Fire offense ends drought
The pregame question was, could the Fire score?
Not just could it score without star midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco, suspended for the match due to yellow card accumulation, and without traded leading scorer Chad Barrett? Could the Fire score, period?
The answer finally was yes, ending its scoreless streak at 196 minutes and earning a 1-0 victory against Chivas USA on Saturday night in a packed Toyota Park.
The Fire (8-5-5, 29 points) almost got a goal in the 13th minute, when midfielder John Thorrington found rookie forward Patrick Nyarko streaking toward the goal. But Nyarko's shot was waved off due to offsides, though replays indicated Nyarko was even with the defense.
"No, I don't think I was (offside)," Nyarko said.
There was no calling back Nyarko's shot in the 16th minute. Chivas (6-7-4, 22) cleared a Fire corner kick, only to have the Fire's Chris Rolfe knock it back into the penalty area. Nyarko was the first to it, spinning and tucking a shot just under the crossbar for his first professional goal in his first professional start.
The goal came against a familiar face, former Fire goalkeeper Zach Thornton, acquired during the week to replace Brad Guzan, the Southwest suburban native who transferred to England's Aston Villa.
"I never lost my head, and my teammates did well, kept the ball alive, so I just gave it a shot and luckily it went in," Nyarko said.
The Fire's youngest two starters looked impressive, with Nyarko putting pressure on Chivas until a mild concussion knocked him out of the match at halftime. Marco Pappa, a 20-year-old midfielder just signed Wednesday on loan from FCD Municipal in Guatemala, showed off some moves that brought the fans to the edge of their seats.
"They're talented players," defender Brandon Prideaux said. "They're both quick, good with the ball and a handful. Patrick is one of those guys who sometimes looks unorthodox, but that's what makes him difficult to play against. You play against him in practice and you never know what he's going to do. He's a good young player and he had a great goal. ...
"Marco's good with the ball, he's crafty, and as he gets more comfortable with us he's only going to get better."
Meanwhile, the league's best defense ran its streak to nearly 300 minutes without goalkeeper Jon Busch earning his eighth shutout of the season.
"We're a tough team to play against," Prideaux said.
"We got a lot of guys that pride themselves on the defensive side of the ball, and tonight was no different than any other night."
Except that the offense did its part too.