Late Goal Leaves Fire With 1-1 Draw Against Dynamo

By Kim Bellware in News on Apr 25, 2011 8:20PM

Chicago's Diego Chaves (#99) seconds before posting the Fire's only goal of the match/(Photo courtesy of The Chicago Fire)

The Chicago Fire (1-3-2) was on the edge of a much-needed victory over the Houston Dynamo (2-1-3) Saturday night at Toyota Park until a Houston goal in the 83rd minute dropped Chicago to a 1-1 draw.

Despite controlling 61 percent of possession time and out-shooting Chicago 15-11, it was the Fire who notched the first goal of the game. The Men in Red started the match organized and hungry for a win but were rattled early on when Houston offense to a shot on goal in the 12th minute.

Houston continued to pressure Chicago's defense, leaving the Fire unable to break up the play as the Dynamo mounted a quick second attack. Houston's Cam Weaver (#15) cut through the Fire's back line in the 15th minute only to level a weak shot that was easily contained by Fire goalkeeper Jon Conway.

A turnover to the Dynamo's half set the Fire up to score once Chicago sorted out a tangled play just outside the 18'. With the Fire framing Houston's goal, Diego Chaves (#99) won a loose ball, blasting a shot into the back of the net in the 18th minute.

Similar to last week's match against the LA Galaxy, the Fire has been at their sharpest immediately after scoring. Following Chaves's goal, Dominic Oduro (#8) looked as if he might double Chicago's lead, but was controversially fouled by Houston as he neared their goal. Oduro was cautioned with a yellow card for simulation (diving) sending the stadium into a chorus of jeers.

With the Fire's momentum sapped and Houston trailing on the scoreboard, both teams struggled with possession for the remainder of the half. The Fire wasted their few opportunities for a point in the waning minutes of the first half, sending a direct kick on Houston soaring wide of the goal. Houston's efforts were just a fruitless, briefly rattling the Fire's defense before blowing a shot on goal from a corner kick.

In the second half, the Dynamo continued to take more shots on goal than Chicago, though the Fire's few coordinated attacks were cleaner. During one of the few impressive plays the Fire strung together, a teammate slotted the ball to Oduro who sent the shot high of the goal. Ultimately, it was finishing that dogged the Fire, with breakaways and offensive strikes dissolving into missed shots fired high or wide.

The Fire continued to lag in the second half, saved largely by Houston's own mistakes--such as the Dynamo's Cam Weaver (#5) slipping in front of the Fire's goal in 72nd minute--and their opponent's general inability to capitalize on on the Fire's breakdowns.

Chicago looked like they might pull down a victory by barely holding off Houston until the Dynamo's Brad Davis (#11) sent a curling corner kick past the Fire's goal. With seven minutes left in regulation play, teammate Bobby Boswell (#32) headed the ball in past Conway, to set the score at 1-1.

Neither team was able to create another goal in the second half or into stoppage time, though each team earned fouls in the extra minutes.

After the game, de los Cobos admitted that the team should have come away with a win. "We had a good start. The team was very aggressive, but [Houston] took advantage of a very good ball and scored," said de los Cobos. "We tried to [possess] the ball better in the second half. It's a shame, because we could have won the match."

De los Cobos was hesitant to weigh in on the controversial foul on Oduro that cut short the Fire's potential game-changing goal and was vague in his assessment.

"It's soccer," de los Cobos said. "The second half--we didn't play good."

The Fire's next match is Saturday, May 7 v the Vancouver Whitecaps F.C., 7:30 p.m. Toyota Park