BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire, which has gone 333 minutes without a goal in MLS play, blasted out of its slump with three first-half goals Tuesday on the way to a 4-1 victory against the Cleveland City Stars of USL Second Division in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup.
The Fire, who have won the U.S. Open Cup four times in their 10 years of existence, jumped out in front quickly and had little difficulty adding to the advantage against the third-tier minor league club from Cleveland, which is only in its second year of existence.
Mike Banner, a Fire reserve midfielder, scored the game's first goal in the 13th minute, getting the ball near the upper left corner of the penalty area from a cross by Calen Carr. He thought about one-timing a shot but slipped, then dribbled once before putting the ball top shelf past Cleveland goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap.
In the 23rd minute, Carr himself dribbled the ball in from the right side along the top of the penalty box, then sent a left-footed shot into the near corner under Gilstrap.
In the 26th minute, Chris Rolfe, who played as a reserve in the Fire's 0-0 draw with San Jose Saturday, was tripped by Cleveland's Kiel McClung 12 yards out. Chad Barrett, the Fire's leading scorer this season, put the penalty kick away hard and high for a 3-0 Fire lead.
The City Stars showed their stuff in the second half, finally getting on board in the 61st minute on a hard 20-yard shot by Kiel McClung that zipped past Fire reserve goalkeeper Nick Noble.
The Fire got that goal back in the 73rd minute when Banner got his second goal of the game, firing a shot up and over Gilstrap's head into the upper left corner of the net.
Unlike in the play-in game against the Columbus Crew of MLS when he used many regular starters, Fire coach Denis Hamlett used mostly reserves against the City Stars. Hamlett did use Rolfe and Barrett, who usually start for the Fire but played as reserves against San Jose Saturday.
He used goalkeeper Nick Noble, defenders Austin Washington, Brian Plotkin, Daniel Woolard and Lider Marmol, and midfielders Mike Banner, Stephen King, Peter Lowry and Calen Carr.
Marmol was making his first appearance for the Fire after suffering a knee injury earlier this month. Marmol was a part of a controversial tug-of-war with the New York Red Bulls for his services back in March.
In the second half, Hamlett subbed for both Rolfe and Barrett, using Polish forward Tomasz Frankowski and rookie Patrick Nyarko in their place.
D.C. United will play host the Fire in a quarterfinal match Tuesday, July 8 after winning their third-round match 2-0 against the USL1 Rochester Rhinos.
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