E. RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The New York Red Bulls were without captain and midfield engine Claudio Reyna for the third straight game Thursday, but it didn't matter as the Red Bulls' other designated player, Juan Pablo Angel, scored twice and teenage sensation Jozy Altidore added another as the Red Bulls defeated the Chicago Fire 3-0 at Giants Stadium.
It took just 55 seconds for the Red Bulls to score their first goal. Angel stepped around C.J. Brown and fed John Wolyniec, who laid the ball off to Altidore. The U.S. Under-20 forward beat Matt Pickens inside the near post for his third goal of the year.
Before Red Bulls fans could settle down from celebrating the first goal, their team struck again. This time, Dane Richards crossed the ball in front, where Brown took a touch. Angel stole the ball, took one touch and slotted his second MLS goal past Pickens in the third minute.
The goals tied an MLS record for the two fastest goals scored at the start of the game. D.C. United scored twice in the opening three minutes in a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Galaxy on August 9, 1997 and the Galaxy did it in a 4-4 tie with the Tampa Bay Mutiny May 9, 2001.
Chicago had two quality chances in the opening half hour, but Justin Mapp's low shot from 16 yards out was saved by Jon Conway in the sixth minute and Chad Barrett rounded Conway in the 23rd minute, but didn't get much on his shot and the ball was cleared off the line by Jeff Parke.
Off a Dave van den Bergh corner, Angel again found space in the box in the 26th minute, collecting the ball off a Clint Mathis flick. But the Colombian international was stopped by Pickens.
The Fire nearly cut their deficit in half in first half stoppage time, but Mapp put his free kick wide of the far post from 22 yards out.
Chicago came out with more determination after the half, but Gonzalo Segares put Mapp's corner over the crossbar and Barrett turned in the box, but Conway saved his low shot.
Tempers flared at the hour mark as Altidore and Brown each were given yellow cards in the 60th minute and Richards was carded in the 63rd minute for a hand ball in the box. Richards then exchanged shoves with Chicago captain Chris Armas, who also had a verbal exchange with Angel.
After nearly setting up Sinisa Ubiparipovic with some crafty dribbling, Angel added his second of the game in the 68th minute to put the Red Bulls comfortably ahead, 3-0. Taylor Graham, who came on for Jeff Parke at the half, got a piece of Seth Stammler's cross and fired it in to Angel after taking a touch.
Conway was kept busy throughout the match, making a career-high 10 saves to earn his second consecutive clean sheet as the Red Bulls improved to 5-1-2 and moved into a first-place tie with the idle New England Revolution in the Eastern Conference standings.
The Fire, meanwhile, continue to tailspin. After opening the season 3-0-1, Chicago lost its fourth straight match, giving up 11 goals during the stretch.
Even though Jozy Altidore returned from his high school prom, the Red Bulls were again without four starters as Reyna, goalkeeper Ronald Waterreus and defender Hunter Freeman missed their third straight match and Todd Dunivant joined the walking wounded, picking up a left thigh injury at training Wednesday.
For a second straight game, Dema Kovalenko played on the right side of the Red Bulls back four, and Dave van den Bergh slid back on the left. Altidore moved back into the midfield as Wolyniec played with Angel on top.
Because of a left hamstring strain to Parke, Graham made his first appearance of 2007, coming on at the half. Ubiparipovic replaced Wolyniec in the 61st and for his final change of the game, Bruce Arena brought on Markus Schopp for the first time this season for Richards in the 78th minute.
Dave Sarachan made his first change of the game in the 63rd minute as Pascal Bedrossian replaced Brian Plotkin. Following Angel's second goal, the Fire were forced to push numbers ahead as Thiago came on for Jim Curtin in the 70th minute. Ten minutes later, Sarachan made his final change as William Olivera replaced Mapp.
Things went from bad to worse for the Fire in the 87th minute as Ivan Guerrero was stretchered off the field after a hard tackle by Kovalenko in the box, forcing the Fire to play with 10 men for the final three minutes of regulation and four minutes of stoppage time.
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
