Photo by Dennis Wierzbicki/USA TODAY Sports

By AARON CRANFORD

For 89 minutes, the Chicago Fire controlled Saturday’s match against the Colorado Rapids.

But the visitors only needed one minute, the very first minute of the game, to make every Fire fan leave disappointed.

The Rapids took down the Fire, 1-0, in the pair’s only meeting during the 2015 season. Dillon Serna tapped in the only goal of the game with barely any time off of the clock.

The result is a blessing for the visitors, as it snaps their three-game losing streak and is their first win since July 18. On the other side, the Fire faithful may start thinking about planning their next season, because with the loss, Chicago remains last in the Eastern Conference with 23 points.

And while the Fire looked the better side for a majority of the time at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois, the result only adds to their dismal track record. The Fire have won just two of their last 13 games, a run that includes eight losses.

The match started with a bang, as Kevin Doyle played Gabriel Torres down the right side. The Panamanian fizzed in a low cross to the top of the six-yard box where Serna stood alone to tap in the easy opportunity.

The Fire had a decent amount of chances to find the equalizer in the first half, as they had 66 percent of the possession.

The first Fire opportunity came in the 10th minute when Rapids goalkeeper Clint Irwin was shown a yellow card for handling the ball outside of the penalty area. Jeff Larentowicz blasted the free kick toward goal, but a deflection saw his effort sail just wide of the right post.

Three minutes later, David Accam sent a powerful blast toward the top-left corner of the goal, but Irwin reacted quickly and parried it wide.

Nearing halftime, Kennedy Igboananike sent a shot across goal, and while Irwin dove to his right, the ball rolled well wide of the far-left post.

The Rapids had the first chance out of the break. Just inside the 48th minute, Doyle held off Eric Gehrig and Matt Polster before sending a blast toward goal, but the shot deflected just over the crossbar and out.

From then on, the visitors enjoyed disrupting a speedy Fire frontline by putting many men behind the ball, forcing them to breakdown their defense. The Fire were unable to find a way through, and the Rapids consequently had the better opportunities to score the second goal on the counter.

In the 62nd minute, the Rapids came close to putting the match to bed. Doyle rose high and met a Serna corner kick, but the ball flew inches wide of the left post. Torres put an effort of his own on frame 12 minutes later, forcing goalkeeper Sean Johnson into a save.

The Fire brought on Gilberto and Mike Magee late, but even with the extra additions up front were unable to find the equalizer. Gilberto came the closest in the 92nd minute, hitting the right post from close range. He later hobbled off the field with an injury.

While the Rapids host the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday, the Fire will stay at Toyota Park to play the New York Red Bulls the same day.