Fire again haunted by PK shootout
After SuperLiga disappointment, Chicago falls short on penalties once more
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- Fire fall to Real Salt Lake on penalties
- RSL prevails in shootout
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Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando stopped penalty kicks by John Thorrington, Logan Pause and Brandon Prideaux Saturday, giving his side the Eastern Conference Championship after a scoreless draw against the Fire at Toyota Park.
The drama of the shootout, in which the Fire had a 3-1 lead at one point, was followed by the most bitter disappointment when Salt Lake midfielder Ned Grabavoy put his penalty kick in the seventh round past Fire 'keeper Jon Busch to give his team the 5-4 edge.
"It came down to penalty kicks, unfortunately, and it would have been nice to win, especially at home," Pause said. "I feel like we let them down."
"Anytime you lose, it is a gutting feeling," Thorrington said. "But if you lose through the run of play, it is a bitter pill but it is easier to take."
The Fire also lost the SuperLiga final this season on penalty kicks to Mexico's Tigres UANL, also in front of their home crowd at Toyota Park. The Fire had a second consecutive sellout crowd witness their loss Saturday.
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"It's an empty feeling in your stomach to lose the way we did," said Fire coach Denis Hamlett. "Soccer is a cruel sport."
The first 120 minutes of play, 90 minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of overtime, saw 14 shots on goal but no goals. Hamlett complained that Real Salt Lake got away with a game plan that saw them commit 23 fouls to just eight for the Fire, but in the end, neither team scored, leading to the shootout.
The shootout turned the Fire's way when Real Salt Lake midfielder Javier Morales put his shot over the north end goal. When Fire defender Wilman Conde made his PK off the crossbar, the Fire led 3-1.
But after Robbie Findley of Real Salt Lake made his kick dead center, Thorrington had his grounder to Rimando's left side blocked by the veteran 'keeper.
"You pick a spot, you hit it and he makes a good save," Thorrington said. "I feel horrible. I feel I let my team down."
Kyle Beckerman tied the competition at 3-3 for Real Salt Lake, and the score was 4-4 when the regulation five shots were taken by both teams. That set up overtime in penalty kicks, and Pause missed his opening effort, again on the ground to Rimando's left.
"The only thing I was thinking was I was going to make it," Pause said. "I felt like I hit it well. I visualized making it. I make that, the next one is missed, and the game is over. But you kill yourself thinking about things like that."
But the next Real PK by Fabian Espindola went high, setting up yet another round of extra kicks. Fire defender Brandon Prideaux had his shot blocked by Rimando, again to his left, and Grabavoy won the game with his shot to Busch's right, which the Fire 'keeper got his hands on.
"I got two hands on it but couldn't get it out," Busch said.
The Fire got successful penalty kicks from Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Brian McBride, Wilman Conde and C.J. Brown. Real Salt Lake got scores from Clint Mathis, Robbie Findlay, Beckerman, Will Johnson and Grabavoy.
The Fire lost the SuperLiga final on Aug. 5 when Justin Mapp and Mike Banner missed penalty kicks. Mapp was on the field at the end of the game Saturday but did not make an attempt, while Banner was on the substitutes list but did not play.
"Someone has to lose when you get to PKs," Hamlett said.
Hamlett said he would have used forward Patrick Nyarko for one of his second five penalty kicks but Nyarko suffered a severe cut to his head during the game and played the final few minutes of overtime wearing several bandages.
"I didn't think he could go (on penalty kicks)," Hamlett said.
The Fire were trying to get to their first MLS Cup since 2003, when they lost the final to San Jose. They have won one MLS Cup, in 1998, their first season of existence, and have also won four U.S. Open Cups. It was the third consecutive season they fell short of MLS Cup at the conference championship stage.
Kent McDill is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
