San Francisco Frontiers - Chicago upset St.Louis in Klopas return

The Fire went into the game next to bottom in the Eastern Conference having sacked coach Ezra Hendrickson on Monday and promoted assistant Klopas for a third spell in charge.

Expansion club St.Louis, who began the season with five straight wins, were second in the Western Conference behind the Seattle Sounders.

St Louis keeper Roman Burki was tested early in the game when he did well to keep out a low drive from Kei Kamara with his outstretched right leg.

At the other end, Chicago goalkeeper Chris Brady was forced into a full stretch dive to keep out a long-range low drive from German midfielder Eduard Loewen.

Burki did well again to deny an angled shot from Fabian Herbers amid a flurry of early chances.

The Fire grabbed the decisive goal in the 40th minute when substitute Rafael Czichos was left unattended at the back post and turned a Xherdan Shaqiri free-kick home with the outside of his left foot.

Herbers crashed an effort against the bar for the Fire after the break and the visitor's task became harder when John Nelson was dismissed for a second yellow card offence.

Chicago's Kacper Przybylko had a close range effort ruled out for offside and Georgios Koutsias went close to a second but his curling shot was parried by Burki.

Later on Saturday, the New York Red Bulls, who also changed coach in midweek, hosted New York City FC in the Hudson River derby.

Eastern Conference leaders the New England Revolution took on Inter Miami while Austin hosted Dallas in their Texas derby.

P.Thomas--SFF