Toronto FC 2, Chicago Fire 2: First Thoughts

Toronto FC 2 Osorio 8’, Vazquez 22’

Chicago Fire 2 Schweinsteiger 69’, Gordon 90+3’

• Lineups are here!
• Pregame thought 1: So no changes from the team that beat the Red Bulls last week. This is probably a good thing. (Adnan certainly thinks so.)
• Pregame thought 2: This is also the first Fire game on the new ESPN+ platform and subscription service. Which of course means CF97 Twitter will be more insufferable than usual.
• Pregame thought 3: I’m feeling better about this game than I did last week ahead of kickoff. And we won last week. Hopefully this is a good sign?
• Pregame thought 4: So the stream is working fine except... I’m getting SAP? Like, not Spanish-language announcers, it’s literally just a Spanish dub over Dan and Frank’s commentary. This is hilarious lol
• Let’s goooooooooooooooooooooooo
• 5’ Still in Spanish but the club is at least aware of the problem.
• 8’ GOAL Ahh yes, there’s the Fire we all know and love. Toronto stretches our backline and Osorio goes in for the sucker punch. TOR 1-0 CHI

• 10’ I guess the officials reviewed the goal to make sure there were no shenanigans. Goal stands, still 1-0 Toronto.
• 11’ The Fire get a decent shot on goal soon after but it’s blocked. Not bad, keep it up!
• 12’ GOAL hahahaha nevermind. Giovinco finishes off a quick counterattack. TOR 2-0 CHI
• 13’ NOPE! GOAL CALLED BACK! An earlier pass in the build-up was ruled offside! Thank you VAR! TOR 1-0 CHI <whew>
• 18’ Man we just do not look good so far. Like our backline just woke up from a nap or something.
• 22’ GOAL lol Bradley whiffed a shot but Vazquez caught the rebound and tried to cross it in and his cross just floated into the back of the net on its own. This one counts. TOR 2-0 CHI

• 25’ Credit to Chicago for not just dropping their heads and giving up at this point (which wouldn’t be... unprecedented for us) but this is definitely Not Good.
• 27’ I mean,

• 30’ Ooooh, nice counterattack that ends with Collier nearly putting it in the net. Good, yes, more of this please.
• 34’ Katai now hammering the goal twice in quick succession. Looking more like we’re going to get at least one back before HT.
• 37’ PENALTY! I’m not sure what happened but Niko was apparently fouled in the box and they reviewed it on VAR and awarded Chicago a penalty! Basti steps up aaaand....
• 39’ SAVED! Bono keeps Schweinsteiger out of his net. Fucking hell.

• 41’ This is a winnable game, I said. They’ll be tired an demoralized, I said.
• 44’ Giovinco with the ball all alone in the box. Sanchez barely manages to keep the score at 2-0. Fuck fuckity fuck.
• 46’ Well hey, they at least fixed the stream issue. So. That’s cool.
• Halftime! TOR 2-0 CHI
• Halftime thought 1: Fucking. Ugh.
• Halftime thought 2: I’m going to need something stronger than coffee to get through this game.
• Second half is underway!
• 46’ The graphic showing keys to the second half for the Fire includes “defensive awareness.” lol
• 49’ Mo Adams lightly brushes against Giovinco and Giovinco falls like a damn Jenga tower.
• 52’ Whatever Pauno told them at HT hasn’t sunk in yet.
• 56’ Oh cool, here’s Giovinco with a belter of a shot from outside the box. It sails wide of the post but not by much.
• 58’ And here’s Vazquez trying the same thing. Gonna be 3-0 soon, probably.
• 63’ Bono cuts out a dangerous cross from Collier aimed at Basti at the far post. Better from the Fire now. Not enough, but better.
• 67’ Campos checks in for Collier.
• 69’ GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL BASTI SNEAKS IN A HEADER OFF OF A CORNER KICK!!! TOR 2-1 CHI!!!!

• 70’ The officials review the goal in VAR and... it stands!
• 72’ The Fire aren’t letting up after the goal! A quick counter, Katai does well to maintain possession but his stride is a little too wobbly to make that final pass count.
• 75’ Toronto making a double substitution as they try to hold off their guests. Two midfielders (Hasler and Vazquez) off for a forward and a defender.
• 76’ And now Dax comes off for Bakero, recently returned from Tulsa. Interesting switch!
• 78’ Aketxe fires just wide of the post. Toronto definitely not parking the bus yet.
• 79’ Niko tries to run onto a long ball and get in on goal but he’s left to fend off three defender by himself.
• 79’ OH SHIT the Fire come right back, Bakero gets a priceless shot from close-range but juuuust misses. Shit fuck piss.
• 82’ Fire make their last substitution as Brandon Vincent comes off for Noted Homophobic Slur Enthusiast Alan Gordon.
• 84’ A Fire corner comes to nothing and opens the door for a Toronto counterattack. That ends up not producing anything but... bleh.
• 85’ Bono hits Niko with a goddamn pile driver and the official whistles... for offsides. Against Niko. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
• 89’ Giovinco slips and slides through Chicago’s backline and hits a shot that flies wide of the woodwork.
• 90’ Toronto catches the Fire’s defensive line out and Ricketts is played through on goal. Sanchez rushes off his line and snuffs the attack out (barely). Four minutes of stoppage time.
• 91’ FUCK FUCK FUCK that Fire appeared to get the ball over the line after a scramble but no dice.
• 94’ GOAL Welp. Alan Gordon, Noted Homophobic Slur Enthusiast, was signed by the Fire to do exactly one thing: score late clutch goals. That’s what he just did. TOR 2-2 CHI

• Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep! Final Score: TOR 2-2 CHI
• Final Whistle Thought: I’m going to keep my thoughts to myself on this one. Happy to steal a point.

Stay tuned for more postgame coverage and a full recap here on Hot Time In Old Town. In the meantime, join the conversation in the comments or on social media.