Fire 1, St. Louis FC 0: First Thoughts

• Looks like rain is NOT in the forecast in Fenton, MO, so we should be good to go for this full match!
• Bare with me here, this game is NOT televised, and I’m streaming it. Quality of streams hasn’t been the best this USOC, but we’ll do our best for you guys. Because we love you.
• Very different lineup. Love that Bastian is not even traveling for this one. Furious the Djordje isn’t starting.

FIRST THOUGHT: I want drama, or a 7-0 thumping. None of this 1-0, defensive nonsense. Let’s get some goals!!

KICKOFF!

1 - First thing, St. Louis FC just threw the kitchen sink at the Fire. They’re pressing hard.

2 - Angulo NEARLY scored against the Fire already! Two of the four at the back are not normal starters, there could be communication issues.

4 - We’ve already had a Dodgeball and 1980 Miracle reference. Let’s not get hysterical here, guys.

5 - Juninho playing that “engine” role, starting things from the back...and just fired off a really horrendous pass that nearly led to a corner.

9 - Fire struggling thus far; St. Louis getting some good pressure and Chicago has spent most of the match defending bad areas.

12 - Kappelhof...interesting defending there...lucky again not to be a corner.

13 - Fire win a free kick after a questionable challenge...

14 - JUNINO nearly scores from the set piece, smashing the upright! Still 0-0.

16 - St. Louis find a lot of space in the box and nearly score...not loving this Fire effort so far...

19 - And the Fire win their first corner! (sarcastic applause)

21 - St. Louis with a dangerous corner...feels like a matter of time before they’re celebrating a ball in the back of the net...

23 - Fire in a great position, de Leeuw just steers it wide to the right. Wish DJ would have passed it earlier there...

25 - Alvarez good ball, just out of the reach of de Leeuw...Fire settling in a bit here.

26 - I will say, St. Louis has really shown up tonight. Great effort, they’re going down swinging.

27 - GOAL! FIRE! LUCHO WITH A BRILLIANT FLICK ON A CROSS FROM VINCENT! Seriously folks, that’s worth the price of admission alone! 1-0, 1-0, 1-0!!!!

30 - This color guy is really ragging on Kap...not sure it’s warranted. He’s been tremendous this season.

31 - Solignac nearly just scored again! Good ball to start the build up from Juninho.

33 - UPSET ALERT! Columbus Crew goes down to FC Cincinnati. el-oh-el.

36 - Dalgaard, who scored twice in his last USOC match, just made some sweet moves but fires it wide left. 1-0 Fire still.

38 - Solignac offsides, and it’s pretty evident Niko isn’t out there if we’re 38 minutes in without an offside...

40 - Simply too lackadaisical right now. 1-0 isn’t good enough, this team isn’t going for 1-1. We need to push for another.

43 - YELLOW CARD - CHICAGO FIRE - DAX MCCARTY. Too much space for Dalgaard, and Dax just steps in front.

HALFTIME THOUGHT: Milquetoast. Need more communication at the back, and need more aggressiveness at the front. Nothing terrible, but we should be better off than 1-0. Not buying into cliches, but look what happened to the Crew. You gotta keep your head in the game or you WILL lose to these teams that are giving their all.

47 - St. Louis calling for a hand ball, very upset scenes on the sidelines.

52 - Alvarez with a tremendous run, but deflected out of play as he gets his shot off!

54 - A bit more open play here, St. Louis starting to get forward and the Fire seem close to another goal...big 15 minutes upcoming.

57 - A great ball in by Guzman, but no one can get on the end of it for St. Louis. Remains 1-0...

58 - Mihalovic and Polster on for Dax McCarty and Johnson.

61 - Campbell with a half chance turned into a good one and he hits it right into the chest of the St. Louis keeper. Fire have to take advantage of this sooner or later...

63 - Soli with another great look, but blasts it over the bar.

64 - Alvarez on for Max Alvarez for St. Louis.

65 - Guzman proving to be a real threat down that right wing. Cross after cross tempting and dangerous.

67 - Volesky fires off the crossbar! Somehow it’s still 1-0 Fire!

68 - YELLOW CARD - ST. LOUIS FC - STOJKOV. Took down Vincent a bit harshly there.

70 - Fire fans getting rowdy in the corner! Love it. Great away support.

71 - YELLOW CARD - FIRE - JUNINHO.

74 - Tyler David, who scored a crucial goal in Round 3 for St. Louis, coming on here. He comes on for Guzman, who played a tremendous match.

79 - LAMPSON! HOW DID HE SAVE THAT?!?! Just kept the Fire in this match!!!

81 - Uh oh...big chance here for the Fire as they’re fouled just outside the box...

82 - SECOND YELLOW - ST. LOUIS FC - STOJKOV! Ten men, down a goal...

85 - Djordje with a good effort on the ground, stopped well by the keeper.

86 - YELLOW CARD - CHICAGO FIRE - VINCENT. Dangerous area to give that up...

86 - Dekovic coming on to finish this one out for the goal scorer, Solignac.

90 - 4 minutes added on...

90+4 - Djordje fouled on the edge of the box, this may do it here...

FINAL THOUGHT: Well, like all season, the Fire find a way to get the job done. They’ll have to improve in the future, but the win is what they needed and the win is what they got.