Despite holding a lead with a half-hour left to go, the Chicago Fire lost for the second consecutive match in their new Toyota Park home, Kenny Cooper once again finishing off a 3-2 FC Dallas victory to secure the Brimstone Cup for the Texas club.
After the Fire had taken a 1-0 halftime lead, Andy Herron scored twice within six minutes early in the second half to give the Men in Red the advantage. But Bobby Rhine snuck in to drive home the equalizer in the 77th minute, then Cooper headed home three minutes later with the game-winner.
The Fire had the best chance of the early going. In the sixth minute, Thiago made a great cross into the box to Fire defender Dasan Robinson, who needed only to hit the ball cleanly for an easy goal. But instead of an early lead, the ball flew off Robinson's foot high over the bar. It would be the best scoring opportunity of the half for the Fire.
Ramon Nunez then gave FC Dallas the lead in the eighth minute. Nunez was able to run at the Chicago defense, and after some fancy moves cut his way through the Chicago backline and fired a shot from just outside the penalty area into the far corner of the net to put FC Dallas on the board.
With the 109-degree field temperature, the pace of play slowed and much of the action was limited to the midfield. Each team was also missing key performers -- FC Dallas without Ronnie O'Brien, who had a strained right hamstring, while the Fire were without defender Gonzalo Segares, who had a hip flexor injury.
In the 20th minute, FC Dallas boss Colin Clarke was forced into another change when David Wagenfuhr was taken from the field on a stretcher after a frightening collision with the Fire's Justin Mapp. He suffered a reported concussion and was taken to a hospital as a precaution.
Shortly after, the Fire had another great chance when Thiago fought his way into the box and sent in a cross that Greg Vanney seemed to have knocked down with his arm, but referee Gus St. Silva didn't see it that way, pointing to his elbow.
With the start of the second half, the Fire came out with better possession of the ball, and the chances were long in coming.
In the 51st minute, Chris Armas received a quick pass before blasting the ball towards the net, only to hit Thiago. On the deflection, Nate Jaqua pounced on the free ball but just missed as easy goal thanks to the courageous effort of 'keeper Dario Sala, who blocked the shot with his hands.
Three minutes later, Jaqua turned to run toward goal and then slipped through a perfectly timed pass to an onside Herron. Streaking towards the net, Herron had only Sala to beat, and in a calm fashion he effortlessly put the ball between the 'keeper's legs for the equalizer.
Four minutes later, in the 60th minute, Herron struck again, this time collecting a pass from Fire defender Diego Gutierrez. Herron made a run down the left flank, just outside the box. Finding nobody in the box awaiting the cross, he cut toward the goal and ran toward the goal area, passing defender Drew Moor. He slipped a shot to the left of Sala's foot at the near post for his second goal of the night.
Shortly thereafter, Herron had a glorious chance to complete his hat trick. With a nice pass deep in the box, Herron had a perfect opening to score. But in a move uncharacteristic for him on the day, he quickly took aim and put the ball well over the bar, falling to the ground in disbelief that he had missed such a prime opportunity.
The pressure wouldn't stop there. In the 71st minute, Herron and Jaqua would once again work their magic to attack the net. After a clever back heel by Jaqua to Herron, he had another chance for the third goal but was thwarted by the awakened Dallas defense.
But then just as suddenly as the Chicago barrage began, Dallas responded. First, in the 77th minute, a cross came in from the left and landed in the heart of the Fire penalty area, where Rhine slipped in and hit first-time high into the goal.
Then three minutes later Arturo Alvarez clipped a perfect chip from the left side into the penalty area where Cooper rose up to head home inside the far post, shocking the Fire with the eventual game-winner.
The Fire will play host to table-topping D.C. United in the sixth match of their nine-game Toyota Park homestand next Saturday.
Jack Daniel Chavez is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
