Soundly Beat: Atlanta United 3, Chicago Fire 0
The Chicago Fire will have a lot to reflect on following an embarrassing 3-0 defeat at Atlanta United. The loss ensures they will remain winless at Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a total of seven losses in seven MLS visits.
Head coach Frank Klopas’ team appeared comfortable without possession and took advantage of counterattacks, as the Fire looked good throughout the first 45 minutes. The standout player was Carlos Terán, who started ahead of Tobias Salquist in a tactical swap.
Only one goal separated the two sides in the first half. A simple finish just before the break from Georgios Giakoumakis came about through a quick counter down the Fire’s right hand side, a goal eerily similar to several they have already conceded this season.
In their second straight game on turf, Klopas opted to bench star midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri, regardless of his recent performances for Switzerland; he scored their only goal of the international break, a free kick against the Republic of Ireland, but it wasn’t enough to get the nod over Brian Gutiérrez and Fabian Herbers. Gutiérrez started centrally as the #10 with Herbers and Maren Haile-Selassie on the wings, though Shaqiri replaced Gutiérrez at the hour mark, a substitution that produced little effect.
A few minutes later, though, and mere seconds after coming on for Giakoumakis, Jamal Thiaré scored with his first touch of the game. It was his first MLS goal for Atlanta United.
The Fire had a chance to get one back minutes after the second goal, but it went begging as the opportunity was wasted by Jonathan Dean, who earned a start on his unnatural left side due to a number of injuries at the left back position.
A triple change in the 74th minute of Mauricio Pineda for Gastón Giménez, Georgios Koutsias for Dean, and Chris Mueller for Allan Arigoni also did little to change the outcome of the game, with the Fire playing right into Atlanta’s game model of taking the lead and then comfortably sitting back, without the need of possession.
Seconds before the final whistle, Thiaré was back in the box, collecting a rebound off the post and calmly sitting Czichos down to slot the ball into the back of a half-empty net.
The highlight of the game, however, was Carlos Terán’s challenge on Thiaré in the 83rd minute, which saw him sent off. The red card left his team down a player and with little to no hope of a late comeback.
As they near a run of four home games interrupted only by a visit to the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey, the Chicago Fire are yet to look comfortable for 90 minutes in any game this season and have plenty of work to do in the coming weeks if they are to be a playoff contender in the East.
