After creating chance after chance and squandering all of them for most of the game, DC United had to think they were under some sort of curse. The story of the season has been an inability to finish the chances being generated from all over the field and tonight was a continuation of the pattern. After going down 2-0 on an own goal and the only other chance of the first half, United got a little of the luck they’ve been missing and scored twice in the last 8 minutes to earn the point on the road they believed they deserved.
After a raft of injuries from the previous game against Philadelphia Union, DC United lined up with a front 2 of Ola Kamara and Nigel Robertha with Fred Brillant returning to the lineup and the captains armband. Russell Canouse’s injury restored Moses Nyeman to the XI, for his 7th start in 2021.
In the first 4 minutes of the game, Chicago was successfully giving DC a taste of it’s own Losadaball medicine, pressing United’s backline into long balls from their centerbacks and limited possession.
United’s first chance of the game came in the 7th minute, when Julian Gressel played a great through ball for Nigel Robertha. Robertha allowed the ball to carry him off the angle to get to his left foot, but couldn’t get the ball past Bobby Shuttleworth.
Immediately after the resulting corner kick, Fred Brillant stung a header from a corner by Gressel, forcing a good save by Shuttleworth towards the middle of his net.
In the first half, there was very little chemistry between Robertha and Ola Kamara up top, after limited time on the field at the same time. They are two similar players, who like to receive the same service and want to run on the ball to create scoring opportunities. The service Kamara was receiving in the early part of this game is reminiscent to the kind he had gotten in the past, with the ball played to him with his back to goal instead of a ball played in behind to run onto, which he’s more effective with.
The group is excellent…It’s just the final pass, its in the final third. These are big opportunities…I’m not asking for a DP to dribble 3, 4 players and score a goal on his own. We are creating collective opportunities and we just need to be a little more efficient. We don’t have that player until now, I hope that player wakes up into the roster but it will help us a lot to have a 9 who can finish those opportunities. The team is doing absolutely everything…This team deserves to have a lot more points.
Hernan Losada, Post-game Press Conference 7.21.21
Numerous times in the first half, Andy Najar did an excellent (almost Andi Sullivan-like) job anticipating balls into the Chicago forward lines, stepping and intercepting, starting counter attacks for United. The Honduran continues to have an impressive resurgence for his boyhood club, after an extended stint on the sidelines and the periphery of other clubs.
In the 18th minute, United were let off when what should have been a more effective chance for Chicago, with miscommunication between Brilliant and Tony Alfaro, allowed Robert Beric in behind the defense but luckily for United, the chance was squandered at top of the box
For long stretches of the first half, both teams lacked sharpness in the final third until in the 32nd minute, the Fire popped up out of nowhere with a cross by Boris Sekulic to Gaston Gimenez, with no pressure on Seculic by Asad, allowed Giminez to outjump Najar and Bill Hamid was unable to stop it for a 1-0 lead.
After the goal, United was unable to pressure the Chicago defense when they had possession. With often disjointed and lackadaisical pressure by the forwards, it looked like Losadaball was left in Philadelphia.
In the best chance for United in the first half, Yamil Asad had an easy chance in the 41st minute. Julian Gressel pushed the ball up the right wing and cut a ball back towards Asad, who sidefoot curls it past the right post.
It would be his last action of the day, as Asad made way for Yordy Reyna and Kevin Paredes came on in place of Joseph Mora.
The second half started much like the first, with intense pressure by Chicago causing a turnover and early opportunities that they were ultimately unable to convert.
As in the first half, DC’s front two were disconnected from the rest of the attack at the start of the second half, leading the defense to try long balls over the top and up the wing.
United’s first chance in the second half came in the 53rd minute, with a great ball by Najar out of the back to Ola Kamara. Kamara took the ball to the endline and squared it to Reyna, who shot it right at Shuttleworth, who saved easily.
After the 55th minute yellow card on Najar, United played with the lack of sharpness you’d expect in a midweek game on the road. DCU increased the urgency of play around the 60th minute, continuing to create scoring opportunities and look for the equalizer.
Unfortunately, just like the first goal, the Fire stumbled into another opportunity. Miguel Navarro was pressing forward in the 60th minute, when he crossed the ball across the face of the goal, deflecting off the feet of a retreating Najar, as the ball helplessly rolled past Hamid for a 2-0 lead.
Miscommunication between Moses Nyeman and Junior Moreno in the 63rd minute led to a counter attack and nearly a goal, as DCU had to commit more men forward down 2 goals.
In the 10 minute period after the goal, United looked like a beaten team, with Coach Hernan Losada remarking on the head down mentality of his side in that interval. That changed in the 83rd minute.
After continuing to create opportunities all game, without being able to convert, Kevin Paredes took matters into his own hands in the 82nd minute when he guided a ball off the post and in to give United a pulse.
That pulse turned into a definitive thumping heartbeat in the 86th minute. Andy Najar earned a penalty kick, shielding a loose ball on the corner of the 18 yard box when Jonathan Bornstein needlessly went to ground. Ola Kamara stepped forward and scored his 6th of the season, with a stutter finish past Shuttleworth.
Losada reflected on the game, where his team had the overwhelming majority of the good chances created, but ended up being lucky to leave with the draw.
After a hard defeat at the very end against NYC and 5 min before the end at Philly, playing on the road 0-2 behind, after creating again…the situations are not shots from 30 miles, these are great opportunities inside the box…when you miss so many opportunities and still you are 0-2 behind and you have games like NYCFC and Philly in the back of your head, I can only say congrats to the mentality and the way the team came back.
From the team point of view, I don’t think we can do more. I don’t think we can play better. The first half was total domination, the only opportunity of Chicago was a goal, the second goal was an old goal. At the end I have to be happy with one point, when you see the totality of the game, we had the performances to get a win.
Hernan Losada, Post game Press Conference 7.21.21
United flew into O’Hare expecting 3 points and an inability to cash in on early chances left them happy to walk away with a point as they head home and prepare for another challenging game against the Red Bulls. The injuries the team is facing, along with the third game in 8 days, makes the task in the rivalry game even more challenging than usual. But after a mentally draining 90 minutes, United will stuff some Garrett’s in their carry on bag and get out of town with at least some of what they came to Chicago expecting.