The New York Red Bulls came to Chicago looking to avenge an early season home rout at the hands of the Fire, extend their unbeaten streak and move into a third-place tie in the Eastern Conference.
Instead they left Toyota Park with nothing. A defensive gaffe in the 36th minute proved costly as Stephen King converted the gift for the lone goal as the Chicago Fire defeated New York 1-0 Saturday night.
The Red Bulls unbeaten streak ends at six games, their shutout streak ended at 380 minutes and the Fire created some separation from New York and D.C., which played later Saturday at San Jose.
King had little to do when Diego Jimenez's failed clearance landed at his feet in the center of the box. King, who was left wide open after all the Red Bulls defenders went after the ball to the right of goal, easily tapped the ball inside the near post for his second goal of the year.
The Fire also had the first quality scoring chance of the game when Mike Banner fired a punched out ball by Jon Conway at the open net. But Jimenez headed the ball off the line in the seventh minute.
In the 18th minute, a clever ball by Dave van den Bergh freed Juan Pablo Angel on goal. But his shot from 10 yards out deflected off of Jon Busch's hand and the far post for a corner kick.
Six minutes later Sinisa Ubiparipovic found Dane Richards down the right side and the Jamaican used his speed to get into the box. But Richards rolled a shot wide of the far post.
Van den Bergh had a chance in the 56th minute, but he overcooked a free kick from the right edge of the box following a handball by Diego Gutierrez.
Two minutes later, Brian McBride headed the ball wide of the net and on the hour mark Brandon Prideaux got behind the Red Bulls defense, but his low shot missed the target.
McBride nearly caught the Red Bulls on a counter in the 69th minute, but his shot from 14 yards out sailed just over the crossbar.
Enjoying his best form as a professional, Mike Magee was looking forward to a happy homecoming. Instead, the Chicago native, who scored three goals in the last four games, was a late scratch because of a staph infection in his right arm.
Replacing Magee in the Red Bulls starting lineup was Ubiparipovic, who actually played in the attacking midfielder role usually occupied by Jorge Rojas, who was on international duty with Venezuela.
As he has done throughout the year in road matches, Osorio employed a four-man backline with Jimenez, Gabriel Cichero, Jeff Parke and Hunter Freeman playing in front of Jon Conway. Van den Bergh was on the left side of midfield with Seth Stammler and Juan Pietravallo playing as holding midfielders and speedy Dane Richards on the right. Angel was the lone striker.
Osorio made the first substitution of the game, bringing on John Wolyniec for Pietravallo in the 61st minute. He then brought on Danleigh Borman for Freeman in the 74th minute and switched to a 3-5-2 formation.
Almost immediately the Fire nearly added an insurance goal when Banner broke in on Conway, who was forced to come off his line to bravely knock away the attempt.
Chicago's first change came in the 78th minute when Justin Mapp came on for Banner. One minute later Parke tried to set up Ubiparipovic, but he couldn't get anything on a first-time volley.
In the 80th minute Andy Herron came on for Rolfe for Denis Hamlett's second substitution. Two minutes later Angel took a touch to get free inside the box, but his left-footed attempt from the left corner of the net rolled just wide of the far post.
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
