Another Saturday night at Giants Stadium, another season-saving goal by Jozy Altidore. In a game the New York Red Bulls needed to win to keep pace with fourth-place Kansas City, the teenage phenom scored the lone goal, lifting the Red Bulls to a 1-0 win against the Chicago Fire.
For the Fire, who won a fourth U.S. Open Cup Wednesday, it was only their third loss since the All-Star break.
Altidore, the 16-year-old who was born in nearby Newark, N.J., scored his third MLS goal in his first start on the hour mark. Danny O'Rourke fed Marvell Wynne down the right side and the rookie crossed it in front where Altidore put a left-footed shot past Fire goalkeeper Matt Pickens.
After scoring two goals in his first 70 minutes of MLS action, Altidore made his first career start, replacing Edson Buddle, who was left off the team sheet with a toe injury.
The Red Bulls were without French World Cup winner Youri Djorkaeff, who was in Armenia on an official visit with French President Jacques Chirac, according to a team spokesman. It is unknown if Djorkaeff, who also missed a month of the season to be with his ailing mother in France, will return.
The Red Bulls controlled possession for much of the first half but went into the break with nothing to show for it on the scoreboard. Amado Guevara had a free kick in the 24th minute but it deflected off the wall and Fire goalkeeper Matt Pickens picked up the ball.
Just past the half-hour mark, Altidore got his head on a Guevara corner kick, but it sailed over the bar. The Red Bulls' best chance of the first half came in the 43rd minute when a sublime ball by Dema Kovalenko found a streaking Chris Henderson down the left side. But Henderson's shot was saved by Pickens, who dove to his left.
Two minutes later, the Fire had their lone opportunity of the opening 45 minutes when Ivan Guerrero was sent in on goal by Gonzalo Segares. But Jon Conway, making his 10th start of the season, did well to come off his line to make the save.
The final five minutes of the first half were chippy, with referee Jair Marrufo handing out three yellow cards, two to Chicago (Segares and Chris Armas) and one to the Red Bulls (Wynne).
Guevara was freed towards goal by Henderson in the 52nd minute but his flick bounced just wide of the far post. Four minutes later, the Fire had their best chance, but Nate Jaqua's open shot in the box deflected off a Red Bulls defender for a corner kick.
In the 72nd minute, Kovalenko nearly snuck one inside the near post, but it went just wide to Pickens' right.
The Red Bulls were reduced to 10 men in the 81st minute when Wynne picked up his second yellow card. The sending off forced Arena to bring on Peter Canero for defensive coverage, replacing John Wolyniec.
But the Red Bulls held on in the final nine minutes of regulation and four minutes of stoppage time to come away with a 1-0 win and keep their playoff hopes alive. And for that, they have a striker to thank who can't even drive yet.
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
