Fire can't find spark against Hoops
Attack unable to get going, defense has rare bad outing in 4-1 loss
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Jeff Cunningham scored twice as the visiting Hoops led 3-0 at halftime, with their other goals coming from Aaron Pitchkolan and Bruno Guarda. Brian McBride scored a late goal for the Fire.
In just the second minute, a defensive breakdown on a Andre Rocha freekick led to Cunningham's first goal. The ball squirted through the wall and Cunningham knocked in the loose ball for a 1-0 lead.
The Fire had a couple of chances to pull level. First, Diego Gutierrez blasted the ball toward goal in the 20th minute. FC Dallas 'keeper Dario Sala grabbed it for the save.
Then two minutes later, Brian McBride popped the ball up after receiving it, turned and sent his effort wide left of goal.
In the 37th minute, FC Dallas' Kenny Cooper rocketed the ball wide left of goal. Seconds later things got heated as Bruno Guarda took down the Fire's Gonzalo Segares. Segares stood up and took Guarda down, causing a commotion on the right side of the field. The referee calmed things down and play resumed.
But five minutes later, the Fire's John Thorrington took down Cooper for a freekick. From the restart, Andre Rocha soared the kick into the left side of the box and Aaron Pitchkolan sent a first-time shot into the right side of the net to double the lead.
And just before the half, the Hoops added another goal. In the 45th minute, Cunningham sent the ball into the box and Bruno Guarda jumped up and volleyed it into the net for a 3-0 lead.
Second half, the Fire replaced Gutierrez with Justin Mapp as the revived club attempted to get back into the game. But before Chicago could net a goal, FC Dallas added another one.
In the 61st minute, Rocha sent a long ball upfield. Cunningham treacked it down, beating Fire defender Lider Marmol and then nudging it past Busch for a 4-0 lead.
Chris Rolfe entered the game in the 59th minute and sent a shot on goal two minutes later. Sala made the save, along with two on McBride shots in the second half.
Finally in stoppage time, McBride found the net. He jumped up and headed in a Mapp cross to cut the lead to 4-1, his second goal since coming to the Fire.
The Fire hasn't allowed more than two goals in a game since the 2007 season, in a 3-2 loss to Kansas City on Aug. 22, 2007. The last time the Fire allowed four goals in a game came last July 12, a 4-0 loss to Houston.
Kathryn L. Knapp is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
