Chicago Fall To Colorado

Chicago entered Dicks Sporting Goods Park Sunday afternoon hoping to maintain their undefeated start to 2012, but Colorado would have none of it, dominating possession and putting away two goals to seal up a fairly easy win in Denver, while sending Chicago back home to ponder their first loss of the season over next weekend’s bye. Chicago would they have work to do in the coming weeks, as Colorado gave them their first real test of the 2012 campaign.

Chicago came into Sunday’s match with a few necessary changes to the starting XI, thanks to a sprained toe that kept Dan Gargan out of the lineup. Frank Klopas slotted captain Logan Pause at right back in his place, and gave Fire newcomer Rafael Robayo his first start of the season in the midfield. With Sean Johnson returning to the club after the USMNT U-23 squad failed to get through Olympic qualifying, Klopas made it clear earlier in the week that the 3rd year Fire GK would ease back into the starting lineup, using some upcoming reserve league matches as a means to get back in the swing of things with the club before heading back out with the first team. Regardless of the changes, however, Chicago looked poised and confident entering Sunday’s match coming off last weekend’s home opener win against the Union.

Chicago never really had a handle on the game from the opening whistle. The Fire attack sputtered most of the afternoon, as it seemed no one was on the same page offensively most of the match. Midfielder Sebastian Grazzini looked tired and lethargic most of the game, never really finding a flow to work the ball forward with. Grazzini also lacked motivation and field vision, as he was dispossessed numerous times throughout the match because of a lack of awareness. Similarly, Marco Pappa, who gave a solid overall performance in last weekend’s match against Philadelphia, again showed his inconsistency as he seemed to move around the pitch lost and with a lack of purpose. Also returning were Pappa’s repeated “Hail Mary” blasts through traffic from 25-40 yards out, especially prevelant in the 2nd half. Robayo, making his first regular season start in a Fire uniform, was largely anonymous throughout his 61 minutes before being subbed out for Daniel Paladini.

Defensively, Chicago showed why the addition of Arne Friedrich is such a crucial move for the Fire. Overall, Chicago’s defense was just too slow against a Colorado side that lacks serious speed itself. The Rapids go-ahead strike, off the foot of Omar Cummings, came in the 58th minute. As Chicago loafed back defensively, Rapids newcomer Martin Rivero slotted midfielder Brian Mullen up the right wing. Mullen, with all the time he needed as Gonzalo Segares trotted back, crossed a low volley into the box that found Omar Cummings, who sent his low blast beyond the reach of Paolo Tornaghi to put Colorado up 1-0. Chicago would fight back, creating a few second half chances that would nearly miss, both off the foot of Dominic Oduro in the 68th and 71st minutes, but it wasn’t meant to be, as Chicago would fail to score to draw the game level. Colorado would score again in stoppage time to take the match 2-0 from Chicago, as 2nd half sub Kamani Hill would blast a shot from distance that Tornaghi saved, only to give up a rebound that Hill would chase after and send home in the 92nd minute.

Chicago will now have nearly two weeks off as they try to shake off their first loss of the season and prepare for a Houston Dynamo side that will be without Adam Moffat and Colin Clark on April 15th at Toyota Park.

Notes:

• In his third consecutive start for the Fire, Paolo Tornaghi recorded seven saves.
• Gonzalo Segares appeared in his 150^th match for the club.
• The Fire fall to 1-2-3 in matches played at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
• The Fire was held scoreless for the first time in the 2012 season.
• In seven career matches against the Fire, Omar Cummings has tallied six goals.

Chicago Fire 0 – 2 Colorado Rapids

Chicago Fire: Paolo Tornaghi; Logan Pause © (Orr Barouch, 83’), Jalil Anibaba, Cory Gibbs, Gonzalo Segares; Marco Pappa (Federico Puppo, 78’), Pavel Pardo, Rafael Robayo (Daniel Paladini, 61’); Sebastian Grazzini; Dominic Oduro, Patrick Nyarko 

Substitutes not used: Sean Johnson, Austin Berry, Hunter Jumper, Corben Bone 

Colorado Rapids: Matt Pickens: Kosuke Kimura, Marvell Wynne, Drew Moor, Luis Zapata; Jaime Castrillon (Kamani Hill, 81’), Jeff Larentowicz, Brian Mullan, Martin Rivero (Tyrone Marshall, 87’), Tony Cascio (Well Thompson, 67’); Omar Cummings 

Substitutes not used: Steward Ceus, Scott Palguta, Quincy Amarikwa, Joseph Nane 

Scoring Summary
COL – Omar Cummings (Brian Mullan, Martin Rivero) 58’
COL – Kamani Hill (unassisted) 92’ 

Misconduct Summary
CHI – Sebastian Grazzini (caution) 55’ 

Referee: Chris Penso
Assistants: Chris Strickland, Mike Rottersman
Fourth Official: Yader Reyes
Attendance: 13,152

Image courtesy of Marc Piscotty/Getty Images