The Sports Xchange
By Marc Bowman, The Sports Xchange
Fire 1, Sporting 0
KANSAS CITY — The Chicago Fire continued its dominance over Sporting Kansas City with a 1-0 victory Friday at LiveStrong Sporting Park.
The Fire converted a three-on-two counter attack when Marco Pappa connected on Chris Rolfe’s crossing pass in the 58th minute, driving a left-footer from 12 yards out past a diving Jimmy Nielsen. It was Pappa’s fifth goal of the year and Rolfe’s first assist.
Chicago moved to 8-5-3 on the year in extending its longest winning streak of the season to three games, all against Eastern Conference rivals. It remains fourth in the conference with 27 points.
The loss continued Sporting’s June frustration. After a three-game winning streak which pushed it to the top of the table in the Eastern Conference, Kansas City is winless in three straight contests, remaining third with 29 points and fell to 9-5-2 on the year.
After surrendering just two goals in winning its first seven games of the season, Sporting has allowed six goals in its past three games and it has been shut out in consecutive games, both losses, for just the second time this season.
Goalkeeper Sean Johnson preserved Chicago’s lead in the 76th minute with a diving parry off Kai Kamara’s header from eight yards out for his sixth save of the game. Johnson converted his second shutout of the season.
Chicago enjoys a 23-10-9 all-time record against Kansas City, including an 8-7-1 road advantage. The Fire won this season’s previous meeting, 2-1, May 12 in Chicago.
Sporting outshot the Fire 26-10 in front of 19,274 fans, its sixth straight MLS sellout.
The Fire and Sporting played to a hard-fought scoreless halftime draw in scorching 101-degree heat.
Sporting enjoyed the best attack of the half against a weakened Chicago back line, but Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson was equal to the task, stopping three first-half shots.
Sporting’s best chance came in the 25th minute when Graham Zusi’s corner kick was headed sharply by Aurelien Collin directly into Johnson’s hands.
The Fire’s best opportunity was on Dominic Oduro’s right-footer from 15 yards out on which Sporting goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen made a diving deflection in the 16th minute; Nielsen made two first-half saves.
NOTES: The Fire was without starting right back Gonzalo Segares, who was suspended after receiving a red card in the 30th minute during a 2-1 victory over Columbus Saturday. Dan Gargan shifted to right back from his left back position and Jalil Anibaba filled the left back opening. … Chicago was also without midfielder Sebastian Grazzini, who didn’t travel with the team after not training in full. Chris Rolfe started in his place. … German defender Arne Friedrich was back among Chicago’s starting eleven. Friedrich missed five games with a hamstring injury before returning in the 72nd minute against Columbus. … Sporting defender Aurelien Collin remained in the starting lineup despite being listed as doubtful due to a strained right hamstring. … Sporting hopes to reverse a trend of home-field frustration against the Fire. It last defeated Chicago at home in 2007.
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