Chicago Fire 0-0 Real Salt Lake (RSL advances 5-4 on penalties)

by Dan Gaichas

 

BRIDGEVIEW, IL--Six years to the night that the Fire last won the Eastern Conference title, the Fire would lose it on penalties to Real Salt Lake before 21,723 at Toyota Park. It is the second penalty heartbreak of the year for the Fire after falling to Tigres of Mexico in the SuperLiga Final.

RSL got the first real opportunity in the 17th minute as Robbie Findley’s shot was saved by Fire keeper, Jon Busch. The Fire had their chance ten minutes later after Brian McBride headed one off the crossbar following a corner kick from Cuauhtémoc Blanco.

There would be many a chance to score in the 90 minutes with both teams registering 12 shots apiece. Both keepers were called into action multiple times. Busch had to stop a Yura Movsysian shot before halftime and a Robbie Findley header before the end of regulation while Nick Rimando made a diving stop on Marco Pappa’s shot in the 64th minute.

Ninety minutes passed without a goal. Thirty more minutes passed without a goal, and it was on to penalties.

Blanco made good on the first penalty followed by Clint Mathis and then McBride.

The first advantage went to the Fire after Javier Morales skied his spot kick over the bar. Wilman Conde and Robbie Findley would both score. But then, the Fire’s advantage dissipated when John Thorrington’s shot was saved by Rimando. Kyle Beckerman tied the shootout at 3-3 before CJ Brown put the Fire ahead again. Former Fire player Will Johnson kept RSL in the shootout by making good on his kick in the fifth round.

Brandon Prideaux was next and his shot would be saved by Rimando. Fabian Espindola had a chance to win it for RSL, but he sailed his shot over the bar. Logan Pause was next, but his shot would also be saved by Rimando. Finally, Ned Grabavoy, who came into the match in stoppage time of the second half of extra time, scored the deciding spot kick and the Fire would be denied a trip to Seattle next week.

Grabavoy was brought on just for the shootout.

“Robbie Russell was cramping up pretty bad and we looked at our bench and see who was a very good penalty kick taker and won’t waiver in this situation and we picked the right guy,” said RSL head coach Jason Kreis.

“It’s an empty feeling in your stomach right now,” said Fire head coach Denis Hamlett. “We worked hard to get to this point and to lose the way we lost tonight. Soccer is a cruel sport.”

It is the third year in the row that the Fire have come up short at the Conference Final stage and fourth time in five years. How to get over this?

“Every year is a new year,” said Fire forward Brian McBride. “We just have to make sure we’re focused. We were focused. It just wasn’t our day.

“It’s going to take awhile to reflect on this. Our emotions are so high and so low.”

It will indeed take awhile before the Fire start the 2010 season in New York on March 27th. By that time, the Fire will probably have quite a different look by then. Cuauhtémoc Blanco now heads to Veracruz, Chris Rolfe heads to Denmark, and Brandon Prideaux now heads to an assistant coaching position at the University of Washington. Most assuredly, those won’t be the only personnel changes that will happen in the offseason. Soccer can indeed be a cruel sport.

SCORING SUMMARY:

None

BOOKING SUMMARY:

RSL-Javier Morales (caution, deliberate handball) 39

RSL-Chris Wingert (caution, reckless foul) 75

CHI-John Thorrington (caution, reckless tackle) 92+

RSL-Kyle Beckerman (caution, dissent) 99

CHI-Brandon Prideaux (caution, dissent) 101

RSL-Will Johnson (caution, tactical foul) 110

CHI-Cuauhtémoc Blanco (caution, dissent) 117

PENALTY SHOOTOUT SUMMARY:

CHI-Cuauhtémoc Blanco (goal) 1-0

RSL-Clint Mathis (goal) 1-1

CHI-Brian McBride (goal) 2-1

RSL-Javier Morales (high) 2-1

CHI-Wilman Conde (goal) 3-1

RSL-Robbie Findley (goal) 3-2

CHI-John Thorrington (saved) 3-2

RSL-Kyle Beckerman (goal) 3-3

CHI-CJ Brown (goal) 4-3

RSL-Will Johnson (goal) 4-4

CHI-Brandon Prideaux (saved) 4-4

RSL-Fabian Espindola (high) 4-4

CHI-Logan Pause (saved) 4-4

RSL-Ned Grabavoy (goal) 4-5

CHICAGO FIRE (4-4-2):  #1-Jon Busch, #6-Brandon Prideaux, #2-CJ Brown (C), #32-Dasan Robinson, #24-Daniel Woolard (#22-Wilman Conde 95), #17-Chris Rolfe (#21-Justin Mapp 109), #10-Cuauhtémoc Blanco, #7-Logan Pause, #11-John Thorrington, #16-Marco Pappa (#14-Patrick Nyarko 78), #20-Brian McBride

Subs not used:  #40-Andrew Dykstra, #34-Austin Washington, #18-Mike Banner, #3-Calen Carr

REAL SALT LAKE (4-4-2):  #18-Nick Rimando, #3-Robbie Russell (#20-Ned Grabavoy 122+), #6-Nat Borchers, #4-Jamison Olave, #17-Chris Wingert, #77-Andy Williams (#84-Clint Mathis 68), #5-Kyle Beckerman (C), #11-Javier Morales, #8-Will Johnson, #14-Yura Movsisyan (#16-Fabian Espindola 72), #10-Robbie Findley

Subs not used:  #1-Chris Seitz, #2-Tony Beltran, #12-Jean Alexandre, #19-Pablo Campos

TOTAL SHOTS:  CHI 15-17 RSL

SHOTS ON GOAL:  CHI 6-8 RSL

FOULS:  CHI 8-23 RSL

OFFSIDES:  CHI 1-2 RSL

CORNER KICKS:  CHI 8-3 RSL

SAVES:  CHI 8-3 RSL

Referee:  Ricardo Salazar

Referee’s Assistants:  Adam Wienckowski, George Gasner

Fourth Official:  Mark Geiger

Weather:  Partly Cloudy and 61º

Attendance:  21,723

Man of the Match:  Nick Rimando (RSL) with six saves in the match and three in the penalties.

Second Star:  Jon Busch (CHI) with eight saves of his own.

Third Star:  Ned Grabavoy (RSL) who decided the penalty shootout.