LA Galaxy vs. Chicago Fire Player Ratings

8. The always reliable backstop was superb, especially in the early going when the Fire were on the back foot. Johnson couldn’t do anything about the two goals scored on him. As a matter of fact, if not for the Milkman, this match could have been 4 or 5 to nil.. Goalkeeper. Chicago Fire. SEAN JOHNSON

LOVEL PALMER. 7. The Jamaican did a magnificent job of pushing up on the right wing and putting pressure on LA when the Fire had no offense going for them in the first half. Palmer had a brilliant cross that Watson should have finished. Unfortunately, he also played a part in the critical error that led to the opening goal by getting in the way of Big Red’s clearance.. Defender. Chicago Fire

Chicago Fire. JEFF LARENTOWICZ. 6. It was a tale of two halves for the Fire skipper. After showing his poise and cool on the ball during a hectic first half for the rest of the team, it was Larentowicz’s costly error that created LA’s game winner. After that, the center back look rattled all match. He was also out of position on the Robbie Keane goal.. Defender

7.5. Fire fans were shocked to see Gehrig get the start over Adailton, but the Illinois native did not disappoint. As a matter of fact, he was by far the best player on the pitch for the Fire with his no non-sense clearances and brilliant positioning.. Defender. Chicago Fire. ERIC GEHRIG

7. The Galaxy came in with a strategy of attacking a player new to the league. The Trinidad & Tobago international held up decently, but was caught up field a few times in the second half that led to odd man breaks for the Galaxy.. Defender. Chicago Fire. JOEVIN JONES

6. The homegrown product showed showed a great deal of intensity with a couple of bone crunching tackles early in the match. Unfortunately, Ritter’s distribution was poor and not up to MLS standards. His quality dipped enormously as the match grew older, which led to him being subbed off in the 63rd minute.. Midfielder. Chicago Fire. CHRIS RITTER

8. Harry Shipp was a bright spot for an otherwise dull side on the night. His work in tight spaces and ability to find open teammates allowed for the Fire to sustain possession on a few occasions. Unfortunately for the Notre Dame product, his teammates weren’t up for the task.. Midfielder. Chicago Fire. HARRY SHIPP

5.5. To be fair to Watson, he was played out of position on the wing. That’s about all the leeway we will give him. When he was in the play, his passing was beyond abysmal. Yallop was not too thrilled with his performance as evidenced by yanking him from the match in the 56th minute.. Midfielder. Chicago Fire. MATT WATSON

Midfielder. Chicago Fire. SHAUN MALONEY. 6.5. Whether the Scottish international wasn’t sure what he was getting himself into or the fact that the Fire couldn’t get him the ball to operate, Maloney was too quiet for the Fire faithful’s liking. The transition to offense needs to run through him and he wasn’t sharp enough. He gets a pass since it was his first MLS match.

Forward. Chicago Fire. KENNEDY IGBOANANIKE. 7. It’s very difficult to rate the forwards since they barely had any chances. It’s fairly evident that the speedster’s pace is going to cause many issues for opposing defenses if the Fire can get the ball to him. He was subbed off with what looked like cramps in the 72nd minute

Forward. Chicago Fire. QUINCY AMARIKWA. 7.5. Amarikwa justified his start with yeoman’s like work and a bulldog type of performance. The forward put on his hard hat and brought his lunch pail as he wreaked havoc on the LA back line to start the second half, including a potential missed penalty call by the ref.

Midfielder. Chicago Fire. MICHAEL STEPHENS. 6.5. Stephens came on in the 56th minute, but did not do much inspiring work against his former team. There were a few giveaways that led to good LA chances, but he seemed to be able to pick out decent passes when he had a little time on the ball. He could get a start next match with how poor the midfield was in this one.

6.5. The rookie came on for Chris Ritter in the 63rd minute. Something about his poise and coolness on the ball gives hope that he could eventually fill the CDM role for this side. He was rushed into an error or two, but that’s expected of a rookie trying to catch up to MLS speed.. Defender/Midfielder. Chicago Fire. MATT POLSTER

6. The Brazilian did not show much after coming on in the 72nd minute for Igboananike. It seemed as if he wasn’t quite in sync with the rest of his teammates yet and he was dropping back way in the midfield to collect the ball when he was needed higher up the pitch.. Forward. Chicago Fire. GULY DO PRADO