TFC’s mental errors allow Chicago to snatch a late win

Paul Mariner

A series of grievous errors allowed Toronto FC to gift a 2-1 win to the Chicago Fire in Bridgeview, Ill. Saturday.

Toronto FC held a 1-0 lead at halftime, and it could have been 2-0 — because, right before halftime, Luis Silva was absolutely robbed by Fire keeper Sean Johnson.

But, mistakes from keeper Milos Kocic, who took a knee to the head in the first half and was bleeding from both nostrils, and defender Logan Emory helped undo Toronto FC’s efforts for the evening.

As the Fire hold the fifth and final Eastern Conference playoff position, the loss now leaves TFC a whopping 16 points out of a playoff spot.

With the Reds clinging to a 1-0 lead in the second half, a combination of bad luck and mental errors allowed Marco Pappa — whose careless giveaway just 14 minutes into the match allowed TFC’s Ryan Johnson to score the game’s opening goal — to get back in the good books of the home fans.

TFC defender Doneil Henry tried to sidefoot a Fire cross out of danger, but the ball hit fellow defender Logan Emory in the leg and stayed in the box. That was the “bad luck” part of the equation. But the situation was made so much worse when Kocic elected to come off the line and make a vain dive for the loose ball. Pappa got to it first ,walked around the keeper, and then slammed the ball into the goal past TFC defender Richard Eckersley, who was standing at the near post trying to be a makeshift goaltender.

Then, with just a little more than 10 minutes to play, Emory was sent off, picking up a second yellow for clumsily crashing into the Fire’s Chris Rolfe after the ball was played. Whether the tackle was malicious or not was irrelevant. Coaches will always lament rash challenges made when the ball is not in a dangerous area. Rolfe was in his own half, with his back to goal, waiting for a lobbed pass to come down. Emory came sprinting in and made a challenge when he should have simply held his position. There was no need to go into that tackle at all.

“You can’t really legislate for Logan deciding to get himself sent off,” said TFC coach Paul Mariner after the match, clearly unhappy with Emory. “The play was going nowhere — just ridiculous.”

Emory’s loss would be felt on what would be the game winning goal. TFC was actually down to nine men at the time, with substitute right back Jeremy Hall getting treatment on his right leg after he got involved in an on-the-ball battle with the Fire’s Patrick Nyarko. Not only was Hall hurt, he was judged to have committed a foul.

With Hall off for treatment (he would later leave the pitch, for good), and TFC down to nine men, Austin Berry had an open header off Pavel Pardo’s free kick. Maybe if Emory is still in the game, Berry isn’t so wide open.

You can’t legislate for Jeremy [Hall] getting hurt,” said Mariner. “What was striking to me was that my player hobbles off with an ankle injury and they get the free kick. It’s rather puzzling.”

The Fire came out rolling early on, but allowed two great chances to go wanting. Alvaro Fernandez, just acquired from the Seattle Sounders, lingered on the ball too long when he was just six yards from the goal, and never got a shot off. And, later, Kocic would slide out to stop Rolfe. But, as Kocic slid, Henry’s knee smacked him in the face, and he needed gauze in both nostrils to stop the bleeding.

“Milos probably broke his nose but said he was fine,” said Mariner. “He’s a tough kid.”

And, TFC had a great chance to go up two right before halftime. Terry Dunfield swung in a clever ball, and Ryan Johnson, cutting in front of the Chicago goal, made a deft back-heel layoff for Silva. But Fire keeper Sean Johnson dove and directed Silva’s shot off the post.

The Fire’s comeback spoiled Eric Hassli’s debut in the TFC shirt.