Fire Draw Fifth Straight, Earn Point in Montreal

The Fire headed to Olympic Stadium in Montreal having earned a result in four straight contests after the season-opening 3-2 loss to Chivas USA.  After a hard-fought contest, the Fire will return to Chicago without a win in 2014.  At 0-1-5, the Fire sit in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, just one point behind the fifth place Philadelphia Union.  It was the first match in which the club faced former coach Frank Klopas.

[tabs style=”2″]
[tab title=”Goals”]MTL: 43′ Jack McInerney assisted by Marco Di Vaio.  MTL 1-0 CHI

CHI: 54′ Quincy Amarikwa assisted by Mike Magee.  MTL 1-1 CHI[/tab]
[tab title=”Disciplinary”]CHI: 44′ Patrick Nyarko, Yellow Card (Foul)

CHI: 66′ Mike Magee, Yellow Card (Dissent)

MTL: 90’+2′ Hassoun Camara, Yellow Card (Foul)[/tab]
[tab title=”Substitutions”]MTL: HT defender Hassoun Camara for defender Heath Pearce

MTL: HT midfielder Patrice Bernier for midfielder Andres Romero

CHI: 75′ midfielder Matt Watson for midfielder Harrison Shipp

MTL: 85′ midfielder Calum Mallace for midfielder Collen Warner

CHI: 88′ forward Juan Luis Anangono for midfielder Patrick Nyarko[/tab]

[tab title=”Match Facts”]Shots: MTL 6 – 17 CHI

Possession: MTL 44.6%-55.4% CHI

Fouls: MTL 15 – 12 CHI

Corners: MTL 3 – 10 CHI

Location: Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Quebec

Attendance: 19,313[/tab]
[/tabs]

Still playing indoors at Olympic Stadium, former home of both the Montreal Expos and Montreal Alouettes, the Impact grabbed the lead in the 43rd minute as forwards Marco Di Vaio and Jack McInerney teamed up to beat Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson.  Johnson managed to get a piece of the ball, but not enough to prevent it from deflecting into the upper portion of the goal.  For McInerney, it was his first goal as a member of the Impact, following the trade from Philadelphia.

The Fire answered back early in the second half.  Fire midfielder Harrison Shipp took the corner kick in the 54th minute, finding fellow midfielder Jeff Larentowicz.  Larentowicz shot the ball off the goalpost, falling right in front of forward Mike Magee.  Magee passed into the cluster of players in front of the net, finding forward Quincy Amarikwa, who booted the ball home for his third goal of the season.

As the Fire pressed for a winning goal, the Impact maintained its ground and preserved the single point in standings.  Despite the Fire out-shooting Montreal 17-to-6 in the match, both teams left the match still searching for their first win of the season.

The Fire hope that chance will come on April 19, when the team hosts the rival New England Revolution at Toyota Park.  The game will be followed by the opening game for the Chicago Red Stars, who will take on Abby Wambach’s Western New York Flash before moosing back to Benedictine University in Lisle, Ill. for the remainder of the season.

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