Fire earn tie in final seconds
“IT’S NOT EASY TO HANDLE ALL THESE SITUATIONS, TO FIND THE RIGHT MIX OF BEING CAREFUL OR PLAYING AND NOT PLAYING IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES.” RAPHAEL WICKY, Fire coach, on playing during the pandemic
the postponement.
‘‘It gave us an extra day of rest, which was actually helpful,’’ he said.
Fire defender Jonathan Bornstein said Wednesday wasn’t the easiest situation, but he recognized that pretty much goes for everything in 2020. He also said that he was proud of how the Fire handled the day and that they didn’t complain about the turn of events.
‘‘Obviously, we were ready to play,’’ Bornstein said. ‘‘We flew there, and mentally and physically we were all prepared to go out and play that night. But sometimes the situation due to COVID doesn’t go your way. We had to fly back.
‘‘It kind of was obviously a tough travel day, but we moved on from it, put it in the past.’’
Wicky called it a ‘‘lost day’’ for everyone. Beyond that, however, he didn’t blame anybody for what happened.
‘‘The league and everyone’s handled it really well,’’ Wicky said. ‘‘It’s not easy to handle all these situations, to find the right mix of being careful or playing and not playing in these circumstances.’’
Though the game against Minnesota is expected to be rescheduled, no makeup date has been announced. If and when it’s played, it will be another key match for the Fire, who entered play Saturday vying with several terms for the last couple of playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. They have four games left, plus the makeup game against Minnesota.
The point Mihailovic’s goal secured could be crucial in a playoff race that might not be decided until the last day of the season.
‘‘It was a tough match against [Sporting KC],’’ Mihailovic said. ‘‘They’re one of the best teams in the league, one of the best teams in the West.
‘‘Especially in the conditions with the wind, the field, I think we did a great job against them. Now we’ve just got to look forward to the next one.’’