Chicago’s visit to BC Place in Vancouver Wednesday took a scary turn in the 12th minute of a then-scoreless game.
A long pass delivered toward the Chicago Fire penalty area sent Japanese striker Masato Kudo sprinting into the box for the Whitecaps, where he was met at full speed by Fire goalkeeper Matt Lampson in pursuit of the bouncing ball. Kudo took a jarring blow on the play and remained on the BC Place turf for nearly seven minutes while being tended to by medical personnel from both clubs.
“It was just a ball in over the top that we know they’re going to do, so I’m trying to stay high off my line and cover the space in behind,” Lampson told CSN Chicago during a halftime interview.