Changes rattle Fire in draw

The Fire got off to a bad start even before the start of Saturday night's match against Chivas USA.

First the club lost forward Collins John to a leg injury during pregame warmups, then midfielder Justin Mapp tweaked a nagging hamstring injury and had to leave in the 22nd minute. Neither injury is thought to be serious.

The changes seemed to throw the team off its game, and even when it had the lead the Fire never seemed quite in control of its own fate. The Fire wound up settling for a 1-1 draw at Toyota Park.

Chivas outshot the Fire 14-4 for the game but just 5-3 in shots on goal.

"I wouldn't say a little out of sorts but definitely not our best game we played this year," said midfielder Patrick Nyarko, clearly disappointed with the tie. "We always think we could have done better."

The Fire (2-2-2, 8 points) took a 1-0 lead in the 52nd minute following a nice buildup.

The buildup started slowly out of the back along the left sideline. Deris Umanzor passed to Marco Pappa, who played a give-and-go with Mike Banner before sending the ball to the right side to Nyarko. Nyarko drove the ball across the goalmouth where it found Husidic charging hard about 3 yards out. Husidic knocked the ball into the net, his momentum carrying him face first into the net also.

It was the second goal in as many weeks for the second-year holding midfielder out of Libertyville.

"I'm doing pretty well on defense, and the reward is being able to go forward," Husidic said, "and I've been rewarded with the goals."

"He's that kind of player," Nyarko said of Baggio. "He makes those late runs. He's an up-and-down player. He works so hard. The way I play suits how he plays, how I can hold the ball and try to beat the guy and serve the ball in there. And with those late runs we're going to keep cooking with those kind of goals."

Nyarko is cooking with assists, earning his fourth of the season. Still, he lamented not doing better on a couple other runs at the Chivas net.

Chivas (2-3-1, 7 points) got the equalizer in the 76th minute, Maicon Santos heading in a Sacha Kljestan corner kick.

"We lose concentration for one second and we get punished," Nyarko said.