Fire Douse Whitecaps

CHICAGO FIRE 4 – VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC 1
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – Vancouver Whitecaps suffered a 4-1 defeat to Major League Soccer (MLS) club Chicago Fire in the second match of their two-week pre-season trip to Arizona on Monday.

A pair of first-half goals by Dutch striker Collins John set Chicago on their way to victory in their first match of the pre-season, despite Whitecaps midfielder Ricardo Sánchez scoring from the penalty spot just before the break for the USSF D-2 Pro League outfit. The Fire sealed the win at Arizona State University Soccer Stadium when second-half substitute Stefan Dimitrov scored twice shortly after halftime.

Following on from last Thursday’s 3-2 friendly defeat to MLS club Seattle Sounders FC, Whitecaps head coach Teitur Thordarson made three changes to his starting XI for Monday’s match in Tempe, Arizona. Trialist Dan Pelc replaced Jay Nolly in the Vancouver goal, while Nelson Akwari came in for trialist Wesley Charles at centre back. New ‘Caps signing Zourab Tsiskaridze replaced Randy Edwini-Bonsu to partner Marlon James in attack.

On a typically warm and sunny Arizona afternoon, it was the Fire that made the most of their 4-1-4-1 formation set out by new head coach Carlos de los Cobos, with Monday’s friendly played over the course of two 40-minute halves.

Chicago needed little time to take the lead. From their first corner of the match on 17 minutes, John took advantage of a partially cleared Joao Baptista set-piece and powered home a right-footed shot for 1-0. The Fire doubled their advantage through another strike by John on 36 minutes. The trialist, who enjoyed a spell in the English Premier League with Fulham FC, struck a half-volleyed effort past Pelc to make it 2-0.

Two minutes after the second goal, however, the Whitecaps pulled one back after English defender Izzy Iriekpen brought down James in the Fire box for a penalty. Sánchez stepped up to convert his spot kick past Fire goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra for a 2-1 Chicago lead at the break.

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