Former UP standout Nate Jaqua helps lead the Chicago Fire to its fourth title in nine years
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. --- Former Portland Pilots men’s soccer player Nate Jaqua scored one of two Chicago goals in the first 16 minutes as the Fire defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy, 3-1, to lift the historic Dewar Cup trophy and claim the 2006 Lamar Hunt U.S .Open Cup championship.
Chicago’s Andy Herron also scored in the first half, before Thiago iced the win with a score in the 88th minute. The lone Galaxy goal came courtesy of Alan Gordon in the 52nd minute.
The victory for the Fire marked their fourth U.S. Open crown in the past nine years, helping to further stamp their modern day dominance on the tournament. Only four other teams have won the 93-year-old tournament as many as four times, with the most recent team to accomplish the feat being Los Angeles Maccabee S.C. back in 1978.
The first Fire goal came on a free kick into the area from Justin Mapp in the ninth minute. C.J. Brown skied in the area to get a head on the ball, knocking it down for Andy Herron to take a shot on goal that deflected across the goal mouth to a wide open Nate Jaqua to easily head home.
Mapp and Herron were also involved in the second goal, with Mapp dribbling deep into the right corner and whipping a left-footed cross into the penalty area in the 16th minute that Herron expertly headed home.
The second-half opened with a flurry for the Galaxy, resulting in an Alan Gordon goal in the 52nd minute. After a couple of strong saves from Fire goalkeeper Matt Pickens, it was Gordon who slammed home his own rebound from six yards out to give the Galaxy life.
Despite some consistent pressure in the second half, and a 12-6 shot advantage, the Galaxy couldn’t get the second goal before Thiago iced the match for the Fire in the 88th minute. Thiago’s goal came after Tony Sanneh broke free down the left flank, and waited until the last possible moment to expertly slide a pass into the area past L.A. goalkeeper Kevin Hartman for the speedy second-half sub to strike into the net.
The previous Fire U.S. Open Cup titles came in 1998, 2000 and 2003. The match was televised nationally on Fox Soccer Channel and played in front of 8,151 fans at Toyota Park in the Chicagoland area.
