BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. – Despite the failure to build on the Chicago Fire’s big road win in Montreal with another victory, head coach Veljko Paunovic saw enough from the 2-2 tie with the LA Galaxy on Wednesday at Toyota Park to confirm that his side is headed in the right direction.
The Fire (5-11-8, 23 points) leapfrogged Columbus Crew SC at the bottom of the Eastern Conference on goal difference following the hard-fought draw against an LA side that rested much of their star-studded roster.
However, the home side, buoyed by that 3-0 win in Canada, sprung to life after falling behind to Gyasi Zardes’ 31st-minute opener, with goals from Alvaro Alvarez and David Accam giving them a 2-1 halftime lead.