There were two reasons a victory against the Kansas City Wizards was imperative for the Chicago Fire on Saturday night. With a win, the Fire took the season series against their Eastern Conference counterparts, but it also kept them in the hunt for the eighth and final spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Cuauhtémoc Blanco helped Chicago stay in the playoff race as the midfielder scored his second goal of the season on a direct free kick in the 44th minute and assisted on Calen Carr's header in the 86th minute to give the Fire a 2-0 triumph against the Wizards at Toyota Park.
After the Wizards' 3-2 triumph in the first leg of the home-and-home series on Wednesday night at Arrowhead Stadium, both teams started Saturday's game in a much cagier fashion. The game's first shot attempt came in the 19th minute by Chicago's Dasan Robinson.
The Fire have been plagued with injuries during the season and suffered another one in the 13th minute. U.S. national team midfielder Justin Mapp was sprinting past the midfield stripe when he got a tangled up with a Kansas City defender and fell to the ground. Although he tried to stay and play in the contest, he was taken out in the 28th minute in favor of Carr, with what was called a right ankle sprain.
After Robinson attempted to head home a Blanco touch pass in the 19th minute, Kansas City's offense generated momentum as they recorded six shots in the first half, two by midfielder Davy Arnaud.
But the Fire found the back of the net with one of their few chances, in the 44th minute. Controlling the ball in the K.C. end, Chicago midfielder Ivan Guerrero tried to shake off a Wizards defender but instead was fouled by Kurt Morsink just outside the penalty area.
The foul gave Chicago a direct free kick and that's when Blanco made the visitors pay for their mistake. Placing the ball just to the left of the restraining arc, Blanco strategically lofted it over a wall of Wizards in the box and placed it high in the left side of the Kansas City goal, leaving 'keeper Kevin Hartman stunned while the Fire fans celebrated the 1-0 lead.
After the break, the Wizards nearly pulled level when midfielder Sasha Victorine sent a 20-yard shot toward goal, but Fire 'keeper Jon Busch dove to his left and extended his body to make the save in the 47th minute.
Chicago almost doubled its lead in the 50th minute when Guerrero made a beautiful crossing pass to forward Chris Rolfe inside the penalty area. Rolfe used his left foot to try and beat Hartman but instead it scooted just to the right of the Kansas City goal.
As the half wore on, the Wizards were more and more frustrated by a stiffening Fire defense, and it began to show as they picked up three bookings over the final 40 minutes.
The Fire took advantage of the unraveling of their foes in the 86th minute. On a corner kick, Blanco touched a quick pass to a sprinting Guerrero who then immediately gave it back to the Mexican superstar.
Blanco lofted a crossing pass to the middle of the Kansas City penalty area where Carr outjumped the K.C. defenders and headed it to the right side of the Wizards goal for his third tally of the season. With the helper, Blanco collected his fourth assist since coming to MLS.
Tim Hilton is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
