Ex-Fire F Carr steps up for Dynamo

Calen Carr -- Getty Images

By Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com

Former Chicago Fire and current Houston Dynamo forward Calen Carr has had his share of injury spells over the past several years. This year it was a concussion that he suffered during the Fire's preseason in February when the team was training in Ave Maria, Fla.

Shortly into this year's regular season, the injured Carr found himself headed to Houston as the Dynamo swapped forwards with the Fire, sending Dominic Oduro to Chicago shortly after Houston's regular-season opener.

Oduro found his shooting touch with the Fire en route to 12 goals in MLS play. Carr needed several more months of healing time before he even had a chance to prove his worth for the Dynamo.

"It's been really frustrating not being able to have a run of games where I can put together a full, healthy season," Carr said. "The concussion, some injuries have been freak injuries -- the knee injury was a freak play. The concussion was a freak injury that I felt it would just take a couple weeks but it took longer than I was expecting. I think I've done a good job of coming back from injuries and putting them behind me. I haven't had as much work this season as I would like, but I'm looking to make the most of it."

Read more at ESPNChicago.com.

Oduro, Fire rally to draw Dynamo

Dominic Oduro -- Getty Images

By Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com

Fire interim head coach Frank Klopas certainly was not conceding Saturday's game against the Houston Dynamo. But with Tuesday's Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at Seattle Sounders FC and a recent 3-0 win at Real Salt Lake three days prior, Klopas decided to put several of Chicago's key cogs on the bench to start out.

One regular starter who got the call to start Saturday was Fire forward Dominic Oduro. Oduro netted a first-half goal against his former Dynamo team as Chicago rallied from a deficit to draw Houston, 1-1, at Robertson Stadium.

Oduro was traded to Chicago for Calen Carr at the start of the season after missing a sitter during the Dynamo's opening match. Now, Oduro is leading the Fire with 12 goals and is in the running for the league's Golden Boot.

"It was good to be back in Houston," Oduro said. "Playing on the other side was a little bit different. At the end of the day, I think the fans appreciated me playing for them and I thank them."

Oduro's day was cut short as he limped off the field with an ankle injury and was replaced by Patrick Nyarko in the 51st minute for precautionary reasons.

"It was just a little bit sore when I made contact in the box," Oduro said. "I should be OK for Tuesday."

Read more at ESPNChicago.com.

Fire try to stay hot at Houston

Dominic Oduro -- Getty Images

By Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com

The Chicago Fire do not have any time to savor one of their biggest victories of the season at Real Salt Lake on Wednesday.

Chicago heads into Saturday three points behind the New York Red Bulls, who currently hold the final wild card spot with 39 points. With only four regular-season games remaining, the Fire can potentially eliminate the gap behind New York when they face the Houston Dynamo at Robertson Stadium.

Chicago interim head coach Frank Klopas's squad is in the midst of a three-game stretch in seven days. On Tuesday, the Fire head to CenturyLink Field to take on the Seattle Sounders in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final.

"Unfortunately we don't have the luxury of games that aren't important," Fire defender Dan Gargan said. "All of these games are massive for us. Frank knows that, and he's doing the best to put out a good side each time we're out there."

Read more at ESPNChicago.com.

Fire settle for draw against Dynamo

Fire forward Diego Chaves -- Getty Images

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- With the pressure mounting on the Chicago Fire to produce a positive result following three straight defeats, the home side held a late lead but could not hang on en route to a 1-1 draw against the Houston Dynamo on Saturday in front of 12,473 at Toyota Park.

Dynamo defender Bobby Boswell scored in the 87th minute off of a corner kick to tie the score late at 1-1. Chicago did end its losing streak, but the Fire (1-3-2) missed out on a good opportunity to grab three points against a fellow Eastern Conference side that is known for capitalizing on its set pieces.

"We knew that one of the things that makes that team successful is set pieces," Fire captain Logan Pause said. "Giving up a goal on a set piece, it's just a bummer. We worked on it. It was actually my man who scored."

"They have big guys, big players," Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos said of Houston (2-1-3). "It's a shame, because it was one of the last minutes of the game again."

