Courtesy of the Fire
Continuity was supposed to bring success for the Fire. Two games into the season, the most prominent aspects to carry over have been negative.
Entering Saturday’s match at the New York Red Bulls, the Fire have allowed five goals in two games, and the back line has looked leaky like it did in 2020. They had a prime chance to win their opener but turned a 2-0 lead into a 2-2 draw with the New England Revolution, carrying over another trend of wasting leads and not finishing off matches.
So far, the opening two matches have looked like games 24 and 25 of the 2020 season, not a new beginning in 2021. There have been positives such as the emergence of midfielder Luka Stojanovic after a knee injury wrecked his 2020 season and the attacking presence of right back Boris Sekulic following an underwhelming debut last year, but on balance the season is off to a familiar start.
Barco, Hyndman goals lead Atlanta United past Chicago 3-1
By PAUL NEWBERRYApril 25, 2021 GMT
ATLANTA (AP) Ezequiel Barco scored Atlanta’s first MLS goal of the season and an own goal by the Chicago Fire propelled United to a 3-1 victory in its home opener Saturday night, giving new coach Gabriel Heinze his first league victory.
Chicago tied the game at 1 in the opening minute of the second half on Luka Stojanovic’s second goal of the season, taking advantage of a sloppy effort by Atlanta’s back line.
But United (1-0-1) regained the lead in the 66th minute. Marcelino Moreno’s cross escaped goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth, deflected off Chicago defender Johan Kappelhof and rolled into the net for an own goal.
Ezequiel Barco, Emerson Hyndman goals lead Atlanta United past Chicago Fire tsn.ca - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from tsn.ca Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Fire Draw With Revs In Opener That Burned Out Fast
The Fire’s attack dazzled by building a 2-0 lead in less than 1 1 minutes before that lead evaporated just as quickly to see them draw 2-2 with New England at Soldier Field
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It’s a cliché to say a given soccer match is ‘a game of two halves.’ Saturday night’s season opener at Soldier Field between Chicago Fire FC and the New England Revolution was more ‘a game of the first two sixths’ as the opening 30 minutes contained all four goals and showcased Chicago’s strengths and weaknesses.
Updated: 11:10 PM EDT Apr 17, 2021 Robert Berić had a goal and an assist, and the Chicago Fire tied the New England Revolution 2-2 in the season opener for both teams on Saturday night.It was the Fire’s first time playing at Soldier Field in more than 15 years.Berić opened the scoring in the fifth minute. Luka Stojanovic sent a diagonal pass ahead to Boris Sekulic who squared it to Berić. Six minutes later, Berić fed it back across to Luka Stojanovic, who punched it home to give the Fire a 2-0 lead.The Revs cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 14th minute when Adam Buksa headed in Carles Gil’s corner, and tied it on Gustavo Bou’s finish off a Tajon Buchanan pass in the 27th minute.The Fire’s Przemyslaw Frankowski earned a free kick from just outside the box in the second minute of second-half stoppage time, but Gastón Giménez’s attempt to go direct over the wall lacked the pace to get past goalkeeper Matt Turner. The Revs DeJuan Jones was shown a red card for the