The Chicago Fire’s equalizer deflected off Talles Magno. (Photo courtesy of the MLS)

On the positive side, New York City FC scored its first goal of the MLS season.

On another positive note, City recorded its first point of the young campaign.

On the negative end, the Cityzens could not hold the lead and settled for a 1-1 draw with the Chicago Fire at Soldier Field in Chicago on Saturday night.

Fabian Herbers’ 75th-minute score equalized for the hosts after Gabriel Pereira had listed NYCFC into the lead in the 39th minute.

City moved to 0-1-1, while Chicago is 0-0-1.

“I think we played well,” NYCFC head coach Nick Cushing said. “We controlled the game with the ball in the first half. We created some good opportunities and I thought we controlled the game. In the second half, I thought we lacked the control that we had in the first half. Then we started to lose players one by one, which in turn made us have a disjointed team on the pitch. I think the players showed real heart and defended the game really well.”

Pereira had given City the lead as his 12-yard shot from the right side of the penalty area hit the left post and bounded past goalkeeper Spencer Richey.

Herbers leveled it at 1-1 when his shot from atop the box deflected off NYCFC’s Talles Magno and past keeper Luis Barraza.

“We wanted to win but it is an important point away from home,” defender Thiago Martins said. “It is tough because we started very well but we needed to improve in the second half.”

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.