COLUMBUS -- In a season that ended one game too quickly, the Chicago Fire have few regrets. The team had an up-and-down season, but in the end finished ranked No. 2 in the East. In the final battle, Thursday's Eastern Conference Championship at Crew Stadium, they fell one goal short in a 2-1 loss to the Columbus Crew.
"We had a good run," Fire head coach Denis Hamlett said. "Our guys went out and fought until the end. That's all you can ask for."
Defensively, the Fire were strong all season. In the playoffs the team didn't allow any goals, until Thursday's match. Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch always complimented his defense. After the loss, he was no different.
"We gave a good effort," Busch said. "They have a very good team. We had our chances and they had theirs. We gave them too many chances.
"The first goal took a little air out of us. I can't say enough good things about these guys. We just had those two lapses."
The Fire went into the lockerroom confident at the half, with a 1-0 lead thanks to Brian McBride's 29th-minute goal. They were in control. Columbus put on pressure in the first half, but the Fire were able to stop their chances. And then the Crew turned up the heat.
"We had a six-minute lapse. We talked about that all week. We said all week long that they were a dangerous team and they proved that again," Hamlett said.
Four minutes into the half, Columbus turned momentum its way. Chad Marshall tallied in the 49th minute, heading home a free kick, then Eddie Gaven got behind the Chicago back line to knock one home in the 55th.
"They score timely goals," Hamlett said. "They scored a quick goal and got momentum. We had to try to regroup. I don't think they gave us any real problems the first 48 minutes."
At the end of the day, the players couldn't be more proud of what they accomplished. The team ended with a 13-10-7 regular season record and allowed just two postseason goals. And unfortunately, fell six minutes short of advancing to MLS Cup.
"It was a breakdown," Fire midfielder John Thorrington said. "We played well. We had a couple of mental lapses and we got punished. With a team like that, that's their bread and butter."
Chicago will take some time off, regroup and look forward to next year.
"We missed an opportunity," Busch said. "We're one game away from MLS Cup. We play this game to win a championship."
Copa Del Rey Preview: Atlético Madrid - Orihuela
Crew excited to host Conference Championship
Busch goes from backup to best
Emery Satisfied With Draw
