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MLS Chicago Fire FC

Fire Falls 5-2 to CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh

March 17, 2004 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Chicago Fire FC News Release


PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD (Wednesday, March 17, 2003) - The Chicago Fire dropped a 5-2 decision to defending Professional Football League Champion CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals tonight at Hasley Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Tonight's result leaves the "Men in Red" with a three-goal deficit going into the return leg of the aggregate goal series, to be played next Wednesday, Mar. 24 at 7:30 p.m. CT at New Soldier Field. The winner of the home-and-home series will face the winner of the Saprissa (Costa Rica)-Pachuca (Mexico) series in the semifinals, set for Apr. 14 (first leg) and Apr. 21 (second leg).

First Half Minute-by-Minute Highlights 2- Jabloteh earns a corner kick. Nigel Daniel takes the kick, which is punched away from danger by Henry Ring. 7- Jabloteh strikes first in the 8th minute. Ian Gray plays a ball from the midfield stripe to Cornell Glenn, who gathers the pass and fires from the top of the 18 yard box, beating Ring to the upper right-hand netting and giving the home side a quick 1-0 lead. 9- Fire's Kelly Gray misfires high from 25 yards out. 12- Glenn nets his second in four minutes - 2-0 Jabloteh. Glenn stole the ball from Fire defender Jim Curtin and went in on a breakaway, beating Ring to give San Juan an early two-goal advantage. 22- Evan Whitfield crosses to Damani Ralph just outside the six-yard box, but his shot from 8 yards goes high of the crossbar. The chance was the best opportunity for the Fire to this point. 28- Kelly Gray picks up a yellow card for his second rough challenge on San Juan forward Angus Eve. Gray fouled the Jabloteh captain at the same spot as a few minutes ago - just left of the penalty area from about 20 yards out. The ensuing shot off the free kick was blocked. 37- Glenn finishes a first-half hat trick. Aurtis Whitley makes a run towards the top of the area and lays the ball off for Glenn, who rifles a shot from 18 yards out that hit the left post and into the back of the net. Jabloteh takes a commanding 3-0 lead. 40- Fire gets one back. With two defenders in front of him, Nate Jaqua took the ball to the upper right corner of the 18 yard box, where he sent in a cross that was deflected by ex-Columbus Crew defender Ansil Elcock and past the Jabloteh goalkeeper Daurance Williams. 42- Shot from DaMarcus Beasley from 10 yards out sent wide-right. 46+- Fire's Andy Williams is taken down inside the penalty area, but referee Peter Prendergast does not blow the whistle and play continues.

The home team dominated the match from the start, outshooting the visiting Fire 10-7 in the first half. The Caribbean Cup champions enjoyed the greater share of the possession by controlling the midfield play with their quick playmaking. Led by leading scorer (24 goals in 2003) Cornell Glenn's three-goal effort and the inspiring play of captain Angus Eve, San Juan Jabloteh took control of the game and punished the Fire on several misplays. The Fire had saw a pivotal opportunity vanish in the 22nd minute when Damani Ralph riffled a shot from 8-yards shot, but the 2003 MLS Rookie of the Year's effort sailed high over the crossbar.

Second Half Minute-by-Minute Highlights 47- Ralph is inside the area and sends a cross inside the six, but Jaqua misses from 4 yards out. Beasley takes a chance from the left side but his shot is stopped by Williams. 48- Fire captain Chris Armas sends a cross into the area, which Gray gets a head on it but sends it over the endline 52- Jabloteh pushes thee lead back to three goals. Glenn sets this goal up with a nice back-heel pass at the top of the 18-yard box, which finds an onrushing Noray, who finishes past Ring's right side from 15 yards out. Jabloteh leads 4-1. 54- Beasley's shot from 12 yards out on the left side is tipped over the bar by Williams for a Chicago corner. 62- Jabloteh midfielder Josh Johnson's first shot of the match from 15 yards out on the right is saved well by Ring 73- Noray doubles to up the San Juan lead. Noray gets the ball at the top of the area, then dribbles down the left side of the area before cutting back and hitting a low, hard shot to the left of Ring. Jabloteh leads 5-1. 78- Johnson dribbles around Fire rookie defender Leonard Griffin and sends a shot on goal which Ring is able to save 84- Mapp dribbles in on a 30-yard run up the middle of the field and sends in a shot from the top of the "D" that is just wide right. 85- Angus Eve shoots wide right of goal after beating Griffin inside the area. 87- Second half subs Dipsy Selolwane and Justin Mapp connect for the Fire to make it 5-2. Selolwane dribbled into the left side of the penalty towards the endline, pulled it back and sent in a low cross to Mapp, who sent a first-touch shot from 15 yards past Williams to cut the lead to three goals. 89- Fire nearly gets another as Ralph sends Beasley through. Beasley slots one past Williams, but was deemed to be in an offside position when he made his run. 91- Griffin picks up his first career yellow card after chopping down Noray on an ill-advised challenge 30 yards from goal.

The Fire had several chances to capitalize on in the opening minutes of the second half, but Nate Jaqua missed on a chance from five yards in front of the goal and Kelly Gray knocked a header over the goal from less than ten yards away to continue the Fire's offensive frustrations. Chicago would pay dearly for not drawing closer as a pair of second half goals from Jabloteh midfielder Kerry Noray put the match out of reach at 5-1 midway through the stanza. Second half Chicago substitutes Dipsy Selolwane and Justin Mapp were able to notch a late goal in the 87th minute when Selolwane, the team's leading scorer in the preseason, sent a cross in the path of Mapp, who fired off a first-time shot into the net to finish the scoring at 5-2. The Fire's all-time leading scorer Ante Razov sat out the match with a right groin strain. He will be re-evaluated upon the team's return to Chicago.

Chicago Fire Head Coach Dave Sarachan: Obviously, a very good performance by San Juan Jabloteh. I was disappointed with the result and with our defending. I don't think we defended well. I feel we should have done better in some of our plays. But you learn when you play games. Tonight we learned that we have to improve defensively as a group, as well as individually.

I give Jabloteh credit. They pushed us and put a lot of energy into this game. They didn't make it easy on us. Going back to Chicago, we hope we can impose the same kind of energy that they imposed on us tonight. Soldier Field is not an easy place to play. I'm confident we can come back and advance in this tournament.

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