Although it was a friendly, Chicago coach Juan Carlos Osorio was not in a jovial mood after losing 1-0 against Mexican Primera División side Cruz Azul Wednesday at Toyota Park in Bridgeview.
"I am frustrated that we lost because I do not like to lose any soccer matches," said Osorio. "I hope that we do (have more friendly matches) next year but I hope they're scheduled at a more appropriate time."
Chicago gave up the lone goal in the 25th minute when Cruz Azul superstar Jared Borgetti beat Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch on the left side of the net on a penalty kick opportunity. The Fire also couldn't get a shot past Cruz Azul goalie Yosgart Gutierrez as he saved six shots on goal.
Osorio had the majority of his regular-season starters on the bench to start the contest with the exception of defenders C.J. Brown and Dasan Robinson along with Mexican icon and fan favorite Cuauhtemoc Blanco.
"It was hard to resist the temptation to play guys such as (Chad) Barrett, (Chris) Armas, Paulo (Wanchope) and (Wilman) Conde," Osorio said. "I want them to be ready to play their best on Saturday (against D.C. United)."
Three players who received ample time in the friendly were midfielders Floyd Franks and John Thorrington along with forward Calen Carr. Carr and Thorrington each recorded three shots, while Franks tallied two in the contest.
"The positive of the match was that it was ninety minutes of football for Carr, Franks and Thorrington," Osorio said. "They had a chance to play and we saw what they could do for us. They deserved a goal but that's football."
Chicago has a chance to clinch the eighth and final spot in the MLS Cup playoffs on Saturday as the squad travels to the nation's capital to face D.C. United. With 36 points, the Fire are four points ahead of the Colorado Rapids for the coveted final playoff slot.
Timothy Hilton is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
