The Chicago Fire (2-7-15, 21 points) appear to be headed towards another losing season as they broke the MLS all-time record for draws with their 15th on Thursday against DC United.
With 10 matches remaining, the Fire will need to win every contest to still have a shot at the postseason. If the Fire fail to reach the playoffs, this will mark the first time in club history with consecutive losing seasons.
The Fire held a 1-0 lead late against the United on Thursday but allowed an equalizer from Josh Wolf to give the club its record-setting 15th draw.
“It’s unfortunate when you dominate a game that you should win and it comes down to an offsides goal that the referees missed,” said Fire interim Head Coach Frank Klopas. “That’s how it happens. It’s frustrating when you’ve put so much [effort] into it.”
While Klopas didn’t acknowledge the Fire missed scoring opportunities as being a microcosm of their season, the club hasn’t been able to hold onto leads or score enough goals to pose any offensive threat this year.
With a lack of an offensive threat, the Fire have changed their lineup frequently throughout the season but have failed to find the right combination to equal victories.
“We’re trying to put the best group out there,” Klopas said. “[It’s] based on training, performance. A lot [of training] is based on the form the players are in and we’ve got to be realistic at the point where at. Right now, a lot of players are playing for jobs for next year.”
The Fire have an array of young players mixed with a few veterans but could see another overhaul next season and it could include Klopas who is still the club’s technical director.
Even though the offense has failed to provide any consistency this season, one player has continued to show why the club traded for him before the regular season. Dominic Oduro, who was acquired via trade from the Houston Dynamo in March, leads the club with seven goals this season. The native Ghanaian almost added to that total on Thursday but missed four scoring opportunities against the United.
After his effort on Thursday, Oduro didn’t take long to move past his missed chances and focus on the club’s next contest against Toronto FC this Sunday.
“Those chances I should have put away,” Oduro said. “It’s just unfortunate but it’s part of the game. I just have to keep my head up but at the end of the day, all I can do is work harder to get it right.”
Other than Oduro, only Marco Pappa and Diego Chaves have scored more than two goals this season for the Fire. With a lack of another scoring threat to complement Oduro, the Fire have continued to struggle on the offensive end.
The club has scored more than two goals once this season and that was on March 26, the Fire’s home opening 3-2 win against Sporting Kansas City.
As the season begins to wind down, maintaining confidence within the locker room can sometimes be difficult for a club that may watch the playoffs from home. Oduro didn’t want to put the nail in the coffin for this season as he continues to believe there is hope for the Fire.
“[The playoffs] are not far from reach,” Oduro said. “Its 11 points away, anything can happen so we still have hope.”
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