Chicago Takes Season Opener 1-0 over New England
April 7, 2007 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Chicago Fire FC News Release
BRIDGEVIEW, IL (April 7, 2007) - The Chicago Fire (1-0-0, 3 pts.) opened the 2007 MLS regular season at TOYOTA PARK with a 1-0 win over Eastern Conference rival New England Revolution (0-1-0, 0 pts.) after capitalizing on an early game-winning goal in the fourth minute off the head of midfielder Logan Pause - the first of the midfielder's five-year MLS career. Chicago held onto the lead throughout the unusually cold game thanks to stingy defensive play and the poise of Fire goalkeeper Matt Pickens, who earned Honda Man of the Match honors for his second career shutout in regular season action.
"1-0 - that's the way we wanted to start today. Obviously getting an early goal was really critical in our opening game at home, said Head Coach Dave Sarachan. "I though it was really lively, but as the half went on, we got a little bit careless. We dodged a couple balls in the box that Twellman almost got his head on. For a first night, opening game, we get very high passing grades, but we certainly have room to improve, no question, in terms of managing and keeping possession and killing the game off. We're pleased that we got one under the belt already, and we'll go back to work on Monday, and iron some things out."
1st Half: 4 - Fire forward Chris Rolfe feeds to a ball to the corner for midfielder Justin Mapp, whose cross connects for a header by Logan Pause into the left netting for an early 1-0.
11 - A cross by Pause from the right corner is struck by forward Chad Barrett, but his attempt goes just left of goal. 16 - Revolution midfielder Andy Dorman sends in a ball from the right corner onto the head of Taylor Twellman, who miscalculated and sent the subsequent shot wide of the frame.
19 - Fire captain Chris Armas goes down after catching an elbow from Revs defender Gary Flood to the right side of this face and is removed from the field due to bleeding and returns in the 24th minute.
31 - Revolution captain Steve Ralston crosses the ball from the right corner to Andy Dorman, whose header goes left of goal.
In the fourth minute, Rolfe fed a ball to the corner for Mapp, whose cross met the head of midfielder Logan Pause. Pause redirected the ball past Revolution netminder Matt Reis for the early 1-0 lead. New England attempted to answer back with a cross from Andy Dorman onto the head of Taylor Twellman, who sent the ball wide in the 16th minute, but at the end of the half the "Men in Red" dropped back into a defensive look with most of the attack coming from the Revolution.
2nd Half: 52 - Twellman receives the ball and rips a shot from 20 yards dead center on net. The ball ricochets off the cross bar back to Revolution midfielder Andy Dorman, who sent another shot high.
58 - Revolution midfielder Jay Heaps sends a ball in the air to Dorman, who one-times it towards the left post. A outreaching Pickens touched the ball wide of the net for the save.
78 - A shot inside the Revolution box from Barrett is headed for the left post, but is saved by Reis. 82 - Referee Baldomero Toledo calls Pickens for a delay of game infraction - giving New England an indirect kick just inside the Fire 18-yard box. Twellman's ensuing strike bends around the left side of the wall right to the hands of Pickens.
86 - A hard shot from Dorman toward the right post is saved by a diving Pickens to keep the 1-0 advantage.
The Fire remained cohesive throughout the second half despite a bevy of New England shots. After a penalty was called on Pickens for a delay of game in 58th minute, the Revolution had a prime opportunity with an indirect kick from just inside the Fire 18-yard box. Twellman struck a bent shot around the near side of the wall, but was stopped by a Pickens save. The Fire held onto their first half one-goal lead throughout the rest of the second half until the final whistle thanks to the extraordinary effort of Pickens.
Tonight's victory puts Chicago ahead of New England in the overall head-to-head series in all competition (18-17-6), while Fire defender C.J. Brown earned his place as the leader in "Overall Minutes Played", surpassing former goalkeeper Zach Thornton's 19,205 minutes with a total 19,276 at the end of the match. Next week the Fire travels to MLS's newest soccer-specific stadium, Dick's Sporting Goods Park, in Commerce City, Colo. to take on the Colorado Rapids (7:00 p.m. CT, Comcast SportsNet).
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Major League Soccer Stories from April 7, 2007
- Chicago Takes Season Opener 1-0 over New England - Chicago Fire FC
- Early Chicago Goal Drops Revolution in Season Opener - New England Revolution
- Rapids Open Soldout Dick's Sporting Goods Park with Victory - Colorado Rapids
- Fire Signs Veteran Goalkeeper Jon Busch - Chicago Fire FC
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