Fire Travel To Salt Lake In Search Of Three Points On The Road
September 11, 2009 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Chicago Fire FC News Release
The Fire will return to action this Saturday, September 12th as the team travels to Sandy, Utah to face Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium (8 p.m. CT, FSC/FSE).
The Fire will lineup against Real Salt Lake for their second of two meetings in 2009 and their first-ever match at Rio Tinto Stadium, site of the 2009 MLS All-Star game. The Fire defeated Real Salt Lake 1-0 in their first meeting of the season at TOYOTA PARK on August 1st. After a scoreless first half, Fire forward Patrick Nyarko scored the game-winning goal in the 76th minute, getting a head on a Tim Ward cross, redirecting the ball across the goal and past goalkeeper Nick Rimando. Cuauhtémoc Blanco was unavailable for the first match between the two clubs due to a left ankle sprain and Wilman Conde was unavailable due to left hamstring soreness, while Brian McBride was unavailable due to a right shoulder surgery. Absent on the Salt Lake bench for the Aug. 1st match was Salt Lake head coach Jason Kreis who served a suspension for his July 24th dismissal during a match against Dallas. The shutout was goalkeeper Jon Busch's seventh of his eight shutouts so far this season.
The Fire posted a 0-0-2 record through their two matches against Salt Lake last season - with a 1-1 tie on the road in the season opener on March 29 (RSL: Soumare - Own Goal, CHI: Blanco) and a 0-0 tie at home in TOYOTA PARK on July 19. The Fire have an all-time regular season record of 5-1-3 against Salt Lake - dropping just one contest on June 3, 2006 on the road.
The Fire have not dropped a contest to Real Salt Lake on the road in the past two seasons, and will look to continue that streak at Rio Tinto this weekend.
The Fire have an edge on Salt Lake in scoring posting 13 goals through regular season competition compared to Salt Lake's six. The Fire have allowed only two goals in their four games against Salt Lake when playing in Chicago, posting two shutouts. On the road, the Fire have allowed just four goals, also posting two shutouts in four games played.
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Major League Soccer Stories from September 11, 2009
- Real Salt Lake and Rio Tinto to Host Three Free Youth Soccer Clinics - Real Salt Lake
- Chivas USA acquires goalkeeper Jon Conway and 2010 MLS SuperDraft pick in pair of trades - Club Deportivo Chivas USA
- Earthquakes Acquire Defender Bobby Burling From Chivas USA - San Jose Earthquakes
- FC Dallas acquires Heath Pearce via allocation - FC Dallas
- D.C. United acquires defender Lawson Vaughn - D.C. United
- Toronto FC Signs Julian de Guzman - Toronto FC
- Sounders Geared up for United Rematch - Seattle Sounders FC
- Fire Travel To Salt Lake In Search Of Three Points On The Road - Chicago Fire FC
- Earthquakes and San Francisco Community Leaders Come Together to Fight Malaria - San Jose Earthquakes
- Real Salt Lake Gameday Preview - Real Salt Lake
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