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July 8, 2008
CLOSED CUP
Fire Drops 2-1 Decision to D.C., Ending Run
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Cuauhtemoc Blanco couldn't save the Fire from Open Cup elimination.
Linda Cuttone / SportsVue Images |
GERMANTOWN, Md---For the second straight year, the Fire’s Lamar Hunt Open Cup dreams came crashing down early. Tuesday night, the Fire dropped an overtime decision 2-1 to D.C. United and ended their run at the Cup. Brian Namoff scored the 99th minute goal, the Fire could not answer the goal for the remaining 21 minutes of play.
Daniel Woolard started the Fire off on the right foot tallying a goal in the 36th minute. Logan Pause forwarded a long pass to Woolard outside the penalty area. Woolard chipped the ball over United goalkeeper Zach Wells for the 1-0 lead.
Chicago maintained control of the game for the next forty minutes. And then D.C. found a way to score. Jaime Moreno found an open Francis Doe, who beat Fire keeper Jon Busch to tie the score at 1-1.
Moreno set up Namoff in the 99th minute. He bent the corner kick into the box, where Namoff headed the ball into the far-side netting to take a 2-1 lead.
Minutes later Moreno limped off the field with a potential hamstring injury.
The rivalry between the Chicago Fire and D.C. United is always intense. Tuesday night was no exception… a flury of fouls late in the game heated up tempers. At the end of the first overtime period, D.C.’s Fred received a yellow for a rough tackle on John Thorrington. Mass chaos broke out with Cuahtemoc Blanco and D.C.’s Marc Burch each receiving the brunt of it –red card ejections for violent conduct and serious foul play respectively in the 108th minute.
The two teams continued the next 12 minutes down a man each. Neither side quite got control of the match. The Fire had one shot, while D.C. had two. The fouls kept coming.
Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Marc Burch had an altercation in the 108th minute that led to each player being ejected from the match. All-in-all there were eight cards issued – four (three yellow and one red) for each team and 38 fouls.
Chicago is now 26-7-2 in Open Cup play. The Fire returns home to host Toronto FC in MLS action Saturday, August 12th at 7:30 p.m.
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