Quarterfinal Summaries
Sept. 28 in Las Vegas, Nev.
Chicago Fire (USA) 2 Joe Public (Trin. & Tobago) 0. Goals: Razov 19, Kovalenko 82. Chicago -- Thronton, Brown, Kubik,
Okaroh, Gutierrez, Armas (George, 86), Marsch, Nowak, Kosecki (Kovalenko, 76), Razov (Dougherty, 80), Podbrozny. Joe Public -- D.Thomas, John, Garcia (Fabio, 65), Mason, Mulraine, Dwarika, Gray
(Dhanoolal, 46), Jemmot, K.Thomas, A.Thomas, Pierre. Att.: 6,521. Sept. 28 in Las Vegas, Nev.
Alajuela (Costa Rica) 1 Toluca (Mexico) 0. Goal: Miso 58. Toluca -- Cristante, Carmona,
Blanco, Taboada (Morales, 70), Ruiz, Ferreira (R.Garcia, 62), Macias, Rangel, A.Garcia (Matias, 62), Abundis, Cardozo. Alajuela -- Messen, Delgado, Smith, Lopez, Munoz (Duran, 87), Chinchilla,
Hidalgo (Arnaez, 56), Miso, Wallace, Alfaro, Valente (Castor, 90). Att.: 6,521.
Chicago Fire-Joe Public (Minute by Minute)
1: Jesse Marsch has a go from 22 yards and his
shot is saved for a corner.
2: A Podbrozny shot off a corner is wide left.
8: Jesse Marsch tries to volley a cross from Ante Razov, but his attempt goes over the bar.
14:
Ante Razov on a breakaway off a long clearance from Zach Thornton, but Joe Public keeper Donavon Thomas is up to the task and stones him, Roman Kosecki's rebound follow is wide left.
17:
Adaryll John crosses to the center of the "6," and Zach Thornton hits it out for a corner.
18: Travis Mulraine has a go from long distance but he is very high and very wide.
19:
A Kubik free kick from the left side hits the crossbar and the rebound from Podbrozny is deflected out for a corner.
19: Chicago scores, 1-0. Peter Nowak sends a corner to the middle of
the "6," where Ante Razov runs onto and heads into the net to the far left side.
21: An Ante Razov shot from the center of the park is over the bar.
26: After a long ball from
Kubik, Roman Kosecki makes a run to goal and his shot from the left side just misses the far post.
31: Peter Nowak from close range is way over the bar.
31: Roman Kosecki on a
counter, and his shot is saved for a corner.
32: A Lubos Kubik blast off a corner misses the right post for a corner.
33: Keyend Thomas from long range, way over the bar.
33:
Ante Razov from 25 yards, right at the Joe Public keeper.
37: Ante Razov from close range is over the bar.
47: A Lubos Kubik freekick is deflected right to Ante Razov, who
heads in for a goal, but is called for offside. 50: Stokely Mason takes the freekick for Joe Public and as Thornton comes out to clear, the goal is open, but a Chicago defender clears.
59:
An Ante Razov header from close range is way over the bar.
62: Ante Razov with two great chances, neither of which finds the back of the net. The first is off of a Jerzy Podbrozny pass
which is right at the Joe Public keeper, the rebound goes right back to Razov who shanks it wide left and out of bounds.
67: Kerwyn Jemmot from 28 yards, well hit but over the bar.
70:
A Nigel Pierre header from 10 yards in the middle of the box is out for a corner.
71: On a nice run down the middle of the field Jerzy Podbrozny misses on a header inside the "6."
71:
A great piece of passing as Podbrozny takes the corner, swings it to the back post, where Gutierrez gets up high and heads it back to a waiting Ante Razov, who is all alone and from 8 yards out,
his shot is over the bar.
75: Roman Kosecki dribbling down the left side. He has a go from 20 yards and is stopped at the near post by the keeper.
82: Dema Kovalenko scores for
Chicago, now 2-0. Paul Dougherty steals the ball and heads to goal he fakes out a couple of defenders, draws the keeper to him and squares to a waiting Kovalenko, who taps it in.
85: Fabio
Agripino's freekick is caught by Thornton.
87: Paul Dougherty's close range shot is saved away.
90: Dema Kovalenko's shot from close range is also saved.
Fire Reaction
Head Coach Bob Bradley "Tonight's goal was to advance to Friday and that is what we did. These games are difficult, and there are a lot of expectations, and they are not as easy as people
might think they are. It is good to get the win though, I am pleased with the result, despite the lack of finishing. We have no preference as to whom we play in the next round, Toluca or Alajuela
[which won 1-0 in an upset]. Overall, it is great to be here, all over the world soccer schedules overlap league schedules, so I am not upset we have to play this tournament, I am glad. We earned our
way here, we deserve to play here and we have been looking forward to it for several months."
Midfielder Peter Nowak "We were all nervous and excited about being here and playing in this
tournament. We got lots of chances but didn't convert. Fopefully Friday can be the same, we can get lots of chances but we need to convert the next time. We talked before the game about being patient
and not getting frustrated if we can't finish our chances. The goals will come and we will get the chances. We just need to play like champions."
Defender Francis Okaroh "We made the game
harder for ourselves by not putting away the chances we got. It has been this way all season, and as a result we keep team's in games, no matter the opponent, good or bad. Sometimes when we don't
finish and then make silly mistakes we lose games, but I am happy for the win tonight. We need to come back strong and finish the chances that we get on Friday."
