Chicago Fire 0, Columbus Crew SC 0 | 2016 MLS Match Recap

Week three of the 2016 MLS regular season sees two Midwestern rival sides go without a win. Columbus Crew SC's Ethan Finlay celebrated his 100th MLS appearance, but without any fireworks. After 93 minutes at Chicago's Toyota Park, both the Chicago Fire and Crew SC came away with a 0-0 draw.

The Fire did well to hold their own against Crew SC, the 2015 MLS Cup runners-up--though they managed it, again, with some formation trickery. Saturday night against Crew SC didn't go any more conventionally than the team's season opener, with Chicago starting with a 3-3-2-2 (!) and changing formation with seeming every substitution.

The unusual press against Columbus seemed effective. Though they did complete far more of their passes, Crew SC seemed marooned on the wrong side of the field for most of the game. They moved the ball slowly from front to back, giving star striker Kei Kamara few opportunities to work any magic.

Box Score

• No goals
• Full box score
• Stats
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Three Things

FINLAY'S FEATS: Even if his team couldn't bag a win, Crew SC's loveable midfielder Ethan Finlay still made his mark during his 100th MLS game. Three times he managed to feed a ball to Kei Kamara, and at the 69th minute ripped his own shot from distance, forcing Chicago goalie Matt Lampson to parry it away.

LAMPSON STAYS STRONG:
Former Crew SC Homegrown goalkeeper Matt Lampson continues to pull his weight at the Fire, his new club. Maybe it was familiarity with the evening's rivals, but he easily saved every shot that came his way.

3.
A U-23 TEST:
Three players from these teams made it to the USMNT U-23 roster for t
he upcoming 2016 Olympic qualifying playoff
: the Chicago Fire's
Brandon Vincent
and Matt Polster, and Crew SC's
Wil Trapp
.

They Said It

Next Up

• CHI: Sat. Apr. 2 at home against Philadephila Union (5 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE)
• CLB: Sat. Apr. 2 at FC Dallas (9 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE)