MLS Chicago Fire FC

Chicago Fire Defeat Colorado Rapids 2-1 in High-Spirited Affair

June 20, 2013 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Chicago Fire FC News Release


CHICAGO, Ill. (June 19, 2013) - The Chicago Fire (4-7-3, 15 points) defeated the Colorado Rapids (5-6-5, 20 points) 2-1 Wednesday evening at Toyota Park. Deshorn Brown put the visitors up first in the 17th minute but Mike Magee equalized six minutes later and Austin Berry headed home the game-winner in the 47th as the Men in Red emerged the victors of a high-spirited match.

The Rapids would capitalize on a rare defensive miscue in the 17th minute. Alex played an innocuous ball to Berry 40-yards from goal. Berry took a touch but Brown came racing in, picked the ball off of Berry's foot and dribbled in to the 18-yard-box and slotted it past Johnson for the opening goal of the match.

The Fire would equalize just six minutes later when Dilly Duka received the ball in the Fire's half and went racing down the left flank. Duka broke into the penalty area but as Rapids' defender Marvell Wynne made the sliding clearance, his hand made contact with the ball and was whistled for the penalty.

Magee stepped up and with the cheeky chip, went to Rapids 'keeper Clint Irwin's right and buried the penalty to equalize in the 23rd minute.

Just ten minutes later, Anibaba drove in a low cross for the right side of the pitch to Nyarko. With a quick pivot, the wily midfielder, found Magee on the far post, who smashed his one-time effort into goal past Irwin but Magee was half a step offside and the goal was called back.

The Men in Red would find the eventual game-winner just minutes into the second half. Jeff Larentowicz pounced on a rebound 30-yards from goal and sent a curling cross in towards goal. Waiting on the back post, Berry out jumped his defender and snapped his header down to the opposite post and past Irwin to put the Men in Red up 2-1.

The visitors would continue to press and in the 52nd minute, Edson Buddle received the ball at the top of the 18 and blasted his half-volley towards goal but it dinged off the post and out to safety.

The Rapids would hit the woodwork again in second half stoppage time. Brown played a ball across the face of the Fire goal to Tony Cascio on the back post, but his right footed shot went straight off the post.

In the waning moments of the match, Sturgis found Brown at the penalty spot. The Rapids rookie brought the ball down and buried his shot but was called for the hand ball as the match ended 2-1 in favor of the Fire.

The Men in Red face a quick turnaround as they hit the road to take on the Columbus Crew at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday, June 22 at 7:00 p.m. CT (My50/La Ley 107.9). Just four days later the Fire return home and welcome Orlando City SC to Toyota Park for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinal match on Wednesday, June 26 at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets for the match are available by calling 888-MLS-Fire, by visiting www.Chicago-Fire.com or Ticketmaster. The Open Cup match will serve as Bonus Game 3 in the Fire Season Ticket and Ten Game packages.

Notes:

- With the win, the Fire move to 18-12-8 all-time against the Rapids in regular season play.

- The Fire are undefeated in the last five matches across all competitions.

- Mike Magee's goal in the 23rd minute was his fifth goal in five consecutive matches across all competitions to start his Fire career.

- Austin Berry's goal in the 47th minute was his first of the season. The reigning MLS Rookie of the Year has four career MLS goals to his credit. This was also Berry's second game-winning goal of his career.

Quotes:

Frank Klopas, Chicago Fire Head Coach

Overall thoughts on the win

"It's a team effort. It's always about the team and I think it was an important game for us in this homestand and we needed to get the three points and we found a way, again, to come back from behind. I'm just proud of the guys because I think we did create, even in the second half, good chances but also they had good looks. And that's the game. Sometimes things have to go your way. We put the second goal [in], we created some more chances so we could get a little more comfortable lead, but in the end we suffered a little bit but the guys stuck together, they played well, and it was a great three points for us at home."

On Mike Magee's injury

"I think he's a little bit sore we'll see better tomorrow. I think he's got ice on it, hopefully it's not that bad but three games in seven days, we have to see how guys feel tomorrow and then make some decisions. We have players on the team that we can count on and that's going to be the case throughout the season."

On if Magee's injury is a concern

"No, I think it's not that bad but you never know. Tomorrow we will have a better idea. He's got an ice pack right now. I felt that after that shot, he wasn't one-hundred-percent and its good that we were able to take him out."

