CHICAGO FIRE vs COLUMBUS CREW
TOYOTA PARK, Bridgeview, Ill.
June 23, 2012 (WEEK 16, MLS Game #141)
7:30 p.m. CT (NBC5.2; FS-OH)
A crucial game for placing in the Eastern Conference is ahead when the Chicago Fire and Columbus Crew meet for the second time this season, Saturday evening at Toyota Park. The Fire put an end to a two-game losing streak last weekend in a 3-1 home win against the New York Red Bulls. The Crew are unbeaten in six, coming off a scoreless draw at New England. The teams met less than a month ago, the Crew claiming a 2-1 win in Columbus.
REFEREE: Armando Villarreal. SAR (bench): Craig Lowry; JAR (opposite): Adam Garner; 4th: Ramon Hernandez
MLS Career: 1 game; FC/gm: 20.0; Y/gm: 1.0; R: 0; pens: 0
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INJURY REPORT:
- CHICAGO FIRE - OUT: DF Cory Gibbs (R knee meniscus repair); MF Steven Kinney (R Achilles tendinitis)
- COLUMBUS CREW -- OUT: FW Tommy Heinemann (L knee surgery); GK William Hesmer (R hip surgery); DF Chad Marshall (concussion); MF Kirk Urso (R adductor tendonitis); DF Rich Balchan (sports hernia rehab); Dilly Duka (L Hamstring Strain); DF Carlos Mendes (R ankle sprain); DOUBTFUL: MF Danny O'Rourke (L ankle sprain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
- SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: none
- SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: CHI: Sebastian Grazzini, Pavel Pardo, Marco Pappa, Gonzalo Segares
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (45 meetings): Fire 20 wins (1 shootout), 70 goals ... Crew 12 wins (0 shootout), 67 goals ... Ties 13
AT CHICAGO (23 meetings): Fire 11 wins (0 shootout), 38 goals ... Crew 5 wins (0 shootout), 30 goals ... Ties 7
FUTURE MATCH: 9/22: Chicago Fire vs. Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m. CT
- The clubs are meeting for the second time in less than a month. First-half goals from Eddie Gaven and Emilio Renter"a led the Crew to a 2-1 win on May 26 at Crew Stadium.
- The Crew win in the first meeting this season ended a three-game Fire winning streak vs. Columbus. The Crew haven't won in Bridgeview since 2006 (seven visits).
- Coaches record: Frank Klopas vs. CLB: P3 W2 L1 D0 ... Robert Warzycha v CHI: P11 W3 L4 D4
LAST MEETING (MLS):
5/26: CLB 2, CHI 1 (Gaven 9, Renteria 43 - Berry 72)
- The Crew opened the scoring after nine minutes. Eddie Gaven wheeled after a pass from Shaun Francis, dribbled to the upper left corner of the penalty area and placed a shot under the legs of defender Jalil Anibaba and past Chicago ëkeeper Sean Johnson.
- Shortly before halftime, Emilio Renter"a received a Gaven pass in the goal area, through rookie defender Austin Berry off his shoulder, turned and buried the ball past Johnson to double the Columbus lead.
- Berry pulled a goal back in the 72nd minute with a powerful header from about eight yards off a corner from second-half substitute Daniel Paladini, but the Crew held from there.
- COLUMBUS CREW (4-4-1-1): Andy Gruenebaum - Sebastian Miranda, Josh Williams, Carlos Mendes (Eric Gehrig 54), Shaun Francis (Nemanja Vukovic 50) - Dilly Duka (Chris Birchall 66), Kevan George, Tony Tchani, Bernardo Anor - Eddie Gaven - Emilio Renteria.
- CHICAGO FIRE (4-1-4-1): Sean Johnson - Dan Gargan, Austin Berry, Jalil Anibaba, Gonzalo Segares - Rafael Robayo - Patrick Nyarko, Pavel Pardo, Logan Pause (Daniel Paladini 60), Marco Pappa (Dominic Oduro 46) - Federico Puppo (Orr Barouch 46).
CHICAGO FIRE
The Chicago Fire put an end to their two-game losing streak in emphatic fashion, with a 3-1 win against the New York Red Bulls on Sunday afternoon at Toyota Park. The Fire are in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with 21 points from 14 games.
HIGHLIGHTS: Chicago run riot against New York
LAST MATCH
- The Fire opened the scoring in the fourth minute. Sebastian Grazzini corraled a loose ball, cut to the left of the area and floated a left-footed cross to the right side of the box, where a wide-open Patrick Nyarko powered a header past New York goalkeeper Ryan Meara and into the back of the net.
- But 10 minutes after halftime, the Red Bulls tied the game when Dax McCarty's header from a Mehdi Ballouchy's corner kick slipped through to the back of the net after the midfielder found a pocket of space in the area.
- The Fire regained the lead for good in the 68th minute when Gonzalo Segares sent a rolling ball goalward than Dominic Oduro just clipped back away from goalkeeper Meara, Segares racing on ahead of a defender to smash the ball into the goal.
- Chicago's Chris Rolfe sealed the win in the 81st minute when he tapped in Nyarko's goalmouth cross, after Nyarko had turned the corner with a juking run on the right flank.
- Fire head coach Frank Klopas made one change to the team that suffered a 2-0 defeat by the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium. Marco Pappa came back from international duty to replace Orr Barouch.
- CHICAGO FIRE (4-2-3-1): Sean Johnson - Dan Gargan, Austin Berry, Jalil Anibaba, Gonzalo Segares - Logan Pause, Pavel Pardo - Patrick Nyarko, Sebastian Grazzini (Chris Rolfe 61), Marco Pappa (Hunter Jumper 85) - Dominic Oduro (Rafael Robayo 76).
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COLUMBUS CREW
The Columbus Crew extended their undefeated streak to six games, reaching a scoreless draw with the New England Revolution on Saturday evening at Gillette Stadium. The Crew sit in a tie for fifth place in the Eastern Conference with 19 points from 13 games.
HIGHLIGHTS: Crew, Revs play to scoreless draw
LAST MATCH
- There were plenty of opportunities for both sides to break the deadlock in the opening half, but Crew goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum produced three fine saves to repel the Revolution.
- Gruenebaum was credited with six saves for the match, while New England goalkeeper Matt Reis recorded three saves on the night.
- Crew head coach Robert Warzycha made three changes to the team that posted a 2-1 win against the Chicago Fire at Crew Stadium. Nemanja Vukovic came in at left back for Shaun Francis, and Milovan Mirosevic and Justin Meram came into the team for Dilly Duka and Bernardo Anor.
- COLUMBUS CREW (4-3-1-2): Andy Gruenebaum - Sebastian Miranda, Josh Williams, Carlos Mendes (Eric Gehrig 46), Nemanja Vukovic - Tony Tchani, Kevan George, Eddie Gaven - Milovan Mirosevic - Justin Meram (Bernardo Anor 71), Emilio Renteria (Ethan Finlay 90).
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