With another road loss, the Fire’s record away from Toyota Park dips to 2-7-4. The 3-0 defeat to the Montreal Impact, a fringe Eastern Conference playoff contender, serves as another dose of reality and a reminder that the Fire have yet to deliver in a meaningful match away from home this season. Of the six current teams above the red line, the Fire have fewer road wins than even fifth-place Columbus (3-9-1) and sixth-place Atlanta (4-5-4).



Their inability to earn results on the road has squandered the game-in-hand advantage against Toronto FC and New York City FC and places them perilously closer to dropping out of the top three in the East. This match in particular continues to shine a light on the Fire’s major weaknesses as well — their lack of a true playmaker, shallow depth behind starters, and shaky defense were exploited again. Smartly coached teams with difference makers like Ignacio Piatti will continue to exploit all of this until the Fire can find...