After four games of being a non-factor, Fire forward Jerzy Podbrozny showed the form Saturday evening that coach Bob Bradley has been talking about. Podbrozny scored his first goal of the season and set up the game-winner as the Fire snapped its five-game skid, beating Tampa Bay 2-1 in front of 6,391 at Houlihan’s Stadium.
The Fire (3-5) swept the two-game season series.
“It’s been difficult for (Podbrozny) to adjust to this team and to the United States,” Bradley said. “He wants to do well. I was very pleased for him.”
Another of the Fire’s “Polish Connection,” Peter Nowak, scored his first MLS goal in the 79th minute to snap a 1-1 tie. Nowak took a pass from Podbrozny at the top of the box, dribbled in a few feet and beat goalkeeper Thomas Ravelli.
Nowak had to leave the game against D.C. United two weeks ago with a bruised foot. “I had two weeks to forget about my injury and I was my old self out there,” he said.
Nowak stole the ball from Tampa Bay’s Adam Frye at the right side of the Tampa box and fed a pass through the box to Podbrozny, who connected in the 21st minute to give the Fire the lead.
“We saw how good he is,” Nowak said of Podbrozny. “He is going to be very important us.”
The irony of Podbrozny’s night is that had not the Fire’s third Pole, Roman Kosecki, drawn a red card and an automatic one-game suspension, Podbrozny might not have been in the lineup Saturday.
The Mutiny (2-9) tied the game in the 30th minute when Gilmar scored on Fire goalkeeper Zach Thornton.
