Generally speaking, I’m not one to believe in the concept of Karma. Life is a series of random events and coincidences and the only reason we don’t realize it is because our brains are wired to see patterns where there often aren’t any. However, when it comes to the Chicago Fire I may have to start rethinking my stance. Whenever anything starts to go right for this franchise, something is always there to drag them back like Scorpian in a game of Mortal Kombat.
Tonight, it had everything. VAR review to disallow a goal for a marginal offside? Check. A VAR review for a penalty? Check. A penalty that is absolutely not a penalty anywhere in the world except for against the Fire? Check. A turnover leading to a goal? Check again. It was the greatest hits of Chicago Fire failures over the last decade plus.
Included in the suffering is that they were by far the best team on the night. Possession: 62.4%. 32 shots with 8 shots on goal. 81.9% passing accuracy, 61 duals won. With an xGoals of 2.3, the game should have been as close as Fire II’s 6-2 win over TFC II last night. After giving up a goal to Deandre Kerr in the 13th minute, it was all Fire all the time, even if it took 52 minutes for them to equalize. There wasn’t a five-minute period bar minutes twenty-five to thirty that TFC had the ball more than the Fire.
That equalizer came in the form of a Carlos Teran header. Xherdan Shaqiri received a recycled ball after a failed cross and looped it over everyone’s head except for Carlos Teran, who flicked it into the back of the net.
The Fire’s next would be goal came two minutes later, when Jairo Torres put in a rebound off of a shot. However, after a VAR review, It was called back for a marginal offside and the Fire had to wait another ten minutes to take the lead. Kacper Przybylko scored it of of a half volley that bounced into the ground and in. He was having a poor game until that point, missing shots wide and not connecting at all sometimes/ But this time the technique was perfect, and the Fire were a goal to the good and running TFC out of the game.
And then, it all came crumbling down. Fede made what he and everyone else thought was a good shoulder-to-shoulder challenge that was called a foul outside of the box. Except it was in the box. So TFC was awarded a penalty and tied the game. And then everything fell apart when as a direct result of that penalty call, the Fire were afraid to close out on Alejandro Pozuelo, and he scored the dagger from 30 yards.
I don’t know whether it’s karma, divine retribution, a voodoo curse, or just random happenstance, but the Chicago Fire are clearly cursed. No team that plays that well and are that dominant should ever lose a game. Somehow, the Chicago Fire managed to do just that. They have all this talent, and it finally showed up today with their dominant performance. There is no explanation but one; God has forsaken us.
The Chicago Fire are next in action June 18th as they take on DC United at Soldier Field.