In his first match against the club where he played for eight seasons in MLS, Brian McBride scored two goals, including the tying goal with 11 minutes remaining to give the Chicago Fire a 2-2 draw with the Columbus Crew on Sunday afternoon at Toyota Park.
With the victory, the Fire moved to 43 points and a tie for second place in the Eastern Conference with the New England Revolution. More importantly, the single point guarantees Chicago a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs, joining Columbus and New England in the East, and Houston and Chivas USA in the West.
The point was also enough, coupled with the Houston Dynamo's scoreless draw with D.C. United, to give the Crew the MLS Supporters' Shield for the second time in club history as holders of the league's best overall record.
McBride, who played with the Crew from 1996-2003 before moving to England and Fulham FC, from where he returned this year to MLS and the Fire, put Chicago in lead after just 14 minutes. Eddie Gaven and Guillermo Barros Schelotto scored two minutes apart in the second half to put the Crew into the lead, but McBride scored his second for the equalizer.
McBride took the first shot of the match in just the third minute, sending the ball wide right. Columbus then turned the tables, sending three shots toward goal in the next six minutes. But it was the Fire that struck first.
Justin Mapp sent a corner kick into the box in the 13th minute. It soared over the heads of everyone inside the box and bounced right at McBride's feet. McBride then drove the ball into the net for a 1-0 Chicago lead.
Chicago took the one-goal lead into the half. But in the second half, the Crew proved why they are the top team in the Eastern Conference and MLS.
The Fire had a couple of chances to increase their lead, but shots from Mapp and Chris Rolfe both sailed out of play in the 58th minute.
Columbus pulled level just a minute later. Fire defender Wilman Conde attempted to clear the ball, but sent it straight to Gaven just outside the area. Gaven rocketed the shot past Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch, tying the game at 1-1.
Rolfe looked to move the Fire back into the lead, sending the ball at goal in the 60th minute, but Crew goalkeeper William Hesmer made the save.
A minute later, the Crew took the lead. Robbie Rogers crossed the ball to Schelotto, and the Argentinean headed it in for a 2-1 lead.
But the Fire gained the goal they needed in the 78th minute. Cuauhtemoc Blanco bent a freekick into the box and Conde headed it toward goal. McBride collected the ball and slotted it into the lower right corner, tying the game at 2-2.
The Fire nearly won the game late, in the 83rd minute. Blanco blasted the ball off the crossbar and McBride skimmed the rebound just over the net. Five minutes later, Gonzalo Segares sent a shot just wide right of the goal.
Now with home-field advantage in the Eastern Conference Semifinals to be claimed, with their likely opponent the Revolution, the Fire travel to Toronto FC next Saturday. The Crew play the New York Red Bulls at Giants Stadium next Saturday.
Kathryn L. Knapp is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
