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 Thursday, August 30, 2001 14:40 EST

Fusion's 3-goal flurry overwhelms Fire

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) -- The Miami Fusion scored three second-half goals Saturday night to defeat the Chicago Fire 4-2 in a Major League Soccer match.

The victory was Miami's first in four matches against the Fire this season and also ended a string of three consecutive losses.

Miami (5-6) took a 1-0 lead at the 43rd minute on when Jay Heaps took an indirect kick from Henry Gutierrez and headed in a shot from 10 yards that beat Chicago goalkeeper Chris Snitko.

Chicago (9-6-1), playing without the league's leading scorer, Ante Razov, who is representing the United States in the USA Cup, failed to tie the match two minutes later when Dema Kovalenko's penalty kick went left off the Fusion goal. The penalty kick was set up when Fusion midfielder Jim Rooney fouled the Fire's Josh Wolf inside the penalty box.

Miami increased its lead to 2-0 at the 62nd minute when Rooney headed a crossing pass from Welton into the goal.

Chicago finally scored in the 70th minute when Peter Nowak fed Kovalenko with a free kick and his shot deep inside the box beat Miami goalkeeper Nick Rimando.

But the Fusion retaliated on Martin Machon's goal at the 73rd minute. Diego Serna fed Nelson Vargas with a crossing pass and Vargas then centered a pass to an open Machon, who flicked in a shot deep inside the box.

Miami scored again in the 76th minute when Serna leaped to receive a pass from Welton, then drilled a 16-yard shot inside the right post.

Chicago added a late goal by Evan Whitfield at the 88th minute.



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