CHICAGO_ (July 7, 2021)_ - Chicago Fire FC (3-7-2, 11 points) came from behind to defeat Orlando City SC (6-3-3, 21 points) 3-1 at Soldier Field on Wednesday night. The result marked the Fire’s second straight win and third consecutive match without a loss.
Three different players scored for Chicago in Wednesday’s victory, with defender Boris Sekulić and forwards Robert Beric and Chinonso Offor each finding the back of the net. Offor’s finish marked his first career goal in MLS.
After conceding the first goal of the game to Orlando midfielder Andres Perea in the 34th minute, the Fire rallied and scored three unanswered goals to secure its third win of the season.
Chicago leveled the score in the final minute of the first half when Sekulić headed home a perfectly placed cross from midfielder Álvaro Medrán. The goal was Sekulić’s second of the season, while Medrán notched an assist for a third straight match.
Chicago found the game-winner in the 72nd minute when Medrán produced his second assist of the night, slipping the ball in behind to Berić for a first-time finish. The goal was Berić’s second of the season and his first since April 17. Additionally, it marked the second multi-assist game in 2021 for Medrán, who was named Heineken Man of the Match. The Spaniard is among the hottest players in MLS at the moment, with five assists in the past three matches.
With Orlando pushing for an equalizer, the Fire added a third in the 96th minute to guarantee all three points. Gaining possession just outside Chicago’s 18-yard box, Offor traveled the length of the field in 11 seconds, combining with Frankowski before calmly slotting the ball into the back of the net.
NEXT GAME: Chicago Fire FC will head to Tennessee to take on Nashville SC on Saturday, July 17. The match will begin at 7:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on WGN-TV, CFFC Live and Latino Mix 93.5 FM.
NOTES:
- With the win, the Fire is unbeaten in its last five home matches against the Lions (3-0-2) since Aug. 14, 2016. Overall, the Club has posted a 3-2-2 record at home against Orlando.
- The 3-1 result is the first time the Fire have won after conceding the first goal of the game since Oct. 6, 2019. Chicago also defeated Orlando City on that day, winning 5-2 at Exploria Stadium in the final match of the season.
- Chicago has scored nine goals in its last three games, which ranks as the most in the league during that stretch (June 26-July 7).
- Both of Sekulić’s goals have occurred in the team’s last three matches and were headers from a Medrán cross.
- Berić has scored 14 goals in 35 appearances for Chicago. He scored twice in his first 10 games of the 2020 campaign, yet finished the shortened season in a three-way tie for second in the MLS Golden Boot race with 12 goals.
- Offor notched his first career MLS goal, becoming the seventh different player to score for Chicago this season.
- Medrán tallied his fourth and fifth assists of the season, marking his third straight game with an assist. The Spanish midfielder has notched 11 assists in his first two seasons in MLS, which is the most of any Fire player during that stretch.
- Frankowski notched his second assist in 2021.
- Goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth made seven saves in tonight’s match. Shuttleworth has made 24 saves in the Fire’s last four matches, which ranks as the most in the league since June 23.
- Midfielder Fabian Herbers made his 99th MLS appearance, just one appearance shy of the century mark.
- Midfielder Gastón Giménez made his first appearance since competing in the Copa América with Paraguay. Giménez played 24 minutes in his return to the Fire.
- Tonight’s match was the final game of a four-match homestand for the Fire - the Club’s longest homestand of the 2021 season. The Fire produced a 2-1-1 record during that stretch.
- The Fire were without team captain Francisco Calvo, who was called up to represent Costa Rica in the Concacaf Gold Cup.
Goals:
ORL - Perea (1)34’
CHI - Sekulić (2) (Medrán 4) 45+1’
CHI - Berić (2) (Medrán 5) 72’
CHI - Offor (1) (Frankowski 2) 90’+6’
Discipline:
CHI - Bornstein (Yellow Card) 12’
CHI - Medrán (Yellow Card) 22’
ORL - Jansson (Yellow Card) 79’
CHI - Herbers (Yellow Card) 84’
Box Score:
Chicago Fire FC 3:1 Orlando City SC
Chicago Fire FC: GK Shuttleworth, D Kappelhof, D Pineda (Omsberg 61’), D Bornstein ©, M Sekulić, M Navarro, M Frankowski, M Medrán, M Herbers (Collier 90’+1’), F Berić (Offor 90’+1’), F Aliseda (Giménez 66’)
Subs not used: GK G. Slonina, D Espinoza, M Casas Jr., M Gutiérrez, M Stojanović
Orlando City SC: GK Austin, D Halliday (Mueller 80’), D Schlegel, D Jansson, D Smith, M Urso © (Alvarado 88’), M Rosell (Mendez 76’), M van der Water (Nani 76’), M Perea (Pereyra 76’), M Michel, F Akindele
Subs not used: GK Stajduhar, M Dezart, F Loera
Stats Summary: CHI / ORL
Shots: 13 / 19
Shots on Goal: 4 / 9
Passing Accuracy: 78.9% / 79.1%
Saves: 7 / 1
Corners: 9 / 8
Fouls: 13 / 9
Total passes: 399 / 454
Offsides: 2 / 1
Possession: 46.9% / 53.1%
Attendance: 8,002
Referee: Guido Gonzales Jr.
Assistant Referees: Charles Morgante, Meghan Mullen
Fourth Official: Elton Garcia
VAR: Matthew Franz, Peter Manikowski
