Ghana striker David Accam’s fourth minute opening goal for Chicago Fire propelled them to a 2-0 win over FC Dallas on Sunday.
The speedster ran onto a through ball in the right side of the area, leaving a Dallas defender in the dust before slotting the ball past goalkeeper Dan Kennedy and inside the near post from a tight angle to give Chicago the early advantage.
Opportunities were few and far between following Accam’s opener, with neither side able to create anything of note until Kennedy made a stop on Accam in the 56th minute.
The Fire, who have struggled to close out games all season, put themselves in a bit of trouble in the 79th minute, when substitute midfielder Matt Watson was shown a straight red card for a wild lunge on fellow sub Rolando Escobar.
Dallas failed to capitalize on the man advantage, giving up a second goal in the 85th minute after midfielder Kellyn Acosta fouled Igboananike just inside the area, prompting referee Jair Marrufo to point to the spot.
Maloney buried the ensuing penalty kick, putting his shot past the outstretched Kennedy and into the lower left corner to ensure all three points for the Fire.
.@iamdavidaccam megs Dan Kennedy to open the scoring and the @FCDallas' defense inside five minutes. #CHIvDAL https://t.co/BifoykbmNC
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 2, 2015