Toronto FC continued to get results on the road while the struggles continued for the Chicago Fire, as the teams traded goals late in the second half before settling for a 1-1 draw Saturday night at Toyota Park.
Chad Barrett had given the Fire, who have just one win since the start of May, a lead in the 70th minute. But a wonderfully taken goal by Maurice Edu eight minutes later provided the eventual equalizer for TFC, who have two ties and a win in their last three road games after losing the first five games on the road in club history.
It did not take very long to know that the contest was going to be a physical one. The two teams collected 27 fouls in the game with TFC called for 14 and TFC had three of the four cautions on the night.
In the second minute of play, Fire midfielder Ivan Guerrero was whistled with a foul when he collided with Marvell Wynne. The TFC defender was shaken up and needed to be attended to by an athletic trainer as he limped off the field.
Calen Carr had a couple of opportunities in the fifth and seventh minutes, but the Fire forward had his progress impeded on both occasions and was unable to get a shot off for Chicago.
Gonzalo Segares recorded the first shot of the night for the Fire but his attempt was not successful as it sailed over the TFC crossbar in the 19th minute.
Collin Samuel followed up for TFC with its first shot of the game in the 22nd minute but the forward's try was deflected and rolled past the left side of the Fire goal.
Chicago's struggles in front of goal continued in the 24th minute. Receiving the ball just inside the TFC penalty area, Barrett dropped a pass for a sprinting Thiago to the right of the TFC goal. The Chicago midfielder immediately shot first time, but his try was badly missed as it went wide left of the net.
C.J. Brown picked up the first yellow card of the game as the Chicago defender was issued one for disputing a call by referee Mark Geiger in the 31st minute.
In the 32nd minute, the visitors won a free kick in an advantageous position. Ronnie O'Brien drilled a shot from the dead ball from 20 yards away that sailed just inches over the Fire crossbar and out of bounds.
TFC had another set-piece opportunity in stoppage time. Carl Robinson lined up a free kick and sent a crossing pass inside the penalty area, but it was punched clear by Fire goalkeeper Matt Pickens.
Neither team recorded a shot on goal in the first half as the clubs went into the break scoreless.
The best opportunity of the early minutes of the second half came in the 56th minute. O'Brien sent in a corner kick and his floater reached Samuel which the TFC forward powerfully headed toward goal, only to miss wide right.
Chicago's interim head coach Denis Hamlett, coaching his final game before Juan Carlos Osorio takes over the reins, tried to ignite the Fire offense by replacing Thiago with Justin Mapp. The Fire midfielder had just returned after participating in the CONCACAF Gold Cup and Copa America for the U.S. national team.
Mapp's entrance spurred the Fire attack into action, and in the 70th minute, the fortunes changed for Chicago. Barrett passed to Bakary Soumare just outside the area and the rookie sent a nifty backheel for Barrett in the box. As the Fire striker tried to race by, TFC defender Tyrone Marshall stepped into his path, and when Barrett went to the ground Geiger immediately called for the penalty.
Barrett sent TFC 'keeper Srdjan Djekanovic the wrong way as he gently pushed his penalty to the right side, and it hit the back of the net for his team-leading fourth goal of the season. It was also the first penalty kick conceded by TFC this season.
But the lead did not remain with Chicago for very long, as the two No. 1 overall picks in the MLS SuperDraft the last two years teamed up for the tying goal in the 78th minute.
Racing into the area, Edu received a lofted 35-yard pass from Wynne, near the midfield stripe. Edu brought it down with his chest before stabbing it past Matt Pickens from just about at the penalty spot for his third goal of the season.
The Fire had the better of the final chances to pull out the victory, but Djekanovic stopped a shot from Mapp to preserve the result. Wynne also had a good chance late when he was racing toward goal on the right with Samuel steaming down the center, but his half-cross, half-shot missed everything to left of the Chicago goal.
Tim Hilton is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
