MLS Chicago Fire FC

Fire and Crew duel to scoreless draw in preseason play

Published on February 13, 2007 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Chicago Fire FC News Release


BRADENTON, FL (Tuesday, February 13, 2007) - The Chicago Fire squared off against a fellow MLS opponent for the first time in the 2007 preseason this morning, fighting to a 0-0 draw against the Columbus Crew on the campus of the IMG Academies in Bradenton. The Fire attack failed to click on all cylinders, but the squad's defense continued its stellar play and advanced its preseason shutout streak to 250 minutes. Goalkeepers Dane Brenner, Josh Saunders and Nick Noble collectively earned the clean sheet, with Noble putting his stamp on the match by making a handful of big plays in the game's final half hour.

The Fire put much of its first team on display in the first of three 30-minute periods, but both squads found the midfield difficult to work through, making advances towards goal few and far between. Chicago had the best of the chances, highlighted by defender Gonzalo Segares's high effort from the just outside the penalty area in the 17th minute and a breakaway effort from forward Calen Carr 10 minutes later that ended with a deflected shot after he was closed down by a pair of Columbus defenders.

Fire rookie midfielder Mike Banner nearly got the middle half hour off to a fast start for the Fire in the 32nd minute when he found time and space from 18 yards, but his curling shot missed the upper right 90 by inches. Crew forward and UIC product Tonci Skroce contributed to a pair of quality chances as the period progressed, but Fire goalkeeper Josh Saunders hustled off his line to snag a low cross off Skroce's foot in the 41st minute, and Skroce's cross from the right corner in the 48th minute was headed just over the crossbar by midfielder Teddy Niziolek. The best chance of the match came in the 60th minute when Fire defender Dasan Robinson was deemed to clip ex-teammate Leonard Griffin during his darting run into the area, setting up a penalty kick that Columbus midfielder Jose Retiz sailed over the frame one minute later.

The last 30 minutes saw Columbus Head Coach Sigi Schmid unveil the majority of his first-choice squad, an outfit that put the Fire - and more specifically, Noble - to work from the get-go. In the 61st minute, Noble, the Fire's first round selection in January's MLS Supplemental Draft, dove well to his right to push Crew midfielder Jacob Thomas's low effort wide for a corner, while three minutes later Crew striker Kei Kamara was unlucky to see his shot from 16 yards out slip just wide of the right post.

In the middle of the period it was Noble stopping a pair of chances from Columbus midfielder Joseph Ngwenya, as the Chicago 'keeper darted off his line in the 74th minute to stop Ngwenya's shot from 15 yards out at close range, then three minutes sprinting 25 yards off his line to beat Ngwenya to a 50-50 ball on a clear breakaway. The best chance of the closing minutes came in the 86th minute when Thomas sent a cross to the top of the 6-yard box for a hard-charging Ngwenya, but Fire first-round MLS SuperDraft pick Bakary Soumare slid in just in time to boot the ball out of danger.

After training at IMG the next two days, the Fire will move its camp to Lake Buena Vista, Fla., where the squad will take part in a pair of exhibition matches in the Disney Presidents' Day Weekend Showcase at the Wide World of Sports complex. The "Men in Red" will square off against the Houston Dynamo this Friday night (8:00 p.m. ET) before taking on Real Salt Lake on Sunday evening (6:00 p.m. CT).

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