and the home side made sure their attacking pyrotechnics matched pregame celebration.
Chris Armas put the Fire into a deserved lead in the 12th minute, racing forward to claim a poor clearance in the penalty area and firing a low shot home that Tony Meola got a hand to, but just couldn't keep from trickling over the line.
Then in the 69th minute the Men in Red doubled their advantage, Thiago taking control of the ball just outside the right corner of the area, dribbling across the top of the box and lashing a low shot just inside Meola's left-hand post.
Here's Sarachan's team (3-4-1-2): Zach Thornton - Dasan Robinson, C.J. Brown, Gonzalo Segares - Justin Mapp (Calen Carr 66), Chris Armas (Diego Gutierrez 61), Logan Pause, Ivan Guerrero - Thiago - Andy Herron (Floyd Franks 81), Nate Jaqua. [Substitutes Not Used: Leonard Griffin, Matt Pickens, Brian Plotkin, Jack Stewart]
Here's Johnston's team (3-4-1-2): Tony Meola - Jeff Parke, Carlos Mendes, Steve Jolley - Chris Henderson (Mike Magee 71), Mark Lisi (Amado Guevara 56), Danny O'Rourke, Seth Stammler (Marvell Wynne 14) - Youri Djorkaeff - Jean Philippe Peguero, Edson Buddle. [Substitutes Not Used: Jordan Cila, Jon Conway, Taylor Graham, Joe Vide]
CHICAGO FIRE
The Chicago Fire moved into sole possession of second place in the Eastern Conference by a single point, coming back to claim a 2-2 draw with Houston Dynamo on Wednesday night at Toyota Park. The Fire now have 32 points from 24 matches, one ahead of the New England Revolution, yet just three ahead of fifth-place New York Red Bulls. They are 15 points out of the top spot in the division.
LAST MATCH
The Fire came in riding a five-game winning streak in all competitions (three in league play), while Dynamo were playing the third game of a five-game road trip that saw tough losses in the first two.
Justin Mapp gave the home side the lead after 36 minutes. A defense-splitting ball from C.J. Brown found Mapp near the right corner of the area, and cutting across the top of the box he ripped a low drive inside the near post past Pat Onstad.
But Dynamo pulled level seven minutes later after a remarkable sequence. A Dwayne De Rosario free kick sailed beyond the far post, but Alejandro Moreno chipped it over the retreating Zach Thornton in the Fire goal. The ball bounced to the goal line where it all but crossed -- only for Diego Gutierrez to hook it away. The clearance fell to Moreno, who sent his shot goalward, only for it to be parried by Thornton. But Chris Wondolowski was there to tap home to the simplest of rebound chances.
Then just before the hour, De Rosario struck with another wonder goal. Collecting the ball on the midfield stripe, he looked up to see Thornton off his line -- and sent a high, arcing shot that flew over Thornton, the Fire 'keeper able to only knock it to the back of the net as he backtracked.
Yet Dynamo again saw a late penalty call go against them. A cross was knocked down to Chris Armas rushing on from behind in the area, and Brad Davis hooked him down from behind. Referee Baldomero Toledo pointed to the spot, and Andy Herron calmly rolled the penalty down the heart of the goal as Onstad dove to his right for the equalizer.
Fire head coach Dave Sarachan made two changes to the team that defeated the Colorado Rapids 1-0 the Saturday before at home. Nate Jaqua returned to the lineup wide on the right, in place of Brian Plotkin, while Calen Carr came in for the injured Chad Barrett in attack.
Here's Sarachan's team (3-4-1-2): Zach Thornton - C.J. Brown (Gonzalo Segares 46), Tony Sanneh, Dasan Robinson - Nate Jaqua, Chris Armas, Diego Gutierrez (Thiago 71), Ivan Guerrero - Justin Mapp - Calen Carr, Andy Herron (Brian Plotkin 82). [Substitutes Not Used: Floyd Franks, Jim Curtin, Ryan Johnson, Matt Pickens]
"I thought getting that first goal we'd have two or three. ... Our guys really put their heads down and continued to play and worked to score the second goal. At the end of the day, we'll take the point and look to pick up three points another day."
TEAM NEWS
Like nearly everyone else in Toyota Park, Sarachan was dumbfounded by De Rosario's go-ahead goal from the midfield stripe.
"I don't know how to explain it. I don't think you'll see Zach give up another goal like that in his career," Sarachan said. "But I give our guys a lot of credit, because that's a stunner. They didn't put their heads down and were able to get a point. A guy like Dwayne took his chance at it and hit a home run."
Sarachan will have another selection question in attack, as Andy Herron will leave the club to play in the Four Nations Tournament with the Costa Rican national team.
"I'm really disappointed I have to go and leave the Fire. I have to thank God for the opportunity to go to the national team and thanks to all the guys - thanks to all my teammates, thanks to the coach because they have given me time on the field, and if it wasn't for my teammates, I wouldn't be doing what I am doing now," Herron said. "I have to say thanks to the Fire and I hope when I come back I can keep scoring for the team."
Before De Rosario's goal, Chris Wondolowski's tap-in from the goal line gave the Dynamo an equalizer just before the break, the first goal allowed by the Fire in 311 minutes.
"I thought it was a game that we obviously came out with a good mentality but it wasn't as sharp soccer-wise with the ball as we would have liked. I think we gave up a couple soft goals," Diego Gutierrez said. "We reacted in a way where we could come back and at least tie the game. We weren't very happy with the way we played in the first half. Having said that, as we try to fix things in the second half, we find ourselves down a goal and we had to make some alterations to our formation, to our lineup and try to come back and get the equalizer."
