Sporting Kansas City has made a habit of overwhelming opponents at Livestrong Sporting Park, but on Friday night the dangerous KC attack just could not find a way to beat Chicago Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson.
The young netminder made five saves, most of the acrobatic variety to keep Sporting KC off the scoresheet and help Marco Pappa's 58th-minute strike stand up as the game-winning goal in Chicago's 1-0 victory.
Sporting KC dominated play, out-shooting Chicago 27-10, but KC's wayward shooting and tough Fire defending limited Sporting to just five shots on goal. Most of those were of the dangerous variety, particularly late in the match, but Johnson was up to the task each time.
Pappa continued his red-hot form, finishing off a Chris Rolfe pass to give Chicago the 1-0 lead. Rolfe enjoyed his best game for the Fire since returning from Europe, playing the full 90 minutes.
The loss makes it three straight matches without a victory for Sporting KC, and two straight shutout losses. Kansas City missed a golden chance to jump into first place in the East, and instead has seen Chicago close the gap behind them to two points.
Match highlights will be coming shortly. For now, what did you think of Chicago's performance? See the Fire making a push for first place in the East? Starting to wonder about Sporting KC's ability to recapture their strong early-season form?
Share your thoughts below.