Chicago Fire held off a nervous first half to beat Necaxa 2:0 in the League Cup group stage on Thursday night. J. Dean opened the scoring in the 31st minute before A. Gutman added a second in the 69th to put the tie beyond doubt. The hosts had not won since their mid-July fixtures and ended a barren spell with this result.
R. Martinez picked up a yellow card in the 23rd minute after a reckless challenge, and Necaxa pushed hard for an equaliser in the opening exchanges. Dean got over the line from close range when the visitors left space behind their defensive line. To be fair, the hosts sat deep and soaked it up for the first 20 minutes before showing more intent.
Half-time brought E. Rodriguez into the Necaxa side, and the visitors came out looking to exploit the space. By then Chicago were beginning to control the tempo, though Necaxa had the bulk of possession at 51 per cent. Leyva joined the disciplinary list in the 61st minute, and the visitors struggled to find a way through a compact shape.
Gutman ended a barren spell with his goal in the 69th minute, and that was the moment the tie tilted decisively. Chiefs turned to the kids with several substitutions in quick succession — P. Zinckernagel, L. Faravelli, J. P. Torres Patino, P. Dithejane, D. Leyva and S. Oregel all came on. The crowd roared them on as Necaxa pushed forward with desperation.
Chicago Fire registered 16 shots with eight on target, converting at 50 per cent accuracy. Necaxa managed 12 shots with six on target but created zero big chances. The hosts made 15 key passes to the visitors' 13, and it was clear where the danger lay.
The result leaves Chicago Fire with momentum after a run of five matches without victory. Necaxa travel next knowing they must improve their finishing if they are to progress from this group. And here's the thing — three decisive moments decide ties like this, not possession statistics.
