Whitecaps’ coach Carl Robinson kept an unchanged starting line-up from the side that drew 2-2 with Dallas on Sunday, a somewhat strange decision after the performances of some players and those itching to get in. It wasn't a decision that really worked either.
There wasn't much to write home about in the opening minutes, or for most of the game actually, just time to ponder the amount of empty seats at Toyota Park. Guess the Whitecaps aren't a fashionable sell in the east.
Mike Magee nearly put some fire into the game when he curled a free kick for Chicago into the side netting nine minutes in.
There really was nothing else of note for the remainder of the half. Apparrantly 12 shots, but that seemed a little bit of a stretch.
Physicist Manuel Linares has come up with an ice cream that changes colour as you lick it. Amazing stuff. See, change is good. But can a leopard change its spots? Can Erik Hurtado change his poor touch?
Well apparently not if his chance in the 48th minute was anything to go by.
Hurtado was played in, showed a nice first touch to bring the ball down, then showed a horrendous second touch to hit the ball too far ahead of him and allow Sean Johnson to recover.
Vancouver made a double substitution as the hour mark approached but it had little impact.
The was a bit of drama in the 65th minute when referee Sacha Baron Cohen added some comedy to the proceedings by sending off Jordan Harvey for a second yellow in a case of mistaken identity. He was soon corrected and Johnny Leveron picked up the booking instead.
It was some horrendous play by the Caps central defensive pairing as they allowed Quincy Amarikwa to streak right through the middle of them before bringing him down.
Amarikwa had a great chance for Chicago in the 80th minute when a quick break saw the Fire two on two but he blasted high and over from the edge of the box.
Both teams had very half chances but this one had 0-0 written all over it from early doors, as the League's draw specialists always suggested. Another two points dropped as far as I'm concerned.
There had been some debate at training last week about whether the Caps had been worked out. Has the play of Mattocks, Manneh and Hurtado made them so clear cut that they should be called Mr Cellophane?
Whatever it is, with just 13 games remaining, the Caps need to get out of their funk and into the win column real soon.
FINAL SCORE: Chicago Fire 0 - 0 Vancouver Whitecaps
ATT: 13,352
CHICAGO: Sean Johnson; Lovel Palmer, Jeff Larentowicz, Patrick Ianni, Gonzalo Segares; Grant Ward (Harrison Shipp 62), Chris Ritter (Razvan Cocis 62), Matt Watson, Alex; Quincy Amarikwa (Matthew Fondy 82), Mike Magee [subs Not Used: Kyle Reynish, Bakary Soumare, Logan Pause, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado]
VANCOUVER: David Ousted; Steven Beitashour, Carlyle Mitchell, Johnny Leveron, Jordan Harvey; Matias Laba, Gershon Koffie (Russell Teibert 57), Erik Hurtado (Kekuta Manneh 77), Pedro Morales, Sebastian Fernandez (Omar Salgado 58); Darren Mattocks [subs Not Used: Paolo Tornaghi, Andy O’Brien, Mehdi Ballouchy, Nicolas Mezquida]