On Austin Berry's performance today

"I think it was a whole team effort. I think Austin is always a guy that is dangerous in the box and we knew that he's very good in the air. He's a competitor. The kid leaves everything on the field. He's played some great matches. I think that every game he goes in and competes and leaves everything for the team on the field and that's all you can ask for. Fantastic outing today again by him and by the whole."

On if he was worried about Austin Berry after his early mistake to give up the goal

"No, not at all because I know him, how he is. I know him very well and I think that's part of the game. Things happen and you have to move on. You can't look back and as a team we always look forward and you saw his response. You see how the guy's mentality is very strong and I think that that's part of the game, it's going to happen and you have to move on and we did and I think he responded well and the team responded well. But he's got a pretty strong mentality and those things don't faze him. Other guys maybe it's different but with him I knew there was no issue."

On the team conceding goals in the air recently

"I think we got to keep working on our box defending. This is something we have talked about. Baky [Soumare] is someone that's not new into the group and we have been working on that and that's crucial...our ability to mark in the box. But that's not the kind of goal we gave up tonight. But I thought the back line was solid and Sean [Johnson]did a very good job coming out. Inside the box he was the man. He came out, he stopped a lot of plays in the air, but I think as a whole, that's a crucial part of the game because where are the goals scored from? Inside the box. So our ability to get tight on the wide players so they don't have easy service and then our ability in the box to defend is something that we work on constantly during the week but I didn't feel there was an issue tonight. The guys did well. I think Sean [Johnson] was huge for us coming out with his sight and ability to pick up those balls. It was great."

On how Dilly Duka is coming along

"We knew Dilly [Duka] and his ability. He's only going to get better. He had another fantastic game tonight. He made the PK, he was very dangerous, and he's a young player with a lot of ability. He just keeps getting better and stronger with every match."

On what will be similar and different against Columbus this weekend

"We just got to assess where the team is. I think we have depth in the team and there's opportunities when we play a lot of matches to count on the team as a whole. So we will see where the guys are tomorrow and we will adjust knowing that we have 3 games in 7 days but we will have a better picture of where guys are tomorrow. Like I said, we got to rely on the team and these are the times where you do that. I have confidence in the whole group."

Austin Berry, Chicago Fire defender

On going down early in games

"A lot of it is our own fault, obviously tonight it was my fault. There aren't a lot of teams breaking us down and beating us, so if we shore things up from our end that should eliminate the early goals."

On his mistake that led to the first goal

"Basically, I passed the ball to him. I couldn't have helped him out anymore. I was too lazy on the ball. I didn't play quickly enough and he caught me."

On scoring after a mistake which lead to a Colorado goal

"I think this is the third time since last year that I've made a mistake, then come back to score a goal."

On the unbeaten streak

"It feels good. Even early in the season we kept a good mindset. We were still focused on the goals at hand and now we're starting to score some goals and get the victories. It feels good to be rewarded for all our hard work."

On pattern of going down early, like last season

"It's great that we can get good results to make up for our mistakes. We have to remember not to get down on ourselves, but like we keep saying, we can't always rely on coming back; sometimes we aren't going to be able to put goals in the net. Luckily tonight we were able to get that goal back in the first half, I think that was key to the victory."

Patrick Nyarko, Chicago Fire midfielder

On giving up the early goal

"We need to have great concentration coming out of the gates. I can't wrap my mind around it happening today because I thought we were playing really well - we were creating chances and getting possession in the midfield. The goal was just a bad mistake, but it happens. But it let you see how strong the kid is, he came back and scored a goal and we won the game. Giving up the early goals has got to stop. Personally, I think it was better today because we had control of the game."

On the game plan in the second half

"I think in the first half we handled ourselves pretty well. It wasn't the perfect game, but I think we were on top. This was one of our better games all year putting the first and second halves together. Last game we played better in the second half, but not so much in the first half. This game we didn't let them play to their strengths. We dominated them, not entirely, just enough to win."

Mike Magee, Chicago Fire forward

On the five goals in five games streak

"If I start talking about that it won't be six in six, so no comment."

On the PK

"The only thing you need to know about that goal is Dilly [Duka]. He did an incredible job to beat his guy. He was going one on one with Marvell Wynne, which is a pretty daunting task - he just went at him. The finish was pretty simple."

On his leadership on the field

"The intention is to help the team win. Tonight wasn't even my best game. I thought Jeff Larentowicz was fantastic, I thought Patrick Nyarko was fantastic and my only job tonight was to tap in a penalty kick so not much credit should go to me."

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