The Chicago Fire (10-10-10, 40 pts.) beat the Los Angeles Galaxy (9-14-7, 34 pts.) 1-0 in front of a record-breaking crowd of 21,374 fans at TOYOTA PARK today, to clinch a spot in the 2007 MLS Cup Playoffs. Fire second-half substitute midfielder John Thorrington scored the game-winner in the 93+ minute with a chip shot over Galaxy goalkeeper Joe Cannon to vault the team into the seventh playoff spot. Goalkeeper Matt Pickens set a new club regular season shutout record after notching his 10th clean slate of the season.
The Fire came into the first half attacking, registering two shots in the first minute of the match. The "Men in Red" continued to press the Galaxy defense and nearly scored off back-to-back headers in the 22nd and 23rd minutes. Chicago midfielder Cuauhtémoc Blanco took a freekick from the left side of the pitch, just outside the box, sending a bending ball toward the opposite post and onto the head of Fire defender C.J. Brown. Cannon tipped the ball over the crossbar, affording the Fire a corner kick. Defender Gonzalo Segares sent the corner kick opportunity into the box, resulting in a succession of headers, with Blanco finally heading the ball just over the net.
In the 74th minute, Thorrington carried the ball up the middle of the field and slipped a pass between Galaxy defenders to Wanchope streaking up the right side of the pitch. Wanchope sent a hard shot on goal, but Cannon made the save to keep the teams level.
A pair of second-half substitutes helped the Fire break through in the 93+ minute. Blanco sent a long pass to forward Calen Carr on the right side of play. Carr picked out an unmarked Thorrington up the middle and sent a lofting through-ball to the 28-year-old midfielder. Thorrington chipped a shot over Cannon from 18-yards out for the crucial go-ahead goal in the closing seconds.
"I am 46 years old, and after that game I feel like I'm 56 now," said Fire head coach Juan Carlos Osorio. "I just congratulate everybody in the locker room and that's over, it's history now. Now we are in the playoffs, tomorrow we were supposed to have a day off, I changed my mind and we will be in training at nine o'clock and I will start preparing my team for Thursday tonight. "
With the win, the Fire will now host D.C. United in the first game of the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series on Thursday, Oct. 25 at TOYOTA PARK (ESPN2, 7:30 p.m. CT).
Fire Lineup: GK-Matt Pickens, D-Dasan Robinson, D-C.J. Brown, D-Gonzalo Segares, M-Logan Pause, M-Chris Rolfe (Calen Carr 89), M-Chris Armas (Captain), M-Cuauhtémoc Blanco, M-Wilman Conde, F-Paulo Wanchope (Bakary Soumare 80), F-Chad Barrett (John Thorrington 61).
Galaxy Lineup: GK: Joe Cannon, D-Chris Klein, D-Troy Roberts, D-Ante Jazic, D-Mike Randolph, M-Landon Donovan (Captain), M-Cobi Jones, M-Josh Tudela (Alan Gordon 72), M-Peter Vagenas (David Beckham 58), F-Gavin Glinton (Edson Buddle 61), F-Carlos Pavon.
Scoring Summary:
CHI - John Thorrington 1 (Calen Carr 2, Cuauhtémoc Blanco 7) 93+'
Misconduct Summary:
LA - Edson Buddle (Caution, Reckless Foul) 86'
Referee: Alex Prus
Referee's Assistants: Craig Lowry, Peter Manikowski
4th Official: Michael Kennedy
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 79 degrees
All Statistics contained in this boxscore are unofficial.
