Calen Carr, playing his first game of the season, delivered in a big way for the Fire on Wednesday night. His goal in the 86th minute produced a 2-1 victory over the New England Revolution before 14,056 at Toyota Park.
''It feels great to be part of a win after so much time off,'' said Carr, who suffered a quadriceps injury during the final stages of preseason training in Mexico. ''I've done a lot of hard work to be part of the team again, and this win will give us a big boost for the next stretch of games.''
Rarely a starter in four seasons with the Fire after being a first-round draft choice (10th overall) in 2006, Carr has been an offensive spark off the bench since joining the team. Wednesday's goal was his seventh in 69 MLS games, and it gave impetus to the Fire's playoff push.
Both teams came into Wednesday's match with 21 points and were tied for fourth place in the Eastern Conference. They also were tied with two other clubs for the eighth and final playoff spot.
The Fire has missed postseason play only once in 12 seasons, but this one wasn't promising until the Fire added two designated players -- Freddie Ljungberg and Nery Castillo -- at the All-Star break.
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