Card) 67’
CIN - Benalcazar (Yellow Card) 82’
CIN - Tablante (Yellow Card) 90+3’
Chicago Fire FC II: GK Gal, D Rochester, D Shannon, D Reynolds (Nagle, 76’), M Soudan, M Casas, Jr., M Oregel, Jr., M Dean, F Osorio (Calle, 76’), F Shokalook (Koffi, 45’), F Poreba (capt.)
Substitutes not used: GK Stechnij, D Konincks, D Pfrommer, D Granda, D Richards, M Prpa
FC Cincinnati 2: GK Walters, D Keller (Castellano, 64’), D Aghedo (Machado, 60’), D Schaefer, M Halsey (Tablante, 64’), M Pinto (Ramos, 60’), M Benalcazar (capt.), M Daley, F Mboma Dem, F Mangione (Valoyes, 83’), F Stitz
Substitutes not used: GK Morse, M Guido, M Samways
Stats Summary: CHI / CIN
Shots: 10 / 10
Shots on Goal: 3 / 5
Passing Accuracy: 79.8% / 84.1%
Saves: 4 / 2
Corners: 3 / 3
Fouls: 17 / 20
Offsides: 2 / 1
Possession: 49.8% / 50.2%
Referee: Matt Thompson
Assistant Referee 1: Ethan Buege
Assistant Referee 2: Tyler Spiczka
4th Official: Ryan Homik
