Nemanja Nikolic struck for his first brace of the season on a pair of set pieces, and the Chicago Fire snapped a three-match winless stretch with a 5-0 victory over the struggling New England Revolution on Wednesday night.
It might've been an even bigger night for the Hungarian international had he capitalized on a couple earlier chances, missing wide on one breakaway and seeing another snuffed out by Revs 'keeper Matt Turner.
Brandt Bronico, Nico Gaitan and Przemyslaw Frankowski all added their first goals of the season inside the final 15 minutes against a Revs side that has now conceded 18 times in their last four games. The 15 goals they have conceded in their last three matches are the most in league history.
New England are now winless in their last four, and have lost by five goals in consecutive matches. They remain tied on points with expansion FC Cincinnati on the bottom of the Eastern Conference table.
Goals
- 28' - CHI - Nemanja Nikolic | WATCH
- 40' - CHI - Nemanja Nikolic | WATCH
- 78' - CHI - Brandt Bronico | WATCH
- 85 - CHI - Nicolas Gaitain | WATCH
- 89' - CHI - Przemyslaw Frankowski | WATCH
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: Nikolic's first multi-goal game since last September came at the perfect moment, with CJ Sapong sidelined with a thigh injury. Meanwhile, the Revs' already league-worst goal differential continues to plummet, now at minus-19 after 12 matches. New England are currently on pace to concede 85 goals, which would shatter Orlando City's record of 74 set last year.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: The Fire were already well in control by this point, but Bronico's curler to the far post was something special, not to mention quite a way to celebrate a very recently inked contract extension.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Nico Gaitan. The Argentine provided the service on both of Nikolic's goals before adding his own, and would've had another assist had Frankowski not headed the dime he provided off the right upright.
Up Next
- CHI: Saturday, May 11 vs. Minnesota United (8 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in the US, MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada)
- NE: Saturday, May 11 vs. San Jose Earthquakes (7:30 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in the US, MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada)
