Chicago Fire 1, Montreal Impact 0: First Thoughts

Chicago Fire 1 Ellis 89’

Montreal Impact 0

• Lineups are here!
• Pregame thought 1: So we’re going with a 4-4-2 diamond. That’s certainly a choice. McCarty at the bottom, Katai at the tip, Adams and Basti on either flank. Nikolic up top with... <squints>... some guy.
• Pregame thought 2: Not gonna lie, I don’t have a great feeling about this.
• Pregame thought 3: Basti is, like. Really handsome.
• Let’s goooooooooooooooooooooooo
• 2’ Fire force a turnover and move the ball well through the midfield, only for Noted Homophobic Slur Enthusiast Alan Gordon to give it right back to Montreal. Awesome.
• 4’ Lillard kicks the ball out of bounds because Katai is hurt. He looks fine now but he has to chill on the touchline for a minute.
• 7’ Basti plays Katai through on the wing, who crosses to Niko at the near post. Evan Bush just about manages to keep it out. The resultant corner kick comes to nothing.
• 8’ And then Montreal hit right back and a cross flashes across the face of goal and a line of Fire players just watch it fly. lol
• 13’ Montreal piling on the pressure now. I feel like I’ve seen this movie before. (Ha, and here’s Silva with a 30yd rocket. Sanchez saves it, but, yikes.)
• 16’ I’m not super convinced about Ellis as an attacking fullback. Dude’s been further up the pitch than Niko so far.
• 21’ Fire with a few minutes of sustained possession in their attacking third. I wouldn’t necessarily call it pressure, but it’s something.
• 24’ Sanchez comes up big to deny Piatti from getting the opening goal. Woof.
• 25’ Must be said, Piatti got that chance because Adams slipped in the box while marking him. This after what was a solid performance so far. Gotta work on those blunders.
• 29’ Brandon Vincent Overdrive with a run into the box and a shot on goal. Wins a corner too. Good stuff.
• 30’ Raheem Edwards with a Liu Kang flying dragon kick on Kappelhof, somehow doesn’t even get a yellow.
• 33’ Katai kicks off an attack that leads to a goalmouth scramble and save off the line by Lovitz.
• 37’ Lots of flopping from Montreal tonight. I mean, I respect the hustle, but also, fuck y’all.
• 39’ Ellis nearly heads home off a corner.
• 43’ Fire are holding on to the ball but mostly in their own half. I think both teams are looking for the half.
• 45’ Some ping pong in the Fire’s box ends with a clearance near the goal line. After the clearance, Edwards takes down Dax and the Chicago captain stays down for a hot minute. Two minutes of stoppage time.
• Halftime! CHI 0-0 MTL
• Halftime thought 1: 70% possession but nothing to show for it. Bleh.
• Halftime thought 2: I have a bad feeling that Montreal are going to steal a goal and leave with a win.
• Second half is underway!
• 50’ And before you know it, Piatti is given acres of space and allowed a clean shot. It drifts wide of the post, but that’s beside the point.
• 53’ While defending a FK, Vincent leaps up to clear the ball away and Edwards elbows him right in the head. He goes down for a minute, Edwards doesn’t even get a talking-to.
• 57’ Vincent sends a ball into the box for Niko, Niko knocked down, no whistle.
• 61’ Collier comes on for that guy who called an opponent “faggot” during an MLS game. Less than a minute in and the Fire already look sharper upfront.
• 63’ Basti pounces on a second ball following a corner kick and shoots but it’s deflected out for another corner. That one comes to nothing and Montreal hit back with a quick counter and win a corner for themselves.
• 67’ Vincent eats a yellow for a professional foul.
• 69’ The Fire backline decides clearing the ball is for suckers, decides to do some short passes right in front of opposition attackers on the edge of the box. Someone got a visit from the Bad Decision Dinosaur.
• 70’ Speaking of bad decisions: They’re taking off Niko, despite the fact that there’s 20 minutes left in a very winnable game. Campos comes on in his stead.
• 73’ I guess we’re just playing for the draw now? I mean, ok.
• 76’ We are firmly in Whatevering Mode right now.
• 78’ lol what’s good Dom Oduro
• 80’ Katai gets on the end of a long ball, buries it in the back of the net, but the goal is disallowed because his defender flopped in the box and the ref bought it. Neat.
• 82’ Daniel Johnson checks in for Mo Adams.
• 84’ Oh FFS, Fire get a golden opportunity but can’t finish.
• 86’ Bush down and receiving treatment.
• 88’ Fire pushing hard for a goal but they can’t quite pull it all together.
• 89’ GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL HOLY FUCK KEVIN ELLIS SCORED AGAIN! SNUCK IT IN AND GOT A LUCKY DEFLECTION TO FOOL EVAN BUSH!!!! WE MAY HAVE JUST WON THIS THING!!! CHI 1-0 MTL

• 90’ THE SCAM IS REAL, MY FRIENDS
• 91’ Four minutes of stoppage time. Just gotta hold on.
• 93’ Oduro with a good look on goal but can’t quite steer it in.
• Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep! Final Score: CHI 1-0 MTL
• Final Whistle Thought: sr;fgjoirsgjaoidjg;oethgoerigj’eoigjpoeirgja’pdijgoeirgjoiegje’grije’gorij

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.