Football
2019 Major League Soccer, Regular Season
CHI 
0
FT
 DC
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Reuters 5y

D.C. United, Fire battle to scoreless draw

Both in need of a victory, D.C. United and the Chicago Fire each settled for a single point from a 0-0 draw Saturday night in Bridgeview, Ill.

Though D.C. (9-6-9, 36 points) held 53.1 percent of the possession, and the Fire (5-10-9, 24 points) outshot the visitors 3-1 in on-target chances, the scoresheet remained empty. It was a sharp contrast from the offensive outburst showcased in their 3-3 draw in Washington on May 29.

The outcome should be frustrating for both sides. D.C. is now 2-3-7 over its last 12 MLS matches, while a Chicago side fighting to get near the playoff line in the Eastern Conference is 1-6-5 over the same amount of games.

Chicago, 0-3-2 since a 5-1 win over Atlanta United FC on July 3, had the first quality chance of the match in the 11th minute when Przemyslaw Frankowski missed a left-footer high from inside the box.

The Fire made more noise in traffic with a pair of chances off a 29th-minute free kick. However, D.C. keeper Bill Hamid slapped one attempt away, and defender Frederic Brillant kicked out another.

Brandt Bronico nearly put the Fire ahead early in the second half off a United turnover in their defensive third. However, his drive was stopped by Hamid as Chicago continued to pressure. It appeared D.C. committed a handball inside its own box in the 51st minute, but it was not called on the pitch or through the review booth.

United almost broke through in the 67th minute, but Wayne Rooney's bending free-kick was saved by diving Chicago keeper Kenneth Kronholm. That chance seemed to ignite United, who then got a near miss from Luciano Acosta on 71 minutes.

Frankowski offered another good drive in the 82nd minute that Hamid was again up to the challenge. Teammate Dax McCarty had his close-in attempt deflected out of play a few minutes later, and sub Amando Moreno went high in stoppage time.

Recently acquired defender and former U.S. national team member Jonathan Bornstein was in the starting XI for his Fire debut Saturday.

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