Fire defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado leaped into the air, directing the ball into the upper near side of the goal, beating D.C. United goalkeeper in the 27th minute and giving Chicago a 1-0 lead on the road. For Homegrown Player and rookie Harrison Shipp, it was his second set piece assist in as many games.
The lead was not to last, however, as D.C. forward Espindola scored off a free kick in the 34th minute, marking the first goal of the season for United. The match remained level at the conclusion of the first half.
Perry Kitchen gave United the lead in the seventy-third minute, beating Johnson and giving D.C. its first lead of the 2014 season.
When the Fire and United kicked off at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., neither team had collected three points yet in the young season.
With the draw, the Fire improved to 0-1-3 after being out-shot 8-0 to start the match. The single point earned in the match puts the Fire one point ahead of the New York Red Bulls and one point behind Sporting Kansas City, current holders of the fifth and final playoff spot. The single point earned by D.C. in the match marked the team’s first of the season, tying the Montreal Impact and New England Revolution in standings.
The Fire returns home to play the Philadelphia Union April 5 at Toyota Park. The game is schedule for a 4 p.m. CDT start time and will be broadcast on My50 Chicago and Time Warner Cable Sports Channel Wisconsin.
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