D.C. United's woeful start to the 2008 season intensified at RFK Stadium on Thursday night as a confident Chicago Fire squad played a crafty game of smash-and-grab to earn a 2-0 victory in the building that they have made their own in recent years.
After weathering the home side's bright start to the match, calm finishes from Justin Mapp and Cuauhtemoc Blanco gave Chicago their fifth win in the last six games and added to last-place D.C.'s spring misery.
United came out in the 3-5-2 setup used in their last few matches, but with a twist. With Marcelo Gallardo's groin injury keeping him out of the team sheet, head coach Tom Soehn dropped captain Jaime Moreno into the playmaker's role behind strikers Luciano Emilio and Franco Niell.
A fourth-minute set piece allowed Marc Burch to whip a left-footed service into the box from just inside the left touchline, and after Chicago failed to clear Moreno latched onto the second ball but fired his low shot wide left.
Fire playmaker Blanco did not take long to earn the ire of the home fans, dropping to the turf clutching his left leg in the 6th minute after losing possession under pressure from Bryan Namoff and Santino Quaranta to spark a cascade of boos from the nearby United supporters' groups.
Out-of-form striker Luciano Emilio produced a composed bit of hold-up play 15 minutes in as he held possession before laying off for Clyde Simms, who surprised Jon Busch with a blistering drive from nearly 30 yards out that had the measure of the Fire netminder, only to bullet inches wide of the left post.
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