Fri Jun 20 00:52:41 2008

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Chivas USA snuffs Fire to move into 2nd in West

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Carson, CA (Sports Network) - The Chicago Fire lost their third game in a row and fourth in the last five games after a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Chivas USA at The Home Depot Center on Thursday night.

The Fire (6-5-1) missed an early chance to take the lead before giving up goals to Sacha Kljestan and Justin Braun - both set up by Ante Razov - to go down by two goals before the break.

Despite playing the entire second half up a man after Chivas USA's Paulo Nagamura was booked for his second yellow in first half stoppage time, Chicago didn't manage a shot on goal the entire second half as their finishers failed to take advantage a numerous set-ups from attacking midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco.

The Fire narrowly missed going up 1-0 inside five minutes when after a Blanco pass sprung Justin Mapp down the left side. The winger then played a perfect pass to Chad Barrett in the center of the box, but the forward one-timed the shot wide of the wide-open net.

The miss came back to burn the Fire a little over 20 minutes later when Kljestan got the game's first goal. After playing a give-and-go with Razov at the top of the Fire penalty area, Kljestan took a touch and fired a low shot just inside the far post from a touch angle for his fifth goal of the season.

Braun doubled the home side's advantage just after the half-hour mark when Razov ran onto a ball played by Francisco Mendoza and one-timed a cross from the left side to the edge of the six-yard box. Braun, who was making a run cutting into the box, slide in and knocked the chance past Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch, near post, for his second goal of the season.

Barrett missed another golden opportunity for the Fire 10 minutes before the break when a pass from deep in the midfield found him behind the defense running toward goal. Barrett then took a touch around and onrushing Busch and hammered a shot at the open net behind him, but it went out-of bounds and hit the near post outside netting.

Chicago was given hope just before the break Nagamura was sent off by referee Baldomero Toledo, but it wasn't enough as Chivas USA (5-6-2) played shutdown defense the entire second half, limiting the Chicago chances.

Barrett had his side's best second-half opportunity, but he missed a header from 8 yards out after a Blanco service in the 90th minute to complete the hat trick of misses that could have made a difference in the game.

Chivas USA, which moved to second in the Western table with the win, will be back in action on June 28 when it hosts the New York Red Bulls while the Fire host San Jose earlier the same day in their next league fixture.