Forgettable: Chicago Fire 0, New York City FC 0
CHICAGO, Ill. — Some soccer games are forgettable. This one could probably have been summarized in an email.
The 14th-placed Chicago Fire played their final MLS game until late August against New York City FC in front of over 25,000 fans, but the game did not match the crowd’s energy, and ended in a hapless 0-0 draw.
The Fire returned to Soldier Field seeking their third-straight victory at home after a thrilling 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Union last week, but looking to bounce back from a crushing 1-0 loss at San Jose shortly after. With Fabian Herbers suspended due to yellow card accumulation, Gastón Giménez took the captain’s armband for the second game running despite the recent transfer speculation surrounding him.
Chris Mueller also earned a second consecutive start despite his poor showing last Sunday against the Earthquakes. Initially, he lined up as a right wing back, but the Fire shifted between a 3-4-2-1 shape and a 4-4-2 throughout the game. Mueller faced off directly against U.S. and England youth international Christian McFarlane, who made his first MLS start.
Despite the inexperience from his opposite number, Mueller had another difficult half. His role on the right side of the formation also pushed Allan Arigoni to the left side, limiting his effectiveness as well since he had to play on his weaker side. Constant rotation between Brian Gutiérrez and Maren Haile-Selassie in the constellation underneath or next to Hugo Cuypers meant that little rhythm could be generated in the attack.
The first half concluded without a shot on target for either team, with the closest either team came to scoring coming when Wyatt Omsberg was called into action to block a one-on-one opportunity. He was booked for dissent, and would later be substituted for Mauricio Pineda as a precaution.
The second half wasn’t much better. NYCFC did come close to scoring in the 64th minute; Alonso Martínez hit the post after leaving Chris Brady flat-footed in the middle of his goal, but that still couldn’t go down as the game’s first shot on target. Santiago Rodríguez put the ball in the back of the net in the 85th minute, but the linesman’s flag immediately went up, and it didn’t stand.
In the 94th minute, the game finally had its first shot on goal. After a half-hearted scramble inside the New York City penalty box, Haile-Selassie took a shot from close range. However, it had neither the power nor precision to provide any threat to Matt Freese.
The final whistle blew, and after the referee bizarrely opted to extend the game by eight additional minutes, both teams left with a point. The Fire dropped two at home, further dampening any faint playoff hopes, and remaining just one position above the Eastern Conference’s cellar.
They will have two incredibly difficult road games against first-placed Cincinnati and second-placed Miami before the start of Leagues Cup.
