CARSON, Calif. - On a night known for fireworks displays, the Chicago Fire forgot to bring their matches.
The Fire went 70 minutes before registering a shot, finished with two and succumbed to the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-0 at The Home Depot Center on the Fourth of July. Landon Donovan converted two penalty kicks to fuel the hosts to victory.
The shutout - the club's fifth in the last seven matches - cemented the Fire's status as the league's most woeful attack. The Fire now are dead last in goals scored with just 12 tallies from 14 games.
Although the Fire are missing key parts of the attack, players felt there was enough quality on the field to have created chances.
"We had capable guys in the lineup tonight. We just didn't get it done," Fire captain Chris Armas said. "We have key guys out and (having them) certainly helps but we had good enough players in the lineup that should have created more chances, guys who have been there all year creating chances. We just didn't do it tonight as a team."
Fire forward Chris Rolfe missed his eighth consecutive match with a sprained ankle while midfielder Justin Mapp is with the U.S. national team at Copa America. Cuauhtemoc Blanco could still be weeks away from joining the club as he is with Mexico at Copa America as well while Thiago played his second consecutive match after missing four games with injury.
"That's an issue we've had. We're trying to create chances and opportunities. Right now it's very difficult for us," Fire coach Denis Hamlett said. "There's no secret I think when Justin and Chris Rolfe and Blanco and a healthy Thiago back that changes but right now this is what we have and this is what we have to deal with. We've just got to keep working."
Neither of Chicago's two shots was at all dangerous. C.J. Brown accounted for both, and each was on a set piece. In the 70th minute, Brown rose for a header from some 12 yards out but a Galaxy defender cleared his attempt away. Then, Brown sailed another header attempt off a free kick into the stands nine minutes later.
"We have to be able to create chances to score goals. We didn't do that," Armas said. "The effort was good. Credit L.A. for defending well and making it hard for us."
While the Fire had problems creating scoring chances, the Galaxy did not. The Galaxy had eight shots and five on goal. Newcomer Carlos Pavon had a pair of potent shots on goal that Fire 'keeper Jon Busch did well to turn away.
Busch started his first match of the season. Matt Pickens had played in each of the Fire's 13 regular-season games.
"I'm happy with Jon tonight with his ability in goal and making saves," Hamlett said. "We just needed to get Jon a game. We have three games in a week and five games in a 15-day period with an Open Cup game thrown in there. I think it was just important to keep him sharp."
But Busch was helpless on a pair of situations. Twice Kyle Martino raced into the penalty area and drew contact and twice he hit the turf and drew a penalty kick. Donovan, who scored penalty kicks in four consecutive CONCACAF Gold Cup matches - including one in a 2-1 win against Mexico in the final on June 24 - stepped up the spot both times.
Busch said he was not exactly fooled but could not stop the shots from hitting the back of the net nonetheless.
"Lately he seems to have had a lot of penalty kicks not just in the league but also with national team so you see a lot of that," Busch said. "I had a hunch he was going to hit it down the middle and I was hoping could get something on them but some days you save those and some days you don't."
Luis Bueno is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
