The Kids Are Alright: FC Cincinnati 0, Chicago Fire 1

CINCINNATI, Ohio — Three points are three points, and it doesn’t matter how you get them.

That fact is cliché, but it’s even more true on the road. The Chicago Fire did just enough to stun FC Cincinnati 1-0 in their own backyard.

Though the matchup would see the Fire face off against a Cincinnati team comfortably atop the Eastern Conference and on course for a record-breaking points total, they would see a different version of that team at TQL Stadium. Injuries to league MVP Lucho Acosta and Defender of the Year Matt Miazga, as well as a suspension to U.S. international Miles Robinson, meant that the home team was without three key starters.

The Fire made two changes to the lineup from last weekend's boring 0-0 draw with New York City FC. Brian Gutiérrez was curiously dropped, with Jonathan Dean replacing him in the eleven and reshuffling Chris Mueller higher up the field into the front three. Kellyn Acosta also went to the bench and was replaced by Fabian Herbers, who made his 100th Fire start.

Defender Arnaud Souquet, continuing his impressive run of seven straight starts, was the first player to leave an impression on the match. A snapshot from distance forced Cincinnati keeper and Naperville native Roman Celentano to make a great save, preventing the Fire from taking an early lead.

The Fire remained the more aggressive team in the opening portions of the first half, and Mueller failed to capitalize on a great chance in the 15th minute. The missed attempt was a low point in yet another difficult outing for the 27-year-old, who struggled to find his footing before being substituted early in the second half.

On the flip side, DP midfielder Gastón Giménez stood out in the first half and put in one of his best 45-minute shifts in a Fire shirt. His passes were crisp and accurate, and he provided a reliable presence in midfield, reflective of his current run of strong starts with the armband on. He made three successive blocks from close range against Yuya Kubo, Kipp Keller, and Ian Murphy, preserving the zero heading into the half.

Herbers made sure to mark his 100th start with a signature yellow card, and he was substituted at halftime due to coming dangerously close to a sending-off. Acosta replaced him and immediately improved the solidity of the midfield. Chris Brady would then be called into action to make numerous saves, and the Fire struggled to generate chances down the other end.

A double switch around the hour mark did change the momentum a little bit. Gutiérrez returned to the field, as did struggling forward Tom Barlow. Barlow had several chances in the first minutes after coming on, including a gift from point-blank range supplied by Souquet, which he could not bury, and his misery in front of goal continued.

TQL Stadium would then be silenced in the 69th minute. Cincinnati defender Kipp Keller's chaotic missed backward header arrived at the feet of DP forward Hugo Cuypers, who marched into the open space behind the reeling backline. The Belgian #9 beautifully laid the ball on a platter for homegrown star Brian Gutiérrez, who coolly knocked the ball into the net.

The Fire weren’t out of the woods yet. Brady still had to make saves down the other end, and dodged a bullet when Sergio Santos, who once buried the Fire with a brace in the early stages of last season, missed a great chance from inside the penalty box. The Venezuelan’s shot flashed wide right despite leaving Brady flat-footed in his goal.

Cincinnati were then reduced to 10 men as things got ugly toward the end. Alvas Powell lost his head and was booked twice in a matter of seconds. An altercation with Brady subjected the homegrown goalkeeper to aggressive chants from the home crowd, but it only seemed to motivate him further.

Despite being up a man, the Fire seemed to struggle most when Cincy found a second find in the dying minutes. The best chance came from DP Aaron Boupendza, who made the most of an inch of space but whose shot was thwarted by a remarkable Brady reactionary save.

The homegrowns’ heroics were enough to get the Men in Red over the line to record an unlikely road win. Though the Fire only moved up one position from 14th to 13th, they’re now just two points shy of the play-in line.

A tough test now awaits against Inter Miami on Saturday.