Conditions on the field promised an unusual outcome Thursday at Toyota Park, and that is precisely what happened. The Chicago Fire, needing a win or draw against Chivas USA in the final game of the regular season to advance to the MLS Cup Playoffs, benefited from an own goal on the end of their 14th corner kick of the game and the 1-0 result put the Fire into the postseason for the 11th time in 12 seasons.
Cuauhtemoc Blanco, who came on as a substitute midway through the second half because of a continuing hamstring issue, sent the corner kick into the middle of the box, where Chivas forward Eduardo Lillingston headed the ball directly into his own net.
Needing only the draw to qualify, the Fire were pleased to get the win, their first since Aug. 23, so that they did not have to watch the weekend games wondering whether those results would allow them to extend their season.
"Now we can enjoy the weekend instead of sitting there biting our fingernails wondering what is going to happen," Fire forward Chris Rolfe said.
The Fire finished the regular season with a record of 11-7-12 (45 points), and finished in second place in the Eastern Conference, which earns them home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. They will play the second game of a home-and-home series at Toyota Park against an as-yet unknown opponent.
The game was played in a continuous hard rain, with a wind blowing the precipitation in several directions at once. From the game's first kick, players were slipping and sliding all over the place, requiring a different sort of play.
"You worry about that, but the most important thing is we were aggressive," Fire coach Denis Hamlett said. "We needed to set the tone that we are not going to sit back and play for a tie, we are going to go for the win, and I think our guys did that. The part we made sure of is we said 'Don't take any chances, we would rather be safe.' I think our guys did that, for the most part."
After the first five minutes, when visiting Chivas USA showed some desire to score an early goal, the game turned in the Fire's favor. They had eight corner kicks in the first half, with 13 total shots to six for Chivas and an almost constant attack at former Fire 'keeper Zach Thornton.
With Blanco on the bench until the 64th minute, the corner kicks were attempted by rookie Baggio Husidic and midfielder-turned-defender Mike Banner. Both players made quality services and the Fire had numerous chances to convert but could not get the final touch they needed.
"I thought they hit them real hard, especially on a wet night," Hamlett said. "You want to give your guys a chance and tonight we put some real good balls in there."
Still, after 13 corner kicks, the Fire did not have the goal they needed, and the fear of something fluky happening on the extremely wet field grew.
"It was tough to play," Fire defender Brandon Prideaux said. "You play a different game. You know the ball gets to the forwards a little bit quicker. Toward the end of the game there was just standing water. You have to make sure your positioning is good and do the little things so you don't give up a fluke goal, and luckily for us they did give up a fluky goal."
Hamlett was once again required to be creative with his lineup. Absent from the available group were defender Wilman Conde (illness) and defender Gonzalo Segares (knee and hamstring strains), while Blanco was substitute as he was last weekend against New England when he played 22 minutes in the second half.
Dasan Robinson and Mike Banner were in the starting lineup on defense, while Patrick Nyarko was moved back into the midfield along with Husidic, with midfielder John Thorrington also out due to a sports hernia).
Now the Fire wait to see what happens over the weekend to see which team they will play in the first round of the playoffs. There are six teams vying for the final two spots in the playoffs.
Asked who he would prefer to play, Hamlett offered the standard answer, then joked about the convoluted playoff picture.
"We are in the playoffs, that is all that matters," Hamlett said. "There are so many different teams, I can't figure out anything."
Kent McDill is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
