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.
The win snapped a five-game winless streak for the Fire and pulled them out of last place in the Eastern Conference as the Red Bulls lost for the first time this season on their travels after four draws in four contests.
Red Bulls head coach Mo Johnston made no changes to the team that defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1 the previous weekend at Giants Stadium.
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]
"It was very disappointing. I felt the first half was the worse we've played since the start of the year. We kept losing the ball at midfield and on the left hand side of the field,"Johnston said.TEAM NEWS
The match was the last in charge for Mo Johnston, who took over for the final three games of the 2005 season on an interim basis before being confirmed on a permanent basis over the winter. "We are a results-driven company, and that's what today's decision is based on," said Marc de Grandpre, Red Bull New York managing director. "Having only two wins through 12 games is unacceptable for our organization and above all else, our fans." Richie Williams was named head coach on an interim basis.
While the game in Chicago was more lopsided than the final score indicated, the margin of victory might have reached epic proportions if not for the play of Meola in between the posts for the Red Bulls. Under what seemed like a constant barrage from the Fire, Meola faced 16 shots and made five stellar saves.
"I think the worst game of the year for us, no question. We must have given away 50 to 70 passes tonight, which is just mind boggling numbers," Meola said. "We'd win it and we'd give it right back. Sometimes they were rolling to us and we'd give it away. It's crazy, it's got to be better."
The 12th-minute goal was the earliest the Red Bulls had allowed all year, and the 78 minutes they trailed were more than they had been behind combined for the entire season (52 minutes out of 990 played going into the game).
"We never took control of the game," Meola said. "I'd be interested to see how many times we put five passes together in the game. It's got to be better. Everyone has to be held accountable, everyone has to have a higher standard for themselves than that and we just hope that it's one bad game and we move on to Wednesday."
The Red Bulls were on the back foot so much, strikers Edson Buddle and Jean Philippe Peguero were left to fend for themselves against several Fire players behind the ball. The Red Bulls found themselves were under so much pressure, Buddle and Peguero had to track back so deep, they would receive the ball at midfield.
"You see that more when you have the ball rather than when you're chasing it. Our three guys in the back, for me, did a great job battling through the game," Meola said. "We must give them a little bit of help keeping the ball sometimes and be able to relieve some of the pressure. Something that's been a problem for us, but really hasn't been a problem on the road, we've done a pretty good job on the road staying in games. But tonight, we were out of it from early on."
Mo Johnston was forced to make an early substitution when Seth Stammler left the game with a right quadriceps contusion in the 14th minute. Marvell Wynne came on to play on the right side of Johnston's five-man midfield.
"He did OK. I plan to see him getting more down the flanks and getting more quality balls in the box, which we didn't get. But tonight we didn't possess the ball and in terms of Danny [O'Rourke] and [Mark] Lisi, Youri [Djorkaeff], we didn't do that," Johnston said. "We didn't move the ball quickly. We spoke of it. ... And were very lame in terms of stepping out and closing down with the shots."COLUMBUS CREW
The Columbus Crew saw their winless streak extended to four games, but played to a draw for the second time in a week, seeing Chivas USA come back for a 1-1 tie on Saturday night at Crew Stadium. The Crew are still in third place in the Eastern Conference with 16 points from 14 matches, a point ahead of the New England Revolution, four behind the Kansas City Wizards and fully 16 points back of division leader D.C. United.
LAST MATCH
The two teams had played just six days before on the West Coast, where Chivas USA had eased to a comprehensive 2-0 victory. The teams had played to midweek draws in between, Columbus 1-1 at home against New England, and Chivas in Colorado.
The home side dominated the early proceedings, but went ahead after 12 minutes through a stroke of good fortune. Jose Retiz let fly from well outside the penalty area and the shot took a deflection on its way to goal, looping past Preston Burpo in the Chivas goal.
But the Crew could not add to their lead over the remainder of the half despite carrying the majority of the play - in no small part because of two clearances off the goal line by Chivas fullback Jonathan Bornstein.
