Chicago Fire FC II defeated USL League One side Forward Madison FC 2-0 in the Second Round of the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at SeatGeek Stadium on Wednesday night. Captain David Poreba and Jason Shokalook scored for the Fire to advance to the Third Round of the U.S. Open Cup.
The draw to determine pairings for the Third Round of the Open Cup will take place at 12 p.m. CT on Thursday, April 4, live on www.watch.usopencup.com and U.S. Soccer’s YouTube page.
Poreba scored the opening goal of the night, capitalizing on an attempt by Omari Glasgow in the 11th minute. Christian Koffi and Glasgow played the ball up on the right side before Glasgow took a shot from outside the box on the right. Madison goalkeeper Martin Sanchez made the save but was unable to hold onto the ball. The rebound fell right in front of the goal in the six-yard box where Poreba pounced, slipping between two defenders and sending the ball into the back of the net. Poreba became the first Chicago player to score in consecutive 2024 U.S. Open Cup matches.
After coming up short on a few close chances, Shokalook scored his first goal for Chicago Fire II in the 90th minute. Lamonth Rochester collected the ball in the backline and saw the forward lurking up top. Rochester sent a ball over the defense and Shokalook timed his run perfectly, bringing the ball down while staying onside. He carried the ball into the box, settling and stepping around the goalkeeper before sending a low shot into the far corner of the goal.
Broadcasts of all matches will continue to be streamed live on usopencup.com, mlssoccer.com, and uslsoccer.com during the Third Round as well as the Rounds of 32 and 16. This unparalleled access to the tournament ensures soccer fans across the country will have access to every action-packed match – including the entrance of USL Championship and Major League Soccer sides – in the nation's oldest and most prestigious soccer competition. Additional broadcast details for the Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Final will be announced in the near future.
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Box Score:
Chicago Fire FC II 2:0 Forward Madison FC
Goals:
CHI - Poreba (WATCH) 11’
CHI - Shokalook (Rochester) (WATCH) 90’
Discipline:
CHI - Osorio (Yellow Card) 23’
MAD - Mehl (Yellow Card) 68’
MAD - Sousa (Yellow Card) 74’
CHI - Shokalook (Yellow Card) 79’
CHI - Oregel (Yellow Card) 84’
CHI - Glasgow (Yellow Card) 90+5’
MAD - Galindrez (Yellow Card) 90+5’
Chicago Fire FC II: GK Los, D Shannon, D Omsberg (Hency, 45’), D Konincks, M Glasgow, M Casas Jr. (Blake, 66’), M Rochester, M Oregel Jr. (Tchétchao, 85’), M Poreba (capt.), M Osorio (Calle, 90+2), F Koffi (Shokalook, 66’)
Subs not used: GK Dowd, D Cupps
Forward Madison: GK Sanchez, D Chilaka, D Crull (capt.), D Mehl, D Payne (Sousa, 61’), M Mesias (Villalobos, 61’), M Prentice, M Murphy, F Cichero (Galindrez, 22’), F Bartman (Fuderer, 88’), F Dávila (Gebhard, 61’)
Subs not used: GK Schipmann, D Osmond
Stats Summary: CHI / MAD
Shots: 11 / 10
Shots on Goal: 6 / 0
Passing Accuracy: 80.3% / 76.9%
Saves: 0 / 4
Corners: 3 / 1
Fouls: 25 / 13
Offsides: 3 / 3
Possession: 52.5% / 47.5%
Referee: Carlos Rodriguez
Assistant Ref 1: Arytom Arustamyan
Assistant Ref 2: Eric Burton
4th Official: Andrija Vukic
Chicago Fire FC Quotes
Chicago Fire FC II Head Coach Ludovic Taillandier
On if the preparation was different for the first meeting with a USL League One side...
“Not really, I would say we had four games to analyze, to observe, to scout, to work from. And we play against Forward Madison pretty much every preseason, and it’s a team we know a little bit. I also have a lot of respect for their coach. We worked together at the A license [course]. I know him a little bit, and he knows me. That's why I think that was a good game. We tried to get around the tactic of each other a little bit. No, I'm very happy with the game. In general, nothing too different. Except it was more difficult to find a large view of the games we observed and it was not as comfortable for the video analysts. But no, I think, nothing too different.
On the growth he has seen from his team since facing Forward Madison in the preseason...
“Yeah, look, it's definitely a game that tested different than the first one we had this year. Also, because we were a little more ready for it. They were also more ready for it because when we played them, they had like maybe three weeks in the preseason. And this was a very different game where we played the first game in preseason with way younger players. What’s good to know is that right now our best U-17s are at the GA Cup. So we didn’t have the young players we had the first round. But no, in general, we are very happy with the game. It was in general, controlled, I felt. We could have created more chances from the situations we tried, but it's a good win. Definitely, we are very happy with the result and with the way in general.”
