Just 25 seconds into the match the Fire found the back of the net care of Oduro’s 3rd goal of the season. Nyarko applied pressure on Toronto FC defender Torsten Frings at the onset, knocking the ball to a wide-open Oduro who collected the ball and slotted his shot under TFC ‘keeper Milos Kosic to the near post. Oduro’s first minute strike ties New England’s Imad Baba for the fifth-fastest goal in MLS history.
Toronto FC found its way back into the game in the 36th minute when TFC midfielder Reggie Lambe latched onto a partially cleared ball off of a corner kick before blasting a shot from 25-yards past Sean Johnson and into the top corner of the net to even the game at 1-1.
Lambe found the brace just four minutes later. Ryan Johnson got open on the left side of the penalty area and feigned a shot, bringing Johnson off his line. The ball rolled through the Fire area finding Lambe at the back post. The former Ipswich man knocked the ball into the empty net to give Toronto FC a 2-1 lead on 40 minutes.
The back-and-forth wild first half continued as the Fire equalized in the 41st minute when Sebastian Grazzini sent a beautifully measured free kick to the back post where Gonzalo Segares evaded his mark and superbly flicked the ball over Kocic and into the net to tie things up at two apiece before halftime.
The Ghanaian strike duo of Oduro and Nyarko found the game winner in the 58th minute. Oduro played a ball into space, behind the TFC defense, finding Nyarko who rounded Kocic before calmly scoring his first goal of the season and giving the Fire the 3-2 lead.
The Fire endured a frantic final 15 minutes, bunkering in to keep TFC off the score sheet in the second interval. Johnson finished the match with six saves while helping to keep the Fire backline compact as a winless Toronto FC pushed for the equalizer. The win at BMO moves the Fire’s record at TFC to 3-3-1.
The Men in Red return to Toyota Park to face Seattle Sounders FC in a rematch of the 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final on Saturday, April 28 at 7:30 p.m. CT (NBC 5.2; ESPN Deportes 97.5 FM). Chicago Fire Season Tickets are available by calling 1-888-MLS-FIRE (657-3473), via Ticketmaster or by heading to the club’s official website at Chicago-Fire.com.
Notes:
· Gonzalo Segares scored the 9th goal of his eight-year MLS career. Segares last goal came April 25, 2009 against the Columbus Crew.
· Dominic Oduro tallied his 3rd goal of the season for the Fire. Since joining the Fire after the first match of the 2011 campaign, the fleet Ghanaian has tallied 15 goals.
· In 16 matches in a Fire shirt, Sebastian Grazzini has five goals and six assists.
· Patrick Nyarko opened his 2012 account.
· Logan Pause appeared in his 232nd match while with the Chicago side.
· The Fire are now 5-3-4 in matches played North of the border.
· Chicago were without newly reacquired striker Chris Rolfe. The Fire forward remained in Chicago with a minor ankle sprain.
Chicago Fire 3 – 2 Toronto FC
Chicago Fire: Sean Johnson; Dan Gargan, Arne Friedrich, Jalil Anibaba, Gonzalo Segares; Logan Pause ©, Pavel Pardo, Marco Pappa (Federico Puppo, 65’); Sebastian Grazzini (Orr Barouch, 79’); Patrick Nyarko, Dominic Oduro (Daniel Paladini, 84’)
Substitutes not used: Paolo Tornaghi, Austin Berry, Hunter Jumper, Rafael Robayo
Toronto FC: Milos Kocic; Richard Eckersley, Adrian Cann, Torsten Frings ©, Ashtone Morgan; Matt Stinson (Luis Silva, 68’), Terry Dunfield (Julian de Guzman, 58’), Eric Avila (Junior Burgos, 85’), Reggie Lambe; Ryan Johnson, Joao Plata
Substitutes not used: Quillan Roberts, Miguel Aceval, Ty Harden, Doneil Harvey
Scoring Summary
CHI – Dominic Oduro (unassisted) 1’
TFC – Reggie Lambe (unassisted) 36’
TFC – Reggie Lambe (Matt Stinson, Ryan Johnson) 40’
CHI – Gonzalo Segares (Sebastian Grazzini) 41’
CHI – Patrick Nyarko (Dominic Oduro) 58’
Misconduct Summary
TFC – Adrian Cann (caution) 24’
TFC – Julian de Guzman (caution) 70’
TFC – Richard Eckersley (caution) 80’
Referee: Kevin Stott
Assistants: Craig Lowry, Brian Poeschel
Fourth Official: David Gantar
Attendance: 19,255
ABOUT CHICAGO FIRE SOCCER CLUB
Founded on the 126th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire on October 8, 1997, the Chicago Fire Soccer Club enters its 15th Major League Soccer season. The Fire won the MLS Cup in its inaugural campaign in 1998 and was crowned champion of U.S. Soccer’s national tournament, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, in 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006. In June 2006, the Fire moved into its world-class home of TOYOTA PARK, located in Bridgeview, IL. For more information on the Chicago Fire, please visit the club’s official website at www.Chicago-Fire.com.