Paulo Nagamura scored the only goal of the game as Sporting Kansas City edged out Chicago Fire 1-0 to end a three-match winless run.
After drawing 4-4 with Houston Dynamo last time out, tonight threw up a much more muted affair for Peter Vermes's side as Nagamura's winner 15 minutes from the end settled a tight contest at Sporting Park.
The visitors enjoyed much of the early chances and David Accam and Guly Do Prado both went close inside 15 minutes.
Vermes's charges grew into the contest and the width of the crossbar kept them out on 37 minutes when Kevin Ellis's header came back off the woodwork.
That momentum carried on throughout the interval and Sean Johnson had to be alert shortly before the hour mark to push Seth Sinovic's effort over the bar.
Vermes replaced Roger Espinoza with Nagamura on 65 minutes, and it would not be long before it proved an inspired change as the midfielder headed past Johnson to open the scoring.
Accam received his marching orders on 89 minutes to effectively kill any hopes of a comeback as Nagamura's header proved enough to douse the Fire.
Shane Callaghan