Chivas made the home side pay in the second half. Winning a free kick outside the left corner of the penalty area, Juan Pablo Garcia whipped a wicked free kick over the wall and under the crossbar inside the far corner for his third goal in as many games and the eventual equalizer.
Crew head coach Sigi Schmid made four changes to the team that drew 1-1 with the New England Revolution at home at midweek. Ritchie Kotschau came into the center of the back three, replacing the injured Rusty Pierce. Ezra Hendrickson came into a wide midfield role, in place of Tim Ward. There were two changes in the new-look spearhead, as Kei Kamara and Jason Garey returned to the starting lineup in place of Joseph Ngwenya and Knox Cameron.
Here's Schmid's team (3-4-2-1): Noah Palmer - Chad Marshall, Ritchie Kotschau, Marcos Gonzalez - Ezra Hendrickson, Brandon Moss, Jose Retiz (Eric Vasquez 71), Chris Leitch - Kei Kamara (Joseph Ngwenya 81). Eddie Gaven - Jason Garey (Knox Cameron 56), [Substitutes Not Used: Leonard Bisaku, Dominik Jakubek, Sebastian Rozental, Tim Ward]
"They pushed up with an extra player, and I thought we fatigued a little bit. We played tonight a little more in a 3-4-3 because we thought that was a better way to match up with them," Schmid said. "[I'm] disappointed because we have given up a goal we shouldn't have given up in the second half. I thought we came out and played with a lot of energy. I wasn't displeased with how we played today. I'm just angry at the fact that we've given away four points in the last three games. We can't keep handing away points."TEAM NEWS
Columbus showed an irresistible attack in the opening 45 minutes. Another deflected shot by Retiz nearly found the back of the net, and two others that beat Chivas 'keeper Preston Burpo couldn't get past Bornstein on the goal line. But the Crew couldn't hit for a key second.
"That's the difference between tying the games we've been tying and winning or losing. ... Just decisions that are off a millimeter, those are costing us two points," said Knox Cameron. "We need to figure it out, because we're playing well. We're creating the chances, but its just that final touch. We're in tune. The Wednesday game, we were all over New England. And tonight, for stretches, we were all over these guys. Playing real well and energized isn't good enough. We'd rather play ugly and get three points. At some point, it's going to fall together for us."
Then the Garcia free kick cost the Crew. "We can't keep giving up soft goals. We have given up four bad goals in the last three games," said Schmid. "Our goalkeeping needs to be better."
Retiz was dangerous shooting from distance, but he had to come off midway through the second half. "Retiz was playing well, but unfortunately, when he got taken down he hurt his back, so we had to take him out," said Schmid.
Retiz was bothered to see the Crew winless run extend to four games. "I'd rather not score and take the victory. I'm pretty much tired of losing or tying. If the game is at home, we have to take the three points," he said. "We had the better chances, but if we don't put the ball inside it doesn't matter. Its 1-1, and that's it."
The Crew have scored more than one goal on just one occasion this season - the 2-1 victory away to FC Dallas on June 3.
"Good things happen when you shoot, and our goal came off a deflection. You're not going to score if you don't shoot. Our shots were off target in the second half, and we didn't force any saves," Schmid said. "But I think we're around the goal an awful lot, but sometimes the delivery is a little late like on Knox (Cameron)'s delivery across. (Kei) Kamara has an open shot, but he's wearing the wrong shoes so he slips. That's immaturity."
The back line also had a strong performance in limiting the league's top scorer, Ante Razov, and his strike partner, Juan Francisco Palencia. "(Marcos) Gonzalez did a good job getting tight on whoever he had whether it was Razov or Palencia," Schmid said. "(Ritchie) Kotschau did really well being free (in the center of the back three)."
Schmid also said his team needs to be smarter in how they manage the end of the game. He said wingback Chris Leitch ran himself out in the final minutes trying to continue to get forward. "In Leitch's case, he was trying to help the team," Schmid said to The Columbus Dispatch. "(But) the road (to hell) is paved with good intentions. I think there were a lot of good intentions, but we need to play a little more intelligently."
