It's been a tough year for the Chicago Fire, but the Fire came up with one of their top highlights of the season on Saturday night in Montreal.
Newly acquired Luis Solignac scored in the first half and David Accam and Matt Polster scored in the second as the Fire, last in the Eastern Conference, rose up to end their two-year-long road winless streak with a 3-0 victory at Stade Saputo against the Impact. The Fire hadn't won on the road since July 12, 2014, a span of 36 away games, including nine straight losses.
Solignac opened the scoring for Chicago in the 15th minute, finishing a beautiful counterattack that started with a Montreal corner kick. Fire striker Michael de Leeuw cleared the ball up the middle to send Accam away. The Ghanaian sprinted up the middle of the field, drew three defenders, before slipping a pass to his left for Solignac. The striker cut twice to his right, and placed a shot into the far corner past a helpless Evan Bush for his first goal with the Fire following his Aug. 3 trade from Colorado.
Accam made it 2-0 in the 73rd minute, when Arturo Alvarez's flick-on shot deflected off him and into the net for his sixth goal of the season. Polster put the finishing touches on the score sheet with his 89th-minute goal.
Box Score
- 15' – CHI – Luis Solignac (David Accam)
- 73' – CHI – David Accam (Arturo Alvarez, Michael de Leeuw)
- 89' – CHI – Matt Polster (Arturo Alvarez)
- Full box score
- Stats
- Watch highlights
Three Things
1. TWO YEARS IS A LONG TIME: The last time the Chicago Fire earned a point away from home was way back on April 10, when they managed a scoreless draw at Yankee Stadium against New York City FC. They had since lost nine straight road games, a club record. But the last time they won a game on the road? That's way, way back – July 12, 2014, when they beat the New England Revolution, 1-0 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.
2. THEY WOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT THIS GUY:
Of course, David Accam and Luis Solignac had much to do with the victory, but it might not have happened without goalkeeper Sean Johnson, who made five saves, most of the diving variety. Guess who was the only player on the gameday roster who played in the Fire's last road victory. That's right, it's Johnson, who made seven saves in the Fire's last road win.
3. MORE PROOF THAT THERE'S ONLY ONE STAT THAT MATTERS: The host Impact won the possession battle, with 55 percent of the ball, and had more corners, 7-1. That's nice, but it didn't translate to the scoreline.
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