Kei Kamara scored the winning goal in the 83rd minute, shortly after teammate Arnaud Souquet tied the score, as the Chicago Fire pulled out a 3-2 win over Minnesota United on Thursday in a Leagues Cup match in Saint Paul, Minn.
Two goals from Bongokuhle Hlongwane weren’t enough for Minnesota.
The contest was the opener for Chicago in the Central 2 Group. Minnesota United fell to 1-1-0, level with the Fire on three points. Chicago will play host to Puebla (0-1-0, 0 points) in the group finale on Monday.
On the winning play, Mauricio Pineda chipped the ball over the defense, and Kamara connected with a header from close to the penalty spot to put Chicago on top.
All of the match’s scoring came in the second half. Hlongwane put the hosts up 1-0 in the 62nd minute, but Xherdan Shaqiri equalized with a penalty kick seven minutes later. Hlongwane scored again in the 73rd minute.
Toluca 4, Nashville SC 3
Marcel Ruiz’s two first-half goals helped lead Toluca to a victory at Nashville in the Mexican side’s Leagues Cup opener.
Tiago Volpi, on a penalty kick, and Robert Morales also scored for Toluca. Walker Zimmerman, Fafa Picault and Luke Haakenson responded for the hosts, who ended the match with 10 men after Teal Bunbury received a yellow card and was sent off in the 86th minute.
Nashville have three points after going 1-1-0 in the Central 4 Group. Toluca (1-0-0, 3 points) will visit the Colorado Rapids (0-1-0, 0 points) in the last group match on Monday.
Club America 4, St. Louis City 0
The Mexican club pulled away with three second-half goals en route to a victory at St. Louis in its Leagues Cup opener.
Henry Martin opened the scoring in the fifth minute, converting a pass from Julian Quinones in the penalty area. Quinones (51st minute), Kevin Alvarez (54th) and Alejandro Zendejas (77th) added second-half tallies.
Club America and the Columbus Crew are both 1-0-0 heading into the Central 1 Group finale on Monday in Ohio’s capital. St. Louis was eliminated after losing both of its Leagues Cup matches.
FC Cincinnati 2, Chivas 0 (match abandoned in 60th minute)
Brandon Vazquez scored twice in the first eight minutes, but host FC Cincinnati did not get to complete the contest against Chivas due to a thunder and lightning storm.
Play was halted in the 60th minute, and after a lengthy delay, FC Cincinnati finally tweeted at 1:09 a.m. ET that the remainder of the match would be postponed. Action will resume on Friday at 2 p.m. ET.
In addition to the two-goal deficit, Chivas are also down a man as Gilberto Sepulveda was shown a red-card for a tackle in first-half stoppage time.
FC Cincinnati won their first League Cup match in a penalty shootout against Sporting Kansas City. Chivas are scheduled to play at Kansas City on Monday.
–Field Level Media
