Chicago Fire raze San Juan Jabloteh

CHICAGO: Chicago Fire, of the USA, thumped Trinidad and Tobago’s CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh out of the CONCACAF Champions Cup with a 4-0 victory in their second-leg match at Soldier Field on Wednesday night. Chicago Fire wiped out a three-goal deficit and won the quarter-final tie 6-5 on aggregate through two goals by Botswana’s Dipsy Selolwane, and other strikes by Jamaican Damani Ralph and Chris Armas. “I’m very proud of our team. We had a quiet confidence that we could win this game,” Chicago coach Dave Sarachan said after the game. San Juan Jabloteh, the Caribbean Club Champions, had won the first leg at home 5-2 last Wednesday, but faltered on the Americans’ home ground to crash out of the tournament. Jabloteh defender Ian Gray was ejected in the 36th minute after receiving his second yellow card for a reckless foul against Nate Jaqua.

The Fire, focusing on attack, went ahead in the 42nd minute through the Jamaican combination of Ralph and Andy Williams. Ralph received a pass on the right flank from Williams and worked past a pair of defenders to find enough space to get off a powerful shot from 20 yards out that nestled under the upper left corner. It became 2-0 in the 51st minute when Armas held the ball at the top of the penalty area and sent a pass to Selolwane, who struck a blazing shot from 25 yards out that beat goalkeeper Daurance Williams and put the Fire down just one goal in the series. That lead would evaporate 11 minutes later when Ralph darted up the middle of the field and played Selolwane behind the Jabloteh defence. The Botswana international came through again, easily dribbling around Williams in the right side of the penalty area to put the Fire up 3-0 in the game and levelling the series at 5-5.

The game would open up on both sides for the last half hour as the Fire gathered their legs for one last final push and Jabloteh showed glimpses of the flair that earned them a convincing win seven days ago. However, Chicago would once again take over the flow of the match and would gain the series winner in the last minute. Again Selolwane was at the heart of the play, as his through ball sprang Armas free inside the penalty area for the series winner.

Teams: CHICAGO FIRE — Henry Ring, Evan Whitfield, Jim Curtin, CJ Brown, Andy Williams (Kelly Gray 89th), Chris Armas, Justin Mapp, Logan Pause (Dipsy Selolwane 46th), DaMarcus Beasley, Nate Jaqua, Damani Ralph. SAN JUAN JABLOTEH — Daurance Williams, Nigel Daniel, Ansil Elcock, Cyd Gray, Ian Gray, Kerry Baptiste (Ronald Primus 40th), Angus Eve (Joseph Peters 66th), Trent Noel, Cornell Glenn, Kerry Noray (Vernon Bailey 55th), Aurtis Whitley. (CMC)