Diego Chaves tallied his team-leading fourth goal for the Fire for a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute. The Fire took advantage of Houston defender Corey Ashe coughing up the ball to Chicago midfielder Marco Pappa. Pappa took the Fire the other way and found Chaves inside the box, as Chaves slotted the ball past Dynamo goalkeeper Tally Hall.

Read more at ESPNChicago.com.

Floundering Fire confront Dynamo

Jalil Anibaba -- Getty Images

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire's current three-game losing streak is creeping into the realm of historic proportions if the team cannot turn things around Saturday when it hosts the Houston Dynamo at Toyota Park.

One more loss would put this stretch among only a handful of four-game Fire droughts, the most recent being a four-game skid in May of 2007.

"The mentality's always strong, but the confidence, we've lost a little bit of," Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos said Friday following training.

The Fire (1-3-1, four points) have had to rely on some of their younger personnel to shoulder the load this season. Second-year goalkeeper Sean Johnson and 2011 first-round draft pick and defender Jalil Anibaba thrust themselves into starting roles. But both have been prone to some big mistakes in recent matches.

De los Cobos decided before last week's 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy to turn to 33-year-old goalkeeper Jon Conway, who will return to the starting lineup Saturday against Houston. De los Cobos said that Anibaba continues to maintain his starting right back role.

"I think patience is the key, for everybody," 12-year veteran Conway said. "A lot's expected of these young guys, but they are young guys. You've got to realize that being thrown into this sort of environment, this quick and as tough as it may be, sometimes it takes a little bit longer. For me, all I do is show up and train like I have for my whole career and just train hard, and maybe that translates over to them and they can take that from me. I have had a long run of things, fortunately, and maybe that helps them out with getting over what they have to get over."

Read more at ESPNChicago.com.

HOUSTON DYNAMO 3, FIRE 2

Chicago rallies, but Houston nets PK for the final say

The Chicago Fire overcame a two-goal deficit, only to see the Houston Dynamo's Stuart Holden tally the game-winner in the 83rd minute en route to a 3-2 Dynamo victory Sunday in Major League Soccer action at Robertson Stadium in Houston. Holden's go-ahead penalty kick was the result of a Brandon Prideaux foul in the box to Houston's Corey Ashe.

The Fire suffered only their second road loss this season, falling to 8-4-9 overall and remaining four points behind the Eastern Conference-leading Columbus Crew. The Western Conference-leading Dynamo improved to 11-6-5.

Chicago's defense already was hampered before the game without the availability of center back Wilman Conde (hamstring) and right back Tim Ward (fractured left foot). But in the 5th minute, the Fire suffered another setback when Gonzalo Segares had to leave the game early because of an injury. Daniel Woolard came in to replace him, but in the 55th minute, he too was hurt when Houston's Brian Ching fouled him, enticing a yellow card. The Fire had to use their third and final sub with Dasan Robinson coming in.

The Fire defense also saw their shutout streak come to a close at 395 minutes when Houston's Kei Kamara scored off of a quick throw-in in the 21st minute to take a 1-0 lead, with Kamara blasting a shot at a difficult angle. The Dynamo's Ricardo Clark added a goal in the 38th for a 2-0 advantage.

But following halftime, Chicago quickly worked its way back in the game, with two goals in 2 minutes. Chris Rolfe scored a deep goal that rolled past Dynamo goalkeeper Pat Onstad's left to cut Houston's lead to 2-1 in the 46th minute. Then in the 48th, Peter Lowry netted a right-footed volley off of a Cuauhtemoc Blanco (pictured) cross from the left side.

The Fire held a 12-10 shots advantage, while Houston had a 6-4 edge in shots on goal.

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Next up: The Fire stay on the road to take on the Kansas City Wizards for a 2 p.m. match on Sunday, Aug. 16.

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Notes: Cuauhtemoc Blanco (Mexico) and Gonzalo Segares (Costa Rica) immediately were set to join their national teams for World Cup qualifying this week. Mexico hosts the U.S. on Wednesday, and Costa Rica takes on Honduras that day, as well. ... The Chicago Fire Premier Development League squad fell to the Ventura County Fusion, 2-1, on Saturday in the National PDL Championship. It was their second runner-up finish, the last coming in 2003.