Chicago Fire

C.J. Sapong, Aleksandar Katai Score to Lead Fire Past Rapids

Nemanja Nikolic scored the opening goal of the game for the Fire

C.J. Sapong and Aleksandar Katai each scored to help the Chicago Fire beat the Colorado Rapids 4-1 on Saturday, extending Colorado's losing streak to five games.

Dax McCarty, near midfield, first-timed an arcing pass to a charging Katai, who took a couple dribbles and then fired a low cross to Sapong for a sliding empty-net finish inside the back post from point-blank range to give the Fire (2-2-3) a 2-1 lead in the 53rd minute.

Chicago's Nemanja Nikolic, at the top of the 6-yard box, headed home a high entry by Nicolás Gaitán to make it 1-0 in the 34th before Kei Kamara scored , for the fourth consecutive game, to tie it at 1-all in 40th minute.

Gaitán flicked a short cross to Djordje Mihailovic, a 20-year-old homegrown, for a tap-in goal in the 61st and Katai, on the left side, cut back to evade a defender and then rifled a bending shot inside the far post from outside the area in the 81st.

Colorado's Jack Price, after video review, was shown a red card in the 86th minute.

The Rapids (0-6-2) are winless since beating FC Dallas 2-1 to close the 2018 MLS regular season.

Chicago is unbeaten in four straight.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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