In the press conference following the game, head coach Veljko Paunovic said that the win “wasn’t pretty, but was good for the group.” That was undoubtedly the truest thing Pauno has said all season.
Today’s win— the Fire’s first in 2019— was, as the kids might say, ugly af. Their passing was atrocious. They failed to capitalize on their best chances. There were moments when this team was downright sloppy up front.
But it was an entirely different story in the back. They kept their shit locked down tight, even after defending a small lead (a situation in which the Fire tend to do poorly).