Wizards, Fire still streaking

Defenses prevail in matchup of hot teams

Jimmy Conrad and the Wizards will travel to Washington D.C. to play United on Aug. 2. (Pribyl/Getty)

The match began promisingly for each side on the attack as both showed the ability to be dangerous. Fire forward Chris Rolfe nearly broke the match open in the 14th minute as he went in alone on Hartman after a long pass out of midfield. His shot from the top of the box forced Hartman to leap high while palming the ball out with his left hand for a corner.

The Fire corner turned counter for the Wizards, though, as forward Claudio Lopez was loosened into the Fire end where he forced a corner that resulted in Davy Arnaud redirecting Lopez's service into the box at the near post. But Busch gobbled up the attempt and kept the scoreboard empty into the 15th minute.

By the half-hour mark, the Wizards' high pressure on the ball was serving them well as Chicago built well but found little near K.C.'s box. The home side's possessions, however, broke down in combinations that lacked the necessary timing and combination.

The emotion and energy of the match began to grow as the overflow crowd's noise spiked late in the half. To the delight of the crowd and those standing on vehicles outside the stadium, Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Wizards right back Michael Harrington tussled in the K.C. box before a 44th-minute corner. Arnaud then broke in on Busch's left after a clearance and beat midfielder Logan Pause, but failed to get off a cross despite the promising situation.

Dominating the chances through the opening half of the second 45 minutes, the Wizards tried to take some of the drama out of the match. Midfielder Kurt Morsink hit 25-yard shot first that Busch bobbled but held on to. Then left midfielder Roger Espinoza used a stepover and a spin to beat his man on the left side of the Chicago box but Busch knocked his attempt off the crossbar.

After a 54th-minute Arnaud volley from 16 yards off an Espinoza penetration that finished off a nice combination, Arnaud laid the ball back for an onrushing Jewsbury whose low, blistering cross just evaded midfielder Sasha Victorine but sat for Lopez at the far post in the 64th minute. His attempt forced a save from Busch at his right post.

The Fire tried to ignite their attack four minutes later during a scramble in the Wizards box, but the resulting shot from Blanco from a prone position did little to trouble Hartman.

In the 74th minute, the Fire dodged a bullet. A Michael Harrington cross was aimed in from the left flank and John Thorrington, who had moved to right back, saw it hit his arm and bounce down. Referee Mark Geiger ruled it was a handball, but just outside the edge of the area, and the resulting free kick came to nothing. But the Wizards felt the foul had occurred inside the area.

But despite the Fire's defensive posturing and the Wizards three offensive substitutions, Chicago still saw the better late chances. First Patrick Nyarko got off a quick shot under a defender that nearly caught Hartman napping, but the veteran 'keeper was still able to the parry the chance in the 74th minute.

Thorrington went high and wide with a bullet shot in the 81st from 19 yards followed by substitute Stephen King who went wide left from the right side five minutes later.

In the end, the hot hands of the two goalkeepers had earned each their seventh shutout of the season, to tie with Nick Rimando of Real Salt Lake, despite the efforts of each side's attackers.

The Wizards visit D.C. United at RFK Stadium next Saturday while the Fire play host to Chivas USA at Toyota Park.

Bob Rusert is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.

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