The Chicago Fire put an end to their five-game winning streak while extending the Columbus Crew's own winless run to five games, as newly acquired Willian Oliveira assisted on one and scored the go-ahead goal Sunday evening in a 3-2 victory at Toyota Park.
Oliveira made just his second start of the season after he was signed May 24 from W Connection in Trinidad and Tobago and recorded the first goal and first assist in his MLS career.
Jeff Curtin and Duncan Oughton had traded first-half goals for the Fire and Crew respectively, then Oliveira hit for his goal in the 61st minute. A remarkable Chad Barrett goal doubled the Fire lead after Curtin was sent off. Chad Marshall then scored to pull the Crew back to within one, but both teams ended with 10 men after Danny O'Rourke also saw red.
As far as both teams were concerned, if the month of May was permanently dropped off the calendar neither team would dispute the change. The two clubs were winless during that month and they were looking for a momentum change Sunday in the Eastern Conference showdown.
Calen Carr returned to the starting lineup for Chicago as the forward missed the Fire's last game with a left ankle sprain. Chicago was in dire need of an offensive boost but neither team generated any legitimate scoring threats in the early going.
The Fire had a good chance in the eighth minute when Barrett dropped a no-look pass to Carr. He drilled a right-footed shot from point-blank range but Crew goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum saved the laser beam.
In the ninth minute, Crew striker Alejandro Moreno came in alone on the right and drew Pickens out of the goal area. Moreno tried to make a move to his right and then decided to try and blast it past Pickens. Instead, the Chicago 'keeper dove and put his 6-foot-3-inch frame in the way of the effort and it ricocheted off his body.
Pickens came up big again for Chicago in the 18th minute. In a little give-and-go play in front of the Chicago goal, Moreno fed Schelotto at the top of the area and the forward dropped it back to Moreno within 10 feet of the goal. Moreno tried for the upper left corner but Pickens made another diving stop as he was able to get his right hand to it.
Chicago again came close as Barrett raced down the right side before lofting a great pass for Carr in the 19th minute. Within range of the goal, Carr headed it but missed terribly to the right and Gruenebaum did not have to try to stop the chance.
The Fire kept pushing and in the 25th minute, Jeff Curtin delivered. On a corner kick from Oliveira on the right side, the midfielder hit one that flew over the crowded area and Curtin extended his 6-foot-3 frame as he stooped for a header at the back post and knocked it over the line for his first career MLS goal.
Chicago did not have much time to relish its advantage as the Crew finally converted after many failed attempts in the 38th minute. With the ball just ahead of the midfield stripe, Schelotto lofted a free kick into the area. It found Duncan Oughton near the spot, and he flicked a header over the reach of an extended Pickens. It was the first goal of the year for the New Zealand international, and his first since the 2004 season.
Although Carr was helping the Chicago attack, his shots were not accurate. In the 55th minute, Barrett found him again inside the Columbus penalty area but Carr's header missed wide right, that left him shaking his head.
Oliveira made his presence felt again as he delivered again for the Fire in the 61st minute. The 22-year-old Brazilian drilled a low free kick with his left foot from about 35 yards out on the left touchline that made its way untouched past a crowd of Columbus defenders and sliding Fire attackers inside the far post to give Chicago a 2-1 lead.
The Fire were then left a man down in the 68th minute when Curtin received his second yellow card of the game from referee Mark Geiger and was ejected. That gave the Crew a free kick from a dangerous spot, but Oughton was unable to get it past the Fire wall.
Yet down a man, Barrett made the Crew pay with a remarkable effort. A corner kick was headed clear, and Stefani Miglioranzi wasn't able to get a good strike on it as he tried to send it back in from about 30 yards out. Barrett took the ball and then raced some 65 yards on a breakaway as Crew substitute Kei Kamara vainly tried to stop him -- even unable to grab him from behind. Barrett cruised into the area and slotted the ball past Gruenebaum for his third goal of the year and a 3-1 lead.
After an extended spell of pressure on the Fire goal, the Crew finally hit home in the 84th minute. A corner kick bounced around the area and was eventually knocked to Chad Marshall, and in his first appearance of the season, he rifled it home from close range to bring the Crew within one at 3-2.
O'Rourke was sent off in the 86th minute for a second caution of his own, but the Crew had a final chance in stoppage time. A free kick was knocked down by the wall and fell to Frankie Hejduk at the top of the area, and he sent a shot that seemed certain to settle inside the right-hand post. But Pickens dove at full stretch to his right to snatch it out of the air and maintain the advantage for Chicago.
Tim Hilton is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