While it ended the Fire streak of five victories in all competitions, it was yet another game without loss since Justin Mapp has moved into the playmaking role behind the front two. He also has two goals and two assists in that time.
"I'm feeling more comfortable out there in the attacking midfielder position," Mapp said to The Chicago Tribune. "It gives me more space and I don't have to worry about coming back on defense as much."
NEW YORK RED BULLS
The New York Red Bulls remain outside the MLS Cup Playoffs picture for the time being, seeing the Kansas City Wizards come back to claim a 2-2 draw on Wednesday evening at Arrowhead Stadium. The Red Bulls are still in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with 29 points from 24 matches, one point behind the Wizards but just three points out of second place in the tightly contested division.
LAST MATCH
The teams came in separated by just a point in the Eastern Conference, with the Wizards having two wins in their last four games after a nine-game winless run, while the Red Bulls were coming off their first league victory with Bruce Arena in charge.
Neither team could hold onto the lead before settling for the share of the points. The Wizards took the lead in the 28th minute when a long ball out of the back was flicked on, and Scott Sealy ran onto it before cruising in alone on Tony Meola, slotting the ball underneath the Red Bulls 'keeper as he came off his line.
But just two minutes later the Red Bulls pulled level through some magic from Amado Guevara. The Honduras international skipped through a Wizards defender and around 'keeper Bo Oshoniyi in close quarters in the area before pulling a pass back for John Wolyniec to gleefully pound into an unguarded goal.
Then eight minutes after the restart -- after a couple of tremendous saves from Oshoniyi -- the visitors pulled ahead. Youri Djorkaeff whipped in a cross from a short corner and Todd Dunivant rose above substitute Tyson Wahl at the back post to head home the go-ahead goal.
Yet the Wizards leveled the score in the 71st minute. Sasha Victorine set Jose Burciaga Jr. free in the left corner, and he pulled back a rolling cross that Josh Wolff turned home from the heart of the area to leave both teams in the same place they were at the start of the night.
Red Bulls head coach Bruce Arena made one change to the team that thrashed Real Salt Lake 6-0 at home the weekend before. Edson Buddle - who scored a hat trick as a second-half substitute - came back into the team in attack, replacing Chris Henderson.
Here's Arena's team (4-4-2): Tony Meola - Marvell Wynne, Carlos Mendes, Jeff Parke, Todd Dunivant - Dema Kovalenko, Danny O'Rourke, Youri Djorkaeff (Chris Henderson 74), Amado Guevara - Edson Buddle (Jordan Cila 46 / Steve Jolley 94+), John Wolyniec. [Substitutes Not Used: Blake Camp, Jon Conway, Taylor Graham, Joe Vide]
"Very sloppy; the first 30 minutes I thought was good although we fell behind the goal but we did good to get the goal back," Arena said. "We started the second half pretty well, Tony (Meola) made a couple of good saves and then we just completely hit the wall physically our team is struggling right now with injuries and the number of games they've had and it's been very difficult and you can see they ran out of gas in the last 20 minutes of the game."
TEAM NEWS
After being shutout in their first two games under Arena, the Red Bulls have now scored eight goals in their last two games.
"From that standpoint, great. Two goals on the road should always give us a chance to be in the game. I thought we did well we kept our patience even after the nasty tackle by (Alex) Zotinca," Meola said. "I thought we were pretty patient and pretty calm about the way (we) reacted. In most cases that's a red card and we are playing one man up for 10 minutes. Tonight it was nothing, we're lucky we've got Todd that'll certainly be back on the field after that tackle."
The Red Bulls made a big push over the opening quarter-hour of the second half, but couldn't hold the lead after Dunivant's header from the well-worked corner.
"Anytime you are on the road, you've got a lead in the second half, you know good teams lock down the game you walk out of here with three points. Unfortunately we couldn't do that," Wolyniec said. "You've got to give some credit to them; they pushed hard and got a goal. But we kind of stopped playing, which is a little disappointing but it comes at being on the road and playing a tough stretch of games. I think we looked a little tired after we scored."
The Red Bulls will meet the Wizards one final time, on the final day of the season. It might be a one-game showdown for a playoff spot. Last season, the Red Bulls edged the Wizards out of a playoff spot on the final day of the season.
"I mean tonight doesn't kill us; I think it hurts Kansas City more that it hurts us. We've got two games in hand and we've got to make due with those two games," Meola said. "They certainly were more desperate. They are closer to the end of their season than we are so they were more desperate for the three points than we were. Quite honestly I know playing here for years it is a difficult place to win, not a lot of teams come here and play well and win here. People don't realize that."
Dunivant has also scored goals in back-to-back games - a first for his MLS career. He had scored one goal total in his first three seasons in the league with San Jose and Los Angeles.
"Todd has done pretty well getting forward in the attack -- obviously a big goal tonight off the corner kick. He's still getting himself back in form; he's coming off an injury that caused him to miss a good number of games obviously in the first half of the season," Arena said. "He still doesn't have his full fitness but hopefully over the next couple weeks he'll get back in form."
The match kicked off a three-game road swing for the Red Bulls, who will then have four of their final six matches at the Meadowlands.
"I mean you get points on the road it's pretty good. You know we couldn't let them score and get three points against us because we are racing into the playoffs," Wolyniec said. "It would have been nice to get three and we had a chance so it's a little disappointing but at the same time you know they didn't gain on us and we got a point in their house."
