It was a rout in Chicago.
The Fire cruised past Atlanta United 5-1 and the game wasn't a contest for long. Chicago went up 3-0 on the scoreboard and a man up on the pitch after 13 minutes, when Leandro Gonzalez Pirez was sent off for a handball in the 11th minute and Nico Gaitan buried the ensuing penalty.
Francisco Calvo scored with a header from a corner kick in the 4th minute to give the Fire an early lead and CJ Sapong doubled it in the 7th minute, after a defensive miscue from Gonzalez Pirez. A few minutes thereafter, Aleksandar Katai's dribble hit Gonzalez Pirez's sliding arm, resulting in a penalty and red card after a VAR review.
Before the first half ended, Sapong scored again before Fabian Herbers added a fifth. Atlanta pulled one back in the second half from the penalty spot as Brandon Vazquez buried his spot kick.
Goals
- 4’ — CHI — Francisco Calvo | WATCH
- 7’ — CHI — CJ Sapong | WATCH
- 13’ — CHI — Nico Gaitan (PK) | WATCH
- 37’ — CHI — CJ Sapong | WATCH
- 44’ — CHI — Fabian Herbers | WATCH
- 58’ — ATL — Brandon Vazquez (PK) | WATCH
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: It's a huge win for Chicago, who have been drifting away from the playoff line on a six-game winless run as frustration mounted. The method of victory — a goalfest — won't hurt morale, either.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Gaitan's penalty — after Gonzalez Pirez's red card — effectively ended things early.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Sapong's brace gives him the nod, but there were a number of strong performances from Fire starters.
Next up
- CHI: Saturday, July 6 at Sporting Kansas City (8:30 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US, on DAZN in Canada)
- ATL: Sunday, July 7 vs. New York Red Bulls (2 pm ET | FOX, MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada)
