Playing in front of a boisterous crowd, the Fire were under siege seconds after kickoff as Chivas striker Carlos Fierro intercepted a pass and broke free up the middle before defender Josip Mikulic fouled him just outside of the box. Midfielder Marco Fabian stepped up to take the restart and bent his effort just around the far post in the second minute of play.
Back the other way just minutes later, Fire defender Jalil Anibaba broke up the right side, swiftly moving past Chivas defender Uriel Navarro before whipping in a cross to find an open Diego Chaves. The Uruguayan headed a driven effort on target, forcing keeper Luis Ernesto Michel to tip the ball over the bar in the 5th minute.
Following the early chances, the Fire began to slow the match down. Retaining a majority of possession through the first half, it was Chaves who came close again in the 26th minute as midfielder Pavel Pardo split through two Chivas defenders before laying off for the Uruguayan striker. Twenty-five yards from goal, Chaves fired a low, driven shot that Michel did well to get down to.
The Fire continued to pour on the attack nine minutes later as Baggio Husidic forced a turnover on the right before finding Marco Pappa cutting towards the penalty area. The Guatemalan midfielder took one touch before powering a low blast at the near post but Michel was able to take his side into the break level as he dove to push the ball out for a corner kick.
At the interval, Fire interim head coach Frank Klopas made wholesale changes, substituting a total of nine players while Chivas manager Jose Luis Real made three changes to begin the second half.
With the substitutions, neither side could find a rhythm early on after the break, but it was Chivas that would find the go-ahead goal just after the hour mark. Making a second wave of changes in the 60th minute, Real brought on Jorge Mora for Edgar Mejia and the swap proved an instant success as the midfielder bent a swerving free kick from just outside the box around the Fire wall and inside the near post past Jon Conway in the 61st minute.
One of only two Fire players not to leave the match at halftime, Chaves almost found the equalizer seven minutes later. Fire midfielder Victor Pineda swung in a corner kick which was initially headed by Mikulic then Cristian Nazarit before being cleared to Chaves who fired a one-time effort that hit the outside netting in the 68th minute.
Fire striker Orr Barouch created the home side’s last chance in the 89th minute. The Israeli youth international ran into space up the middle before being cut down by Jose Luis Verduzco just outside the box. Substitute forward Cristian Nazarit stepped up for the restart but fired his equalizing attempt just over the Chivas goal, giving the current Mexican Primera table toppers a 1-0 victory.
The Fire step back into league play when they host Chivas USA for Hispanic Heritage Day at Toyota Park on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 3 p.m. CT (CSN/TeleFutura). Tickets are available by calling 1-888-MLS-FIRE (657-3473), or by heading to the club’s official website at Chicago-Fire.com.
Notes:
The match marked the first team Toyota Park debuts for Pari Pantazopoulos and Fire Home Grown players Victor Pineda and Kellen Gulley.
With the loss, the Fire fall to 6-10-3 all-time in international friendly matches against clubs from Mexico, England, Italy, Germany, France, Scotland and Poland.
The Fire are now 0-2-0 all-time against Chivas del Guadalajara, having fallen 1-0 to the storied Mexican side once previously on July 13, 2000 at Soldier Field.
Chicago Fire 0 – 1 Chivas del Guadalajara
C.D. Guadalajara: Luis Ernesto Michel (Víctor Hugo Hernández 46’); Uriel Navarro, Héctor Reynoso © (José Luis Verduzco 46’), Mario de Luna (Jonny Magallón 60’), Kristian Álvarez (Oscar Isao Torres 71’); Alberto Medina (Julio Nava 46’), Édgar Mejía (Jorge Mora 60’), Patricio Araujo (Antonio Gallardo 60’), Marco Fabián (Erick Torres 54’) 9-Omar Arellano (Juan Pablo Orozco 66’), Carlos Fierro (Antonio Salazar 54’)
Substitutes not used: Javier Ledesma
Chicago Fire: Sean Johnson (Jon Conway 46’); Jalil Anibaba (Dan Gargan 46’), Josip Mikulic, Cory Gibbs (Yamith Cuesta 46’), Gonzalo Segares (Pari Pantazopoulos 46’); Logan Pause © (Victor Pineda 46’), Pavel Pardo (Michael Videira 46’); Marco Pappa (Orr Barouch 46’), 9-Baggio Husidic (Daniel Paladini 46’), Patrick Nyarko (Cristian Nazarit 46’); Diego Chaves (Kellen Gulley 76’)
Substitutes not used: none
Scoring Summary
CDG – Jorge Mora (unassisted) 61’
Misconduct Summary
CHI – Yamith Cuesta (caution) 55’
CHI – Victor Pineda (caution) 81’
CDG – Julio Nava (caution) 90’+
Referee: Michael Kennedy
Referee’s Assistants: Eric Boria, Peter Balciunas
4th Referee: Miguel Panduro, Jr.
Attendance: 18,224
Source: Chicago Fire Communications
Photo: Sam Stejskal/Chicago-Fire.com