Sporting KC extends Chicago's road misery with shutout

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:21 am

Yohan Croizet scored an early goal and Sporting Kansas City held on for a 1-0 victory against visiting Chicago on Saturday night, extending the Fire's road winless streak to 22 games.

The Fire (5-8-7, 22 points) are 0-16-6 in away matches since a 2-1 victory at Orlando City SC on May 26, 2018.

Goalkeeper Tim Melia made two saves for his third shutout of the season as Sporting KC (5-7-7, 22 points), the reigning Western Conference regular-season champion, snapped a two-game losing streak and climbed out of the cellar.

Croizet scored in the 14th minute, his third goal of the season to match his total from 2018, off a pass from Felipe Gutierrez as Kansas City rebounded from a 5-1 defeat at home Wednesday against Los Angeles FC.

From his own half of the field, Gutierrez made a long, low through ball up the middle to Croizet, who outran a Chicago defender and caught up to the ball about 35 yards from the net. Instead of trying to control the ball and dribble around Chicago goalie Kenneth Kronholm, who had raced just beyond the top of the 18-yard box, Croizet, a 27-year-old Frenchman, struck a low one-timer with his left foot that squeezed between Kronholm's legs and rolled into the net.

Yohan Croizet
Yohan Croizet
Peter G. Aiken/USA TODAY Sports

Chicago's Nico Gaitan, who had a goal and three assists in Wednesday's 5-1 victory at home against defending MLS Cup champion Atlanta United FC, had perhaps the Fire's best chance to score in the 32nd minute, but his curling shot from the top of the penalty area went just wide of the right post.

Kansas City outshot Chicago 17-6, including 10-2 in attempts on target.

The Fire didn't get a shot on goal until Dax McCarty's header in the 68th minute. Melia also stopped Nemanja Nikolic's shot from outside the box in the 73rd minute.

Kronholm made eight saves to keep the Fire in the game.