In rainy, wet Chicago, it was D.C. United who started as the better team, holding more possession and pushing into the Fire's attacking third in the early goings. But as the day wore on, the Fire worked their way into the match and found the net first on a set piece just before halftime.
The rookie, Jonathan Campbell, cooly flicked in an Arturo Alvarez cross in the 41st minute to give the Men in Red the lead. In the 64th minute, Patrick Nyarko pulled D.C. United level, heading in a cross on a short corner and scoring against his longtime former team in Chicago.
Box Score
- 41’ – CHI – Jonathan Campbell (Arturo Alvarez)
- 64' – DC – Patrick Nyarko (Luciano Acosta, Lamar Neagle)
- Full box score
- Stats
- Highlights
Three Things
- CAN CHICAGO START FIRING?: For a stretch on Saturday, Chicago had outshot D.C. United and held a one-goal lead – but by the end of the day, they finished being outshot 10-8 and left with a draw at home. The Fire came into Saturday's match with the lowest shots and lowest goals totals in the league. (They have played at least one game fewer than the rest of the league, but they were last by a large enough margin that one game wouldn't necessarily account for.) Chicago now have another long break with 11 days until their next game. Can they start to build some momentum in the attack when a busier stretch of games begins?
- CLASSY NYARKO: Winger Patrick Nyarko amassed nearly 200 appearances in eight seasons with the Chicago Fire before joining D.C. United in this recent offseason. So of course it was Nyarko who equalized against his former team and snagged two points from the Fire in the process. In a grueling, messy outing, a goal would've probably been met with celebration, but Nyarko opted not to celebrate against his former team.
- SLOPPY, SLOPPY: How much can either team take away from Saturday's match? Probably not too much. With blustering winds and downpour conditions that left the pitch at Toyota Park slick and waterlogged, neither team was in a position to play the game they envisioned. It was a messy outing with slips and slides that made it difficult to see either side at their best.
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