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MLS Chicago Fire FC

News and Notes from Chicago Fire's 2017 Season-Opener

March 4, 2017 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Chicago Fire FC News Release


For players, coaches and fans alike, it's hard to match a season-opener in terms of anticipation, uncertainty and on-the-fly adjustments. While perhaps not quite as wild and crazy as last year's Chicago Fire lid-lifter -- a 4-3 defeat to NYCFC -- Saturday's 2017 debut also had its share of noteworthy outcomes. Take a look at news and notes to come out of the 1-1 draw in Columbus:

David Accam delivered yet another bit of magic when the Fire needed it most, receiving a pass from John Goossens and shaking free of fellow Ghanaian and two-time World Cup veteran Jonathan Mensah, slotting a shot beyond the diving Zack Steffen in net. The 73rd-minute equalizer was Accam's 25th goal in all competitions for the Fire, one behind Marco Pappa's seventh-place standing on the club's all-time goal-scoring list. It was also his 20th goal in MLS play, sending him past Jesse Marsch and Patrick Nyarko into sole possession of 10th place in club rankings. Accam has now scored three goals in five career regular season games vs. Columbus Crew SC and five in six matches in all competitions. Including U.S. Open Cup, Accam has scored 25 goals in 55 appearances with Chicago (0.51 goals/90 min.). Four players made their Chicago Fire debuts on Saturday: midfielder Dax McCarty, goalkeeper Jorge Bava, forward Nemanja Nikolic and midfielder Drew Conner. Conner's late appearance in stoppage time made him the seventh Fire Homegrown player to appear in a first team match, joining Victor Pineda, Harry Shipp, Chris Ritter, Collin Fernandez, Patrick Doody and Joey Calistri. Six players -- David Accam, Arturo Alvarez, Michael Harrington, Johan Kappelhof, Joao Meira and Brandon Vincent -- appeared in the Chicago Fire opening day Starting XI for a second straight season. The Fire were without the services of central midfielder Juninho, who served a one-match suspension stemming from a red card earned in his last match with previous side Club Tijuana (Mexico). John Goossens started in Juninho's place and recorded an assist on Accam's equalizer -- his fifth assist in MLS -- after receiving a pass in midfield from McCarty. Forward Michael de Leeuw wore the captain's armband for the Men In Red. Chicago finished with a 12-10 edge in total shots for the game, with three on target compared to Crew SC's four. Playing its 600th all-time MLS regular season match, Chicago notched its first result in a season-opening game since a matching 1-1 road draw at Montreal on March 17, 2012. Chicago and Columbus have now drawn three of their last four meetings and five of their last eight. The two teams will meet for their 60th all-time regular season matchup just a few weeks from now at Toyota Park (Saturday, April 8, 1 p.m. CT) with a return trip to Columbus set for Saturday, August 12. riptions.

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