{"id":33952,"date":"2017-07-06T07:29:21","date_gmt":"2017-07-06T07:29:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=33952"},"modified":"2017-07-06T07:29:21","modified_gmt":"2017-07-06T07:29:21","slug":"fire-run-unbeaten-streak-to-11-with-2-2-draw-in-portland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/sports\/mlb\/fire-run-unbeaten-streak-to-11-with-2-2-draw-in-portland.html","title":{"rendered":"Fire run unbeaten streak to 11 with 2-2 draw in Portland"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fire run unbeaten streak to 11 with 2-2 draw in Portland<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Fire run unbeaten streak to 11 with 2-2 draw in Portland:- After a draw against the Timbers, the music was playing loud in the Chicago Fire’s locker room and the players were in a festive mood.<\/span><\/p>\n

The surging Fire are undefeated in the last 11 games. The 2-2 tie in Portland on Wednesday night was the latest in a string of matches without a loss that started May 6.<\/span><\/p>\n

“If you’re happy outside the field, you’re happy on the field, and I think that’s the case right now,” said Chicago’s Arturo Alvarez, who had a first-half goal. “We just have to continue. It’s a long season, I’m sure we’re going to hit some ups and downs, but at the end of the day we just have to make sure we stick together with a positive mindset and win as many games as we can.”<\/span><\/p>\n

The Fire (11-3-4) have won nine games over the 11-game stretch. Last season, Chicago finished the season with just seven total victories and an MLS-worst 31 points.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fanendo Adi opened the scoring for the Timbers (7-7-5) on a penalty kick in the 24th minute, and Alvarez tied it 10 minutes later.<\/span><\/p>\n

Defender Brandon Vincent got his first goal of the season early in the second half to give the Fire the lead before Sebastian Blanco took a pass from Diego Valeri and slotted the tying goal past goalkeeper Matt Lampson in the 70th minute.<\/span><\/p>\n

“In the end, unfortunately we dropped two points, but it was a tough game, fantastic opponent. These kinds of games are very helpful for our team to grow, especially when you get a point on the road,” Fire coach Veljko Paunovic said. “Obviously we are not happy with just the point, but we are happy with the character and the way the team played today. “<\/span><\/p>\n

It was the third straight draw for the Timbers, who are winless in five straight games. But Portland has never lost to Chicago, with four wins and four draws since joining the league in 2011.<\/span><\/p>\n

Portland coach Caleb Porter praised his team for the effort.<\/span><\/p>\n

“It’s our best performance of the year, on both sides of the ball. It’s crazy in this sport that we could have 24 shots to six and not get out of here with three points, but I was very pleased with the performance,” Porter said. “I have nothing more to say other than, if we do that again, and if that’s the best team in the league, I like our chances this year.”<\/span><\/p>\n

The Fire were without midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger. He left a 4-0 victory over Vancouver this weekend with what was described as right hip pain.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chicago was also missing midfielder Dax McCarty, who was with the U.S. national team for the CONCACAF Gold Cup.<\/span><\/p>\n

Portland was missing three players for the Gold Cup: David Guzman for Costa Rica, and Darren Mattocks and Alvas Powell for Jamaica.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adi scored on the penalty kick after Juninho was called for a handball in the box. It was Adi’s 10th goal of the season.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Fire pulled even when Alvarez’s shot from distance bounced in front of Nemanja Nikolic and past diving goalkeeper Jake Gleeson. Nikolic was originally given credit for the goal, but told the Chicago broadcasting team at the half that he never touched it.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was Alvarez’s third goal of the season. Nikolic has league-leading 16 goals.<\/span><\/p>\n

After Vincent’s goal in the 61st minute that bounced into the goal from the crossbar, Blanco scored his third goal of the season.<\/span><\/p>\n

It appeared that Adi scored the winner in the 90th minute, but the goal didn’t count because of a foul. After the game, Porter went to midfield to address the referees, who were booed by the crowd as they walked off.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-\u00a0https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/sports\/mls\/2017\/07\/06\/fire-run-unbeaten-streak-to-11-with-2-2-draw-in-portland\/103460754\/<\/span><\/p>\n

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