Fire gets one shot on goal in shutout loss to Revolution
SUN-TIMES WIRES October 20, 2012 11:56PM
FOXBORO, MA - OCTOBER 20: Clyde Simms #19 of the New England Revolution fights for the ball against Patrcik Nyarko #14 of the Chicago Fire during the game on October 20, 2012 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
Updated: November 22, 2012 6:57AM
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Diego Fagundez scored in the 17th minute to lead the New England Revolution to a 1-0 victory against the Fire on Saturday night and end a 196-minute scoreless streak for the hosts.
Fagundez took a pass from Kelyn Rowe and scored from 30 yards.
Goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth, dressed in pink for breast cancer awareness month, needed to make just one save in his second shutout of the season for New England (8-17-8), which has been eliminated from playoff contention.
Shuttleworth stopped Patrick Nyarko’s shot in the 86th minute off a cross from Alvaro Fernandez.
Fire coach Frank Klopas opted to sit veteran defender Arne Friedrich as a healthy scratch but the team’s defense was sturdy on the night, allowing only one shot on goal in 90 minutes.
Late-game substitutes Fernandez and Dominic Oduro were brought on to provide an offensive spark. The Brazilian midfielder sent in a hopeful cross in the 86th that fell to Nyarko, but the Ghanaian’s shot bounced right to Shuttleworth.
The Fire (17-11-5) had clinched a playoff berth.
The loss leaves the Fire in third place in the Eastern Conference and sets up an important match against D.C. United at Toyota Park to close out the MLS regular season at Toyota Park next Saturday
New England, 2-1 against the Fire this season, was without midfielder Benny Feilhaber, serving a one-game suspension for his red card at Philadelphia on Oct. 6. The Revs’ Jerry Bengtson received his first yellow card of the MLS season in the 44th minute for a reckless challenge. Sun-Times wires
