In a showdown between two teams that desperately needed a victory, neither the Chicago Fire nor the Colorado Rapids reached their goal but both squads were able to record a point in a scoreless draw Sunday at Toyota Park.
The Rapids snapped a five-game losing streak, registering their first point since May 26, while the Fire tallied a point for the first time since the first week in June.
The Fire also survived playing the final six minutes of regulation plus stoppage time a man down after Bakary Soumare was sent off.
Colorado came out attacking as midfielder Colin Clark attemptedshots in the third and the fifth minutes but neither was on target, wide and high respectively.
Chicago was able to finally generate some offense in the 15th minute. Ivan Guerrero beat a Rapids defender and issued a crossing pass from the left trying to connect with Brian Plotkin. Instead, the pass flew over the Fire midfielder's head and the opportunity was wasted.
Willian Oliveira found himself with a loose ball just outside the Colorado penalty box and was able to send the first effort toward goal for the Fire in the 17th minute, but it was deflected by a Rapids defender. Then in the 21st minute Jerson Monteiro was able to put a shot on frame, but it was saved by Rapids goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul.
The Rapids had a golden opportunity to get ahead in the first half, also in the 21st minute of play. Colorado midfielder Jovan Kirovski chipped a perfect lead pass to Clark. The fellow midfielder was a step ahead of a Chicago defender and just had Matt Pickens to beat, but Pickens quickly came out of the goal and pressured the attack and Clark's shot was then easily saved by the Fire 'keeper.
The Rapids had a free kick in a dangerous spot in the 29th minute when midfielder Terry Cooke had the ball placed just outside the Fire penalty area on the left side. Cooke's attempt worked its way toward the Fire goal but Pickens was able to slap it away.
Chicago midfielder Chad Barrett nearly had a breakaway situation in the 40th minute and found himself alone with Coundoul. The Colorado 'keeper came out of the box and Barrett chipped the ball high and ahead of himself to try and beat Coundoul. Unfortunately for the Fire, Barrett hit the ball with too much force and as he was sprinting to catch up with it, the ball continued to make its way toward the end line and finally out of play.
Chicago was on attack toward the end of the first half. In the 45th minute, Guerrero was pushing ahead on the left side of the field and crossed it toward a dashing Oliveira. The Fire winger was able to get a shot away but Coundoul dove toward his left and snuffed the attempt.
To open the second half, Nicolas Hernandez had two shot attempts for Colorado. The Rapids forward missed wide right in the 47th minute and then his first shot on goal from five yards behind the restraining arc was deflected by Pickens as the Fire netminder saved his third shot on the night.
Chicago interim head coach Denis Hamlett tried to inject some spark to the Fire attack as he took off Oliveira and replaced him with fan favorite Chris Armas in the 56th minute. For Armas, it was his first appearance since June 3 after suffering a hip injury.
The Fire continued to struggle on offense, and in the 63rd minute Monteiro missed a chip shot attempt on a great pass from Armas. Monteiro was soon taken out and replaced by Calen Carr in the 68th minute.
Neither team was able to generate much offense for the remainder of the game but tempers did flare in the 83rd minute. Soumare was pushing the ball up the field and tangled up first with Roberto Brown, who had come in in the 72nd minute for Colorado.
Soumare was upset by the play and then he and Clark tangled, with Soumare pushing Clark hard. The Rapids midfielder went to the ground and referee Ramon Hernandez immediately gave Soumare his marching orders. In the first meeting of the season between the teams, in April in Colorado, the Rapids played 84 minutes a man down with the Fire scoring a late goal to get a 1-1 draw.
This time it was nearly the Rapids that took advantage. Fire left back Gonzalo Segares had first tested Coundoul with a long shot from distance that the Colorado 'keeper could only push over the bar.
But with nearly the final kick of the game, a bouncing ball in the Fire penalty area was cleared off Brown's legs and back over Pickens -- only to bounce off the face of the crossbar. The Fire 'keeper then scrambled to smother the ball at Hernandez's feet and preserve the draw for both teams.
Tim Hilton is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