On the rainy conditions tonight...
“Yeah, it was something special. I didn’t want to cover my head too much but I had to at some point. No, I mean look, it was okay. I will say in the sense that this grass field is good and we didn't have to drain the water pretty well. It was not too wet for the players. A little slippery. Sometimes the ball, we have technical players, we felt the first touch was not as good as usual. But in general, the conditions were okay and we saw good moments, good football. I hope it was okay for the fans in the stands. Pretty cold, but apparently they were happy. There was some music, that was good.
On Jason Shokalook’s first goal...
“Very happy. Very happy for him. He's a fantastic guy. He's working so hard. He's so frustrated to not have scored earlier. I told him after the game, ‘I know how to make your score. I need to make you mad.’ Then, to start [him] on the bench definitely worked. Something where he said ‘Yeah man, that works.’ But I’m very happy for him, he deserves it. It’s a lot of effort. It's a new team, a new way to play. Then he has to transition to his new team, then it's not a surprise that, in the beginning, the start can be a little slow. But very happy with the way he came to the field tonight.”
On how Christian Koffi has adjusted in his second game with the team...
“ He's a very interesting player for us. He is more of a winger. We put him as a nine but with the freedom of giving him a little bit of freedom to go to the side potentially. When we scored the first goal, he ran to his comfort zone, to the right side there. He was able to combine with Omari [Glasgow] on the right side and we were able to find a cross situation for Omari and we scored from that. He is a very technical player that can play in the middle of the park, almost as a 10. He can play as a winger, he's a dribbler, he can make like huge differences. It's just the beginning. For him, it’s the same. He comes from another culture, another country, another continent. Then he has to adjust to transition. He is getting fit but it's still a preseason for him. That's why he played 60 minutes, but very happy with his first two games.”
Chicago Fire FC II Forward Jason Shokalook
On the conditions and if there was any issue controlling the ball in the second half…
“I think we did a good job. Everyone was kind of prepared for it mentally and once you're prepared for it mentally then we're really able to just go in and find our groove right away and not have to even think about the conditions. And that was kind of our goal as a team, and I think everyone played it off well.”
On scoring his first professional goal…
“Yeah, I mean, first of all, the goal is super special. I've been really close the past couple of weeks, but finally, you know it just went my way tonight. I thought after missing two diving headers that it wasn't going to happen. But you know, it was great. It was a great first goal. I'm so grateful just to have the opportunity. My teammates set me up well and everything and I mean, maybe Ludo’s right. I told him to keep doing the same thing. It's worked out well.”
On if his goal tonight was instinctual…
“I think everything in the game is just chaos. It all happens in the moment, you know, and I really think that it just happened instinctually. I just got the ball and moved as quickly as I could. I did what I could and worked out perfectly.”
On if the way he scored is something he’s practiced…
“I mean, you're put in scenarios, different scenarios that are very game-like during practice so when it comes. It's kind of second nature, like instinctual. So I would say, definitely something that you practice but you don't go over it over and over and over again, but yeah, it happened perfectly and worked out.”
Chicago Fire FC II Midfielder David Poreba
On facing a more experienced team…
“I mean, really good for us. I don't think there was much of a difference. I feel like we dominated, in my opinion, and played much better. And we showed that, you know, age doesn't really matter. It's all about playing on the field and whoever performs better, wins the game.”
On how the team persevered against a tough opponent…
“Really good. I mean, we talked about it in the pregame. We said that whoever comes out in this game with a better mentality for 90 minutes is gonna win. And we showed that. From our defense to midfield, to the strikers, our press – we pressed for most of the game. In my opinion, it looked really, really good, so obviously I'm happy that we, most importantly, that we won and that we're moving on.”
On whether he’s excited to face a USL Championship side in the next round…
“One hundred percent. I mean, it's an incredible opportunity for all of us to compare to the level of the USL Championship. But I feel like we're going to go into, whoever we play, we're going to go into that game with a lot of confidence that we're going to win and move on. Doesn't matter who it is.”
On the effect of the weather on the goal…
“Credit to Omari [Glasgow] because – not even for that play, throughout the game – he was putting in some really good crosses from the wing. We knew that with the weather, that the ’keeper could spill some shots, so I was happy with the goal, obviously. We talked about it at halftime, we probably should have shot more in the first half. But I feel like in the second half, I think we shot more. Obviously, really happy for Jason [Shokalook], too, to get the second goal. Good for him and obviously, really good for the team because that closed it, basically.”