In a game that saw both sides buzzing from the opening whistle, the Chicago Fire and LA Galaxy staged an electric 2019 season-opening affair Saturday at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. And although it ended in a 2-1 defeat for the Men In Red, the nationally televised matchup provided plenty of positive signs for what might lie ahead for a reinvigorated Chicago Fire squad.
Most notably, MLS veteran and Fire newcomer David Ousted made an immediate impact in goal, with multiple stops in the game’s frenetic opening minutes and a Save-of-the-Year-caliber effort in the second half. At the other end, the Fire created a wealth of chances in both halves through multiple points of their attack, where Polish debutant Przemysław Frankowski did well to connect with Djordje Mihailovic, CJ Sapong and Aleksandar Katai, at times seeming to surprise his opposition with his speed and determined mindset going forward.
"He was fantastic,” head coach Veljko Paunovic said of Frankowski. “I think same as the whole team until we conceded the first goal. I think the performance of the team, the plan worked perfectly. We controlled the game, created a bunch of opportunities, clear opportunities. I think the newcomers fit in the philosophy, in the spirit that we have and in the way we want to play soccer.”
Still looking for the breakthrough when the second half began, the Fire found it courtesy of the opportunistic Sapong, just seven days removed from news of his trade to Chicago from the Philadelphia Union. Occupying the spot in the lineup typically claimed by Nemanja Nikolic -- who traveled separate from his teammates this week following the birth of his third child -- Sapong pounced on an errant Galaxy backpass, rounded goalkeeper David Bingham and slotted home the Fire’s first goal of 2019 in the 49th minute.
"It was a gift from the soccer gods, definitely appreciated it,” Sapong said of the unexpected chance that put the Fire in front. “This last week has been very quick, it has been a whirlwind. But when I got on the field I felt calm, a little bit at peace. I am very thankful for the guys for helping me out and communicating on a whole other level.”
The visitors, who finished the match with a 56-44 advantage in possession percentage, seemed poised to add to their lead in the minutes following the goal, with Frankowski ringing a shot off the post and then nearly linking up with Katai in front of goal. The near-misses left the door open for a Galaxy side playing its first match under head coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto, and the hosts eventually pulled level in the 68th minute when Daniel Steres headed in a crafty pass by 16-year-old Efrain Alvarez.
After being kept largely at bay throughout the game, Zlatan Ibrahimovic then lifted his team into the lead when the Swedish striker muscled home a goal in the 80th minute, which proved enough to preserve the three points for the Galaxy.
Now, after spending nearly all of the last six weeks away from Chicago, the Fire can look forward to a stretch of three straight home matches at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, beginning next Saturday (March 9) against Orlando City SC. For Paunovic, the promising signs offered by his squad Saturday night are an indication of more fruitful results ahead.
“If we play like this, I think we are going to have a lot of good games and wins and we are going to be successful again,” he said. “I am very happy with the performance. I want to encourage our players to continue believing in what we are doing because they are actually doing great and be patient.”
