The Chicago Fire have a tough challenge in trying to notch their first road win of the season Wednesday night when they face FC Cincinnati.
The Fire (2-5-1) have been one of the worst road teams in the MLS over the last two-plus seasons with just four victories in 38 matches outside "The Windy City." First-year coach Raphael Wicky has seen his team claim just one point in four road contests thus far, and the Fire are trying to regroup from a 3-1 loss at New York City FC played in Red Bull Arena on Saturday.
Mauricio Pineda lifted Chicago into a tie right before halftime, but the Fire were unable to sustain that momentum in the second 45 minutes, conceding shortly after the restart and again in the 75th minute.
"I think we saw a good 45 minutes where we created quite a lot of chances again, but we have to be clinical," Wicky said post-match. "It was good that we came back just before halftime, but we could have scored minimum one, if not two before, and yeah, those are -- again, those are the key moments. But I think the first 45, we had very good moments in possession where we created and we let them move as well. We knew they are a good team. They like possession -- if you can move as well, you can create."
The loss spoiled the first MLS debut for keeper Connor Sparrow, who is already the third player to be between the sticks for Chicago through eight matches. Sparrow could get a second start if No. 1 Bobby Shuttleworth hasn't sufficiently recovered from a groin injury suffered in the Fire's 3-0 win over FC Cincinnati on Aug. 25.
The Orange-and-Blue (2-4-2) are only one point better than the Fire, but there is definitely a defensive identity being formed by first-year coach Jaap Stam. The former Manchester United center back watched his team grind out a point with a scoreless draw versus Columbus on Saturday in the first regular-season "Hell Is Real" derby, a noted improvement from the 4-0 pasting FCC took from the Crew in group play during MLS Is Back.
"It's important to get clean sheets, especially for a defender - it gives you confidence, and for the goalkeeper, and of course, for all the other guys on the team, but especially for defenders," defender Maikel van der Werff told the club's official website. "It feels good. That's what we're trying to do, and what we're saying to each other when we start the game. You know, 'Let's go for the clean sheet and let's score and make the goals,' and then we all do our job."
Van der Werff also had the team's best chance for a goal, first-touching a low free kick by Siem de Jong that produced a reflex save from Crew keeper Eloy Room early in the second half. FC Cincinnati has gone 304 minutes without a goal in regular-season play - 317 since a goal from an FC Cincinnati player when Yuya Kubo scored in the 43rd minute of a 2-0 win over the New York Red Bulls on July 22.
The Orange-and-Blue have not conceded in either of their home games in Phase One, but in between those draws a 3-0 loss at Chicago on Aug. 25. Fabian Herbers and Alvaro Medran scored in the first 10 minutes, and Ignacio Aliseda added a third in the 67th minute.
Chicago's lone visit to Nippert Stadium resulted in a scoreless draw last year.