Dje D'Avilla fights for possession vs. FC Cincinnati.
PC: Kenneth Fernandez/LMD Media Group
Chicago Fire FC (5W-2D-3L) were defeated 3-2 against FC Cincinnati (4W-3D-4L) on May 2 at Soldier Field.
The Fire entered the match with arguably the healthiest form the team has been in this season with only Fire defender Leonardo Barroso and midfielder André Franco unavailable, who were both out due to lower body injuries.
Costly defensive mistakes and deflected goals was the story of the Fire’s frustrating loss against an Ohio side that they have played twice in two weeks.
With the first match in Ohio ending in a 3-3 draw, both matches resulted in the Men in Red scoring first and failing to maintain the lead.
After being granted a potential game-winning penalty in the 90th minute after Fire forward Philip Zinckernagel was fouled in the penalty box, Fire forward Hugo Cuypers failed to convert from the spot, giving Cincinnati the opportunity to capitalize minutes later with a penalty chance of their own.
“Disappointment is the biggest feeling,” Cuypers said. “It didn’t take away that we did a lot of good things tonight. I missed it, it is what it is, and we probably would have won the game if I scored.”
Cincinnati’s penalty opportunity in the 97th minute came after Fire midfielder Dje D’Avilla’s attempted clearance led him to foul a Cincinnati player during the follow-through.
“I think it's a penalty. I really do,” Fire Head Coach Gregg Berhalter said. “There is no question D’Avilla got the ball. But in the midst of getting the ball, he follows through and cleans the opponent out and it's unfortunate.”
Cincinnati’s Evander converted on the penalty, sealing the win and capping off his night with a hat trick performance.
Despite the loss, Cuypers became the fastest player to reach double-digit goals in a single season in Fire history.
“I try to do the best I can, and I think the way the team functions this year is even better than last year; we really apply the principles well,” Cuypers said. “There's still some things we can fine-tune, but overall, it does help me a lot.”
The Belgian forward earned his third straight brace performance and scored 10 goals in only seven appearances.
Both goals in the first half for the Fire came off deflections from Cincinnati players.
The first goal came after Zinckernagel received a well-placed ball on the right wing from Fire defender Jonathan Dean, allowing him to cross the ball towards Cuypers to set up a shot that deflected off Cincinnati’s Kyle Smith and found the back of the net.
Eight minutes later, Cincinnati equalized after Evander scored his first goal of the match off a cross that snuck inside the six-yard box.
A clearance attempt near the goal line by Fire defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi deflected the ball towards Evander, who capitalized on the opportunity.
In the 28th minute, Cuypers earned the brace, scoring from an assist from Zinckernagel, who won possession near the corner of the field to set the Belgian up for the finish. The second goal from Cuypers came off a deflection similar to his first.
Zinckernagel recorded his fourth assist this year and now has eight total goal contributions.
The lead didn't last long for the Fire after Evander equalized once again off a bad turnover from a goalkeeper build up situation, giving the Brazilian midfielder a clear shot from the top of the box that beat Fire goalkeeper Chris Brady’s diving save attempt.
In the 56th minute, Fire midfielder Robin Lod was subbed off after taking a cleat to the face from Smith that resulted in a red card expulsion.
Jonathan Bamba returned to the field as a substitute option after missing four consecutive matches due to personal reasons in France.
The return of Bamba was the only substitution Berhalter made the entire match, despite the Fire playing a mid-week game against St. Louis City SC on Wednesday.
"It was a very difficult game to say, this person isn't performing up to standard, or we need to make
a formation change to get more chances," Berhalter said. "We were doing everything, we were getting the chances, so we weren't ready to make the move."
a formation change to get more chances," Berhalter said. "We were doing everything, we were getting the chances, so we weren't ready to make the move."
Chicago finished the match with 32 total shots, 10 shots on goal, and 10 corners.
"We created a lot of good chances, and I don't think we gave up a lot," Fire defender Jack Elliott said. "Obviously there are things on the goals that we can do better and get the details right, but overall, I feel we didn't give [Cincinnati] a lot of chances."
Although the Fire had a man advantage the remainder of the match, the Fire failed to score in the second half, resulting in a 3-2 loss at home.
The Men in Red will take on the New York Red Bulls (3W-3D-5L) on Saturday, May 9, at Soldier Field at 1:30 p.m. CT.
