Before one of the largest regular-season crowds this year at Toyota Park, the Chicago Fire and Columbus Crew played to a scoreless draw on Saturday evening.
While it was Cuauhtemoc Blanco's skill that many in the stands came to see, some magic from the Crew's playmaker, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, nearly put the visitors ahead in the eighth minute. A foul was called just inches outside the Fire penalty area and Schelotto took the resulting free kick, only to crash it off the wall.
After the opening quarter-hour, Blanco began to take advantage of the space he was being allowed to put the Fire forwards into advantageous positions, but they couldn't take advantage.
The first real good chance for the home side came in the 25th minute. Near the edge of the Crew area, Calen Carr corralled the ball after a rebound and after slipping between two defenders, sent a powerful shot aimed at the left post of Will Hesmer that the Crew goalkeeper did well to get down and palm away.
The Crew again threatened through another free kick from Schelotto. This time he sent the ball into the goal area, and after the Fire defense was unable to clear, from on the ground Marcos Gonzalez sent the ball goalward only for Chicago goalkeeper Matt Pickens to snatch the ball and end the threat.
Both teams struggled to put together a coherent attack throughout the rest of the first half and into the second, and although the Fire had the better of the opportunities, the Chicago attackers couldn't apply the final touch. Still, every time Blanco touched the ball he received the acknowledging cheers of the crowd.
As the second half progressed, the Fire began to have a greater presence in the Crew half, but still allowed their opportunities to escape. At the other end, the Fire defense was standing firm, and as a result the Crew began to shoot from longer range. In the 53rd minute Danny Szetela hit a long-distance shot that sailed into the two hands of Pickens.
In the 67th minute, in a play that seemed to have little danger, the ball fell to the Crew's Alejandro Moreno who shot at goal. The chance seemed easy enough for Pickens but the ball slipped between his hands and went into the area. It nearly went into the goal but just slipped wide outside the post.
After a stream of substitutions on both sides, the game picked up in intensity as the teams chased the winning goal. Ivan Guerrero had the ball at his feet on the left side in the 68th minute and fired a low shot that Hesmer stopped without any other Fire player able to follow up.
The full house at Toyota Park rose as one in the 72nd minute when Blanco latched onto a clearance inside the Columbus area, and after he escaped the attention of a defender, fired just inches wide of Hesmer's left-hand post.
In the final minutes, both teams wasted good chances to find the winner. In the 84th minute, Blanco sent a through ball for Paulo Wanchope, who had come on as a 58th-minute substitute in his MLS debut. Past a pair of defenders and with only the goalkeeper to beat, the Costa Rican didn't strike the ball firmly enough and Hesmer was able to grab the ball.
The Crew had their last chance in the final minute through Andy Herron, who controlled a rebound and sent a drive goalward. Just as he had done all night long, Pickens responded and with his body along the ground smothered the ball.
In stoppage time the Fire nearly hit for some late drama. Blanco -- after suffering a 12th foul on the night -- sent the resulting free kick which was flicked on by Gonzalo Segares. But C.J. Brown, who got on the end of the chance, couldn't direct his header on goal, and with it went the final chance for a goal on the night.
Raquel Ortiz is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
