Toronto FC, Fire play to scoreless draw

Updated: Jun 1, 2023, 06:24 am

Toronto FC generated chances but couldn't convert in a 0-0 draw against the visiting Chicago Fire on Wednesday.

Toronto (3-5-8, 17 points), which is 3-1-5 at home this season, had 19 shot attempts, seven of which were on target.

Chicago (3-4-8, 17 points) moved to 1-1-3 in MLS play under interim coach Frank Klopas.

The Reds dominated possession early, with 82 percent of the touches through the first five minutes. That advantage didn't translate on offense, however, as Toronto went without a shot attempt in that stretch.

The Fire had their first opportunity in the 10th minute off a set piece as Kendall Burks nearly headed in a kick by Xherdan Shaqiri, but it went into the side netting on the right side.

Lorenzo Insigne tried to get Toronto on the board first in the 11th minute when he took a pass from Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty and directed it toward the net from an acute angle, but it rolled past the far side.

The two sides exchanged chances two minutes apart midway through the half.

In the 21st minute, Kei Kamara tried to head in a corner by Shaqiri from the top of the 6-yard box, only to have it miss the left post.

Two minutes later, Federico Bernardeschi, back in the Toronto lineup after being benched Saturday, drove down the right wing before cutting into the middle of the box for an attempt that was denied on a diving reach by goalkeeper Chris Brady.

Brady's night came to an end in the 24th minute when Toronto's Deandre Kerr accidentally hit him in the head on another save attempt. The goalkeeper, his face bleeding heavily, was tended to before leaving under his power and being replaced by Spencer Richey.

Richey delivered in relief, stopping Kosi Thompson streaking down the middle of the box in the 42nd minute and, a minute later, deflecting a shot from high in the box over the net.

The Fire and Reds had more opportunities early in the second half but neither could find the back of the net.

Kamara took a shot from above the arc that was stopped by TFC goalkeeper Sean Johnson in the 49th minute, and in the 53rd minute, Insigne fed Marshall-Rutty down by the left side of the goal area, only to be stopped by Richey.

Brady was credited with three saves while Richey made four stops. Johnson recorded one save.

--Field Level Media