They say 2-0 is the most dangerous lead in soccer.
So goes the old cliché, one that is undoubtedly running through the minds of Fire players, coaches and fans in the aftermath of Saturday night’s 2-2 draw against the Kansas City Wizards at a rain-soaked CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
Watch: FULL MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
The Fire took a 2-0 lead into the 49th minute of the match, but Kansas City forward Kei Kamara pulled the Wizards within one in the 50th before equalizing in the 88th, sending the Fire home with a lone point in a match where they likely feel they should have taken all three.
The match started brightly for the Fire. Despite playing on the road, Chicago put the Wizards on their heels for the opening portion of the game, controlling possession before taking the lead through Salvadoran winger Julio Martinez in the 14th minute.
Kansas City picked up their play after Martinez’s goal, and they began to take charge of the match. The Wizards came close on several occasions in the opening 45, and took a little bit of momentum into the break.
But halftime gave the Fire some time to regroup and, after some key substitutions, Chicago started the second half in much the same manner they began the first: in control. Forward Brian McBride, a halftime substitution for fellow striker Collins John, doubled Chicago’s advantage just two minutes into the second.
McBride, who was virtually unmarked thanks to some shoddy defending, ran onto winger Patrick Nyarko’s diagonal ball near the penalty spot and beat keeper Jimmy Nielsen with a classy finish, one-timing a right footed effort past the Danish goalie.
McBride’s goal gave the Fire what looked like a comfortable lead. Not so. The Wizards came out flying after they saw their deficit double, intent on salvaging a point at home. Kamara gave Kansas City the quick response they needed, scoring on a 20-yard effort in the 50th minute.
The Wizards followed Kamara’s goal with some solid attacking play. Kansas City began to control the midfield, with winger Ryan Smith creating numerous chances for the home side. The Fire did their best to stay compact in the back, doing a decent job of stopping the Wizards once they got close to goal.
The problem for the Fire came in holding possession. Despite getting serviceable games out of center midfielders Logan Pause and Baggio Husidic, the Fire lacked a strong presence in the center of the park capable of holding the ball and shifting the momentum. Lacking such a player, the Fire exposed themselves to wave after wave of Kansas City attacks.
The seemingly endless barrage of pressure (which, to be fair, was interrupted by several great counterattacks from the Fire) eventually lead to the Wizards equalizing in the 88th. Substitute forward Teal Bunbury started the play with a dazzling run through the right side of the box, hitting a hard shot towards Fire goalie Andrew Dykstra.
Dykstra, who struggled to hold the ball in the wet weather all night, gave up a rebound and Kamara pounced on it, hitting the ball home from no more than a yard out.
The result will undoubtedly leave the Fire disappointed. While earning a point on the road is far from the end of the world, losing a two-goal lead in the second half will not do the Fire any favors in the standings. But until the team finds a midfielder who can control the pace of the match and take some heat off of the back four when the opposition is carrying momentum, no lead – regardless of size – is too safe.
