Saturday’s 2-2 tie with the Union was a good opportunity for the Fire to show how much progress they’ve made this season and get some revenge for their first defeat of the year.
Instead, a familiar problem cropped up that the Fire pledge has been fixed but never seems to be corrected.
After taking a 2-0 lead, the Fire wilted against a team that played Wednesday in Mexico in the CONCACAF Champions League. Daniel Gazdag scored on a 62nd-minute penalty kick and then two minutes later, Julian Carranza tied the match on a free header to help the reigning Eastern Conference champions wipe out the deficit.
This was just the latest time the Fire have struggled to hold a two-goal lead this year, after squandering a pair of 2-0 advantages in home losses during the 2022 season.
The Fire fumbled away a 3-1 lead at home against FC Cincinnati and were lucky to escape with a 3-3 tie. They also gave up a 2-0 lead at Inter Miami before Kei Kamara’s late winner, and almost gave up another two-goal advantage last week to Minnesota United and barely held on for a 2-1 victory.
Still, the Fire entered Saturday sixth in the East, riding a four-game unbeaten run and carrying self-belief.
“[We] kind of took a step back [against Cincinnati], sort of, but we went out the very next week in Miami; got up,” coach Ezra Hendrickson said Wednesday. “They came back and we were able to finish that game, late in that game and won that game on the road. I think that also encouraged some belief and I think from that Philly game, because we performed so well, the players, their confidence rose, and they have carried that with them.”
It’s hard to see how Saturday’s game will add more confidence, even if Xherdan Shaqiri did return from his four-week absence when he came on as a 65th-minute substitute. They also might have an injury worry after Carlos Teran left in the 58th minute.
In front of an announced crowd of 12,811 at Soldier Field, Maren Haile-Selassie turned in a low Miguel Navarro cross in the 19th minute to score his first MLS goal to give the Fire a 1-0 lead. That lead grew in the 47th when they benefited from an own goal as the Union’s Jakob Glesnes was under pressure and attempted to clear but hit teammate Nathan Harriel. The ball ricocheted off Harriel and over Union goalie Andre Blake, and the Fire looked like they’d get payback for a 1-0 loss to Philadelphia on March 11.
Despite that defeat, the Fire were happy with how they played against one of the best franchises in MLS. They were down a man for most of the second half and came minutes from stealing a point, and seemingly built on that outing and used it as proof of concept.
“Since then, and maybe that game brought the players to a realization that if you can go to a team like Philly, one of the top teams in the league and give that kind of a performance, this is something you can do week-in and week-out,” Hendrickson said.
Unfortunately for the Fire, there’s something else they do frequently.
NOTES: Listed as questionable entering the match, midfielders Jairo Torres (right upper leg) and Federico Navarro (left upper leg) were not on the gameday roster. Neither has played since the first half of the March 4 opener.
* Goalkeeper Jeff Gal was on the bench for the first time since opening night. Gal, 30, was signed in the offseason from Swedish side Degerfors.