Top Five In Cali: #2

It’s getting down to the nitty gritty in our Top 5 Most Memorable Fire Matches in California.
After featuring the 2003 MLS Cup Final loss, and a pair of matching 3-2 regular season wins over both of Major League Soccer’s LA franchises, #2 on the list is the definition of a hard-nosed and dramatic Chicago Fire victory…
#2 – Chicago Fire 2, LA Galaxy 1 ET ; August 23, 2000; Titan Stadium; Fullerton, CA

It was fun looking back on a broadcast by Fox Sports World, featuring the much greener announcement stylings of now veteran American soccer broadcasters Max Bretos and Allen Hopkins.
This semifinal featured two of the top teams in Major League Soccer at the time the match hit home an important point about how far MLS has come… To me at least, it is unlikely we’ll ever see the amassed talent at one time that these two teams had… Peter Nowak, Hristo Stoitchkov C.J. Brown and Ante Razov as well as up and comers Carlos Bocanegra (sporting his bleach blonde hair), Josh Wolff and DaMarcus Beasley all appeared in this match… This was just on the Fire side.
Despite the talent on the field, the match wasn’t the prettiest, unless you enjoy a little UFC style soccer. The dueling referee contingent of Sergio Vega and Mark Arblaster handed out 15 yellow cards and the Fire had to play a man down after Bocanegra was sent off for a shove on Luis Hernandez in the 51^st minute.
Things got worse for the Fire as the host Galaxy took the lead after Hernandez chested down a cross for Cobi Jones, who finished past Thornton from inside the six. Nevermind that the Mexican international looked to be in an offside position on the play, the Galaxy were up 1-0 in the 79^th minute.
Writing one of the beginning chapters in Fire Open Cup lore, the guys didn’t put their heads down and it was captain Peter Nowak who slotted a “Zidane-like” pass as described by Max Bretos to put Razov in on goal, before finishing past Matt Reis in the 85^th minute.
The Fire couldn’t find the equalizer before extra time and just before the final whistle blew, the visitors took another blow as Hernandez fouled Nowak at midfield before stepping on the Fire captain’s face. Despite having two referees on the field, the play earned Hernandez just a yellow card, while Nowak’s match ended with the blow.
Nevermind though. If you’ve seen this match, you know what happens… The team built up to the winning goal through a 10-pass sequence which eventually saw Razov slot Beasley into the box where he fired a shot which Reis parried right into the path of substitute striker Josh Wolff. The third year Fire player buried the rebound, jumped over the boards and the first person to celebrate with him was the ejected Carlos Bocanegra, dressed in street clothes.
Though it’s not a final, this match may best define a lot of the history and lore around the club in the U.S. Open Cup. Against all odds, a man down on the road, rallying to find an equalizer and then the winner in extra time, this game isn’t just one of the most memorable played in the Golden State, but one of the club’s top matches of all time.  
Check back Saturday for the Most Memorable Fire Match in California… Wonder what it could be…