The Chicago Fire tallied a first win for the 2018 season, getting a first-half goal from 2017 Golden Boot winner Nemanja Nikolic and a second-half MVP performance from its woodwork to outlast the Columbus Crew SC, 1-0, on Saturday night in Bridgeview.
Nikolic took advantage of a rare Zack Steffen miscue for the match's only goal. Steffen's attempted distribution out of goal to Wil Trapp was too weak, allowing Nikolic to pounce on the ball and coolly slot it into the net for his fourth goal in as many matches this season.
Though the second half was dominated by the Crew SC, they couldn't capture the equalizer they needed. An apparent Niko Hansen goal was ruled offside, Gyasi Zardes clanged a sure goal off the crossbar in the 72nd minute, and Mohammed Abu hit the post 6 minutes later to add to the Crew SC's chances.
Goals
- 27' – CHI – Nemanja Nikolic Watch
Three Things
THE BIG PICTURE:
The Fire needed a win to get their 2018 season on track, and doing so against their longtime Midwestern rivals was a particularly sweet way to get off the schneid. For the Crew SC, their torrid start still keeps them in the mix atop the East, though their second straight loss leaves them now looking up rather than over at NYCFC and Atlanta United.
Next Up
- Chicago Fire: Saturday, April 14 vs. LA Galaxy (3:30 pm ET | TV & streaming Info)
- Columbus Crew SC: Saturday, April 14 at D.C. United (in Annapolis) (7 pm ET | TV & Streaming Info)
