Bakrar, Wolf score goals to help NYCFC beat short-handed Fire 3-1

NEW YORK (AP) — Mounsef Bakrar and Hannes Wolf each scored a second-half goal to help New York City FC beat the short-handed Chicago Fire 3-1 on Sunday.

After a failed clearance by the Fire, Wolf ran onto a loose ball in the left side of the area, cut back to the middle and bent a shot inside the back post to give NYCFC (7-5-3) a 2-1 lead in the 70th minute.

New York City has won back-to-back games and is unbeaten in three straight.

On the counter-attack, Jonathan Dean dropped a passed backward to Philip Zinckernagel for a first-touch finish from the top of the penalty arc to open the scoring in the 19th minute.

Brian Gutierrez was shown a straight red card (violent conduct) in the 31st minute and the Fire (5-5-4) played a man down until Dje D’Avilla — who replaced the injured Mauricio Pineda in the 41st — was shown his second yellow card in the 84th minute.

Bakrar started the second half in place of 18-year-old Jonathan Shore and scored in the 58th minute to make it 1-1. Wolf chipped a pass over a defender to Justin Haak, who played a low cross to Bakrar for a one-touch finish from point-blank range.

Alonso Martinez converted from the penalty spot to cap the scoring in the 89th.

NYCFC had 64% possession and outshot the Fire 21-8, 8-3 on target.

Matt Freese stopped two shots for New York City. Chris Brady finished with five saves for the Fire.

Chicago, which had won back-to-back games, had its three-game unbeaten streak snapped.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer