FC Cincinnati tally score two late in six-goal draw with Fire

ByReuters ESPN logo
Sunday, March 19, 2023

FC Cincinnati scored twice in three minutes late in the second half to earn a 3-3 draw against the host Chicago Fire FC on Saturday.

With the draw, Cincinnati extended its season-opening point streak to four games.

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Chicago, which led 3-1, remains winless through three games to start the season.

The Fire controlled play early, finding time in the attacking third while Cincinnati struggled to get the ball past midfield through the first six minutes.

But it was the visitors who ultimately struck first in the eighth minute.

Marco Angulo sent the ball toward the box for Brandon Vazquez cutting through to the left side. Vazquez beat Carlos Teran to the ball and sent a cross to Junior Moreno streaking into the top of the box, for a shot that deflected off Chicago defender Miguel Navarro into the net for the 1-0 lead.

Vazquez nearly doubled the lead for Cincinnati in the 19th minute off a Fire turnover but hit the right post. It was the start of a stretch of sustained possession for Cincinnati, resulting in three free kicks over a span of six minutes, but the visitors couldn't convert.

Kacper Przybylko brought the Fire level in the 32nd minute, scoring on an angled shot from the left side of the top of the box into the far side corner.

Chicago took a 2-1 lead in the 45th minute when captain Rafael Czichos connected on a penalty from the spot after Chris Mueller was taken down by Yerson Mosquera in the box.

Mueller struck in the 46th minute to extend it to 3-1, taking a cross from Arnaud Souquet and firing from just above the spot into the top of the net.

Moreno appeared to cut it to 3-2 with his second of the match in the 50th minute but the goal was overturned after video review showed Brenner was offside.

Sergio Santos scored from above the goal area into the bottom right corner to pull Cincinnati within 3-2 in the 84th minute. Moreno tied it 3-3 in the 87th minute when he banked a shot off the right post into the net.