BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. — The Chicago Fire earned a well-rounded 3-0 victory over the Philadelphia Union, and it was rejuvenated goalkeeper Sean Johnson who received most of the postgame plaudits with a Man-of-the-Match performance that laid the foundations for Saturday’s impressive win.
Johnson produced a number of instinctive and pivotal saves to deny the visitors on several occasions, most notably on Chris Pontius in the 31st minute and Tranquillo Barnetta in the 54th, as well as a couple of saves late with the Union desperately trying to get back in the game.
His fifth shutout of the year, and the team’s eighth, saw Veljko Paunovic’s men improve its record to 6-12-8 and move within six points of the final playoff spot with eight games to play.