Metro needs one chance to douse Fire, 1:0
August 11, 2018
Bridgeview used to be Metro's hell. It never approached the depths of Foxborough, but it was up there. For years, it was impossible for Metro to earn a win in the Chicago suburb. But then, the Shield clincher in 2015, the playoff romp last year... Tonight's 1:0 victory pales in comparison with those two, but it does keep the Metro train rolling forward.
The Fire, a pale shade of their once proud teams, decided to come out in a bunker. (At home! Mired in a six-game losing streak!) Of course, we all know how much trouble Metro has breaking a bunker... and that was the case tonight. The offense lacked fluidity, and chances were scarce. In fact, there was just one dangerous shot on goal, but Metro made the most of it.
It came in the 55th minute off a corner kick. Chicago won the ball, but old pal Dax McCarty was pressured by Tyler Adams, and Daniel Royer ended up with it at the edge of the penalty area. The Austrian quickly centered it into the box to Bradley Wright-Phillips. The Englishman took one deft touch to control it, then swiftly slotted it into the net.
That ended up all that Metro needed, as the defense was fantastic, limiting Chicago to a lone shot on goal, and that from outside the penalty area. (Luis Robles did have to stretch for a fantastic save.) Adams bossed around the midfield, and had a fantastic run up the flank, whizzing by two Fire defenders, including one-time World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger. Andreas Ivan made his Metro debut as a late-game sub.
No, it wasn't pretty, but not all of them have to be. All of the sudden Metro is turning into a team that is capable of winning 1:0 road matches, which could become very important come the playoffs...
It just seems that, unlike last year, those playoffs would not come at Bridgeview.
Lineup: Robles, Lawrence, Long, Parker, Murillo, Adams, Davis, Rzatkowski, Royer, Romero Gamarra, Wright-Phillips. Subs: Muyl, Lade, Ivan.
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