The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter and brighter for the Fire.
“Since Aug. 2, that first game in Tampa, I feel as though I’ve been playing like it’s the playoffs,” Fire midfielder Jesse Marsch said.
With two games remaining in the regular season, the Fire has positioned itself to finish first overall in Major League Soccer after defeating the Colorado Rapids 2-1 Sunday before 11,814 at Soldier Field. The victory gives the Fire 51 points and puts it in a first-place tie with Tampa Bay in the Central Division and tied with Tampa and the MetroStars for second place overall. The Fire owns the tiebreaker against both teams and is two points behind Kansas City for first overall.
“I feel like we’re playing very well at an important time of the year,” coach Bob Bradley said. “The mentality on the team is strong and everybody is comfortable that regardless of who we’re missing we have other players who will step forward.”
Second-year forward Dema Kovalenko scored both goals, giving him 10 for the season. Another recurring theme for the Fire is opponents can’t focus on one player to shut down. The Fire has been without leading scorer Ante Razov for the last two matches and it has hardly skipped a beat.
“A lot of different guys have stepped up this year,” Bradley said. “Colorado was very tight on Hristo [Stoitchkov], Peter [Nowak] and Josh [Wolff]. Dema was the one who found space going forward.”
Colorado, which had two victories and a tie against the Fire in three meetings this season, took the lead in the seventh minute when Ross Paule headed in a pass from Matt Okoh.
Kovalenko got his first in the 26th minute when he knocked home a rebound of a Stoitchkov shot that caromed off the goal post. The second goal, in the 32nd minute, was a brilliant individual effort by the Ukrainian.
Kovalenko took a pass from Marsch about 40 yards from the goal, found an opening and turned on the jets, blowing past Rapids defenders and sending his shot off goalkeeper David Kramer’s arm and into the net.
“The second goal was a great play by Hristo and Wolffie,” Kovalenko said. “They took their defenders away and opened it up for me.”
The victory continues an impressive streak by the Fire. Since July 4, it’s 9-2-2.
“I think we’re playing with a sense of responsibility and urgency,” Marsch said.
A top-two finish overall guarantees home field in each of the two potential playoff series. The Fire (15-9-6) has the best home record in MLS at 12-2-1. The Fire lost in the first round of the playoffs last season at Dallas.
