51黑料

On another night where a potential success gave way to another heavy helping of frustration, City SC led 2-1 going into the 67th minute, only to give up two late goals and come away with nothing in a 3-2 loss to the Chicago Fire at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois. It was the second time in its past three games City SC has led that late in the game, only to lose, and the fourth consecutive game it had allowed a goal in the 85th minute or later. If City SC could have held on to the leads it has had this season, it would be in a playoff position.

鈥淭his one, it was tough tonight,鈥� said interim coach David Critchley. 鈥淢y mind is still going in a thousand directions. This one stings a little.鈥�

And the way SC goes about these games continues to make the losses even more painful. City SC was outplayed in the first half and trailed 1-0 but then came out in the second half and scored twice to take a 2-1 lead and create the thought that maybe this game would be different. But they seldom are, and City SC gave up goals in the 67th and 87th minutes, and once again, it didn鈥檛 even get a point for a tie.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very disappointing,鈥� said midfielder Tomas Ostrak, who almost single-handedly put City SC in the lead, scoring the first goal and setting up the second. 鈥淚 think we played very well in the second half. We came with good energy. I felt like we鈥檙e doing a very good job. We pressed very well. We鈥檝e been confident on the ball. We passed the ball around very well, quick. We had some good decisions, then we score goal, second goal, very good, good in the game. And then I don鈥檛 know. I don鈥檛 even know what happened.鈥�

What happened was City SC couldn鈥檛 hold its lead. Since Critchley took over, City SC has lost 11 points from winning positions in the second half. That鈥檚 more than under Olof Mellberg, primarily because the team led far less often during his time as coach.

鈥淲e try playing the same soccer,鈥� Ostrak said, 鈥渂ecause we鈥檝e been playing forward, playing fast, playing straight, nobody was hiding. But sometimes one fails, and they have a good team. They have very good attacking players, so they have quality, of course. We knew, and we should be more careful and be more prepared for them. But it was very tough because it was like one second, and then, we lost the ball. They got some transition; they scored the goal. And it鈥檚 with that kind of quality player, it鈥檚 very, very tough. But overall, I鈥檓 very happy for this performance of our team.鈥�

鈥淚f we would have come away with it with a 2-1 win, I would probably be the happiest man in Chicago,鈥� said Critchley. 鈥淲e know we鈥檝e conceded goals late in games. I know that data shows in the 75th minute we鈥檙e the No. 1 team that鈥檚 conceded goals this season. I鈥檓 very fully aware of that. So we need to keep working on these details. And it鈥檚 not a combination of one thing. It鈥檚 a little bit of everything. So we鈥檝e got to continue to get through these moments. And when I saw this go 2-1 up, I knew we kind of needed a third goal, just by what the season has shown me as a coach that stepped into this group this season.鈥�

While wins at this point are mostly cosmetic for City SC, the losses keep moving it closer to mathematic elimination, though in any practical sense, elimination is a fait accompli. If City SC were to win all eight of its remaining games, finishing with 45 points might not be enough to make the playoffs. And considering that City SC has lost seven straight on the road, getting outscored 17-5 in the process, winning all four of its remaining road games seems an ambitious proposition. City SC is tied with the Los Angeles Galaxy for the fewest points in road games this season: five.

In another ongoing occurrence at City SC games, a discouraging result overshadowed an encouraging performance. Ostrak scored his first goal in 17 months, much of which he missed due to a serious leg injury, and also had an assist and kept going his run of solid play over the past month. He tied the game in the 47th minute, getting a ball in the box, positioning himself so he had a shooting lane and put it into the upper left side of the goal. Twelve minutes later, he crossed a ball to Marcel Hartel, who controlled it and fired in a shot from about 8 yards out for his fifth goal and to put City SC ahead.

鈥淭omas has grown every week,鈥� Critchley said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 in a good position right now. I would probably say for me, it鈥檚 the best form he鈥檚 been in since being at this club. He鈥檚 training really well. He plays really well. I鈥檓 so super-happy when I see guys from the back end and training every single day, work on their craft and work as hard as they can and then get rewarded in front of the fans and globally. So Tomas is contributing very well to this team, so I should be happy with his performance.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 very happy,鈥� Ostrak said, 鈥渂ecause after this injury, I think I didn鈥檛 score for one and maybe one-half year. Maybe, I don鈥檛 even know how long it is, but I鈥檓 very proud. I鈥檓 very happy for me, but very disappointed with the result. So I don鈥檛 know how I should manage it? It鈥檚 like nice feelings but bad feelings as well. So I will be happier if we get these three points. I will be happier from that.鈥�

The start of the game was delayed one hour and 21 minutes as thunderstorms passed through the area.