July 24, 2022 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Chicago Fire FC News Release
Chicago Fire FC’s Chris Muelle and Xherdan Shaqiri
(Chicago Fire FC)
VANCOUVER – Chicago Fire FC (7-10-5, 26 points) won its third straight game in league play on Saturday night, defeating Vancouver Whitecaps FC (7-10-5, 26 points) 3-1 at BC Place. With the win, the Fire are now just two points below the seventh and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference table with 12 games remaining in the regular season.
The Fire entered the away match coming out of a three-game homestand in which the Club picked up six out of nine points (2-0-1). With Saturday’s result, Chicago has now won five of its last eight games since June 18, outsourcing its opponents 11-8 during that stretch.
Designated Player Xherdan Shaqiri started the scoring for the Fire in the contest, burying his team-high fourth goal of the season in the 13th minute. The Swiss midfielder received a pass at the top of the 18-yard box from Federico Navarro and precisely curled a right-footed shot into the bottom corner to give the visitors an early lead.
After Vancouver managed to level against the run of play from striker Lucas Cavallini’s 53rd minute finish, the Fire would respond with two additional goals in the final 14 minutes of play. In the 76th minute, winger Chris Mueller served a lofted ball in the box toward team captain Rafa Czichos, who nodded home his third of the season. The finish marked the German defender’s third goal in his last four matches and his second consecutive game-winning goal.
With the Whitecaps pushing forward in search of another equalizer, Mueller would provide the insurance goal for the Fire in the 90th minute. Receiving a pass from Shaqiri on the left side of the box, Mueller cut inside on his preferred right foot and curled a well-placed shot into the top corner to secure the victory for the Fire.
NEXT MATCH: Chicago returns home for a doubleheader on the lakefront, as the team faces Atlanta United FC on Saturday, July 30. Beginning at 4:00 p.m CT, the match will be televised on WGN-TV and CF97 Live, and transmitted locally in Spanish on TUDN 1200 AM. The Fire’s game will be followed by an NWSL match between the Chicago Red Stars and the San Diego Wave, which will kick off at 7:00 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on Twitch.
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