Miles Robinson scored the tiebreaking goal off a 68th-minute corner, and visiting FC Cincinnati edged the Chicago Fire 2-1 on Saturday night.
In his first season with Cincinnati (1-0-1, 4 points) after playing his first six MLS seasons for Atlanta United, Robinson converted a low ball from Luciano Acosta’s corner that the Fire somehow allowed through, to put the visitors ahead.
The defense remained stout the rest of the way for FCC, who got a 39th-minute score from Aaron-Salem Boupendza en route to a more fulfilling showing after their season-opening scoreless draw with Toronto FC last weekend.
Xherdan Shaqiri successfully converted a 45th-minute penalty kick for Chicago (0-1-1, 1 point), which was outshot 14-5 overall (6-1 on target chances), conceded nine corners and committed at least one serious unforced error.
In all, it was another night of frustration for the Fire, who allowed a 93rd-minute equalizer in their opening 2-2 draw at Philadelphia.
Though Chicago pressed in the opening minutes of the match, Cincinnati followed shortly with its own pressure. FCC earned the match’s first golden opportunity when Boupendza’s header amid traffic was saved by squatting Fire keeper Chris Brady (four saves) in the 16th minute.
Acosta delivered his side’s next brilliant chance, but his right-footed curler nicked the post on the half-hour. Three minutes later, Brady came up big again with a kick save on Pavel Bucha’s strike.
Boupendza, though, rewarded FCC with the night’s first goal, and the expense of a massive Chicago mistake. The Fire’s Rafael Czichos was lazy in his own-end cross pass, which landed at the feet of Boupendza. He then lined the ball past an unsuspecting Brady right before the 40-minute mark to open the franchise’s 2024 scoring account after posting six goals in 14 MLS matches during his inaugural FCC campaign from last season.
However, the Fire equalized just six minutes later, and after Obinna Nwobodo was issued a yellow card, following review, for his studs-high contact with budding homegrown Chicago star Brian Gutierrez in the box. That led to Shaqiri easily coming through from the spot.
–Field Level Media
