MLS Toronto FC 2 - 3 Chicago

Patrick Nyarko scored in the 58th minute to give the Chicago Fire a 3-2 win Saturday afternoon that extended Toronto FC's franchise-record winless streak to six.

The loss ties Toronto (0-6-0) with the 2001 D.C. United team for the second-worst start in MLS history. The record belongs to the Kansas City Wizards, who started the 1999 season at 0-7-0.

Toronto now has a combined 1-7-2 record in CONCACAF Champions League and MLS play this season, outscored 23-11.

But for the second week in a row, Toronto created a slew of chances and deserved more in front of goal.

Aron Winter's team paid for a suspect defence that wobbled despite the return of influential captain Torsten Frings.

Dominic Oduro and Gonzalo Segares also scored for Chicago (2-1-2) before an announced crowd of 19,255 on an overcast day at BMO Field.

Reggie Lambe scored both Toronto goals. Once again striker Ryan Johnson was cursed in front of goal, hitting posts or flashing the ball wide.

The go-ahead goal came in the 58th minute when an Oduro through ball to Nyarko split the Toronto defence. Goalkeeper Milo Kocic rushed out but Nyarko dribbled past him and sent the ball home.

Frings moved into midfield after the goal in a bid to help the Toronto offence but Chicago held on.

A wild and woolly first half ended in a 2-2 tie with the first goal coming right from the get-go and the other three in a five-minute span late in the half.

The half saw Toronto FC equal its goal output from its previous five league games. The two teams had combined for five goals in their first nine league outings.

It was a rough return for Frings, who had been out since straining a hamstring March 17 in the season opening-loss to Seattle.

The former German international, usually Toronto's stopper on defence, was victimized within 30 seconds when he didn't see Nyarko coming at him from behind as he took a throw from Kocic on the edge of the box. Nyarko poked the ball away and it went straight to Oduro, who came in unmolested and beat Kocic with a low shot.

The goal, after just 25 seconds, was the fastest in Chicago Fire history and tied for fifth-fastest goal in MLS history.

The pace of the Ghanaian duo of Nyarko and Oduro gave the TFC defence problems early — Frings and Adrian Cann have many qualities but speed isn't one of them.

Cann was eventually yellow-carded in the 24th for a forearm on Oduro, who was speeding past him, that would have done Hulk Hogan proud.

Kocic stopped Oduro on a breakaway in the 11th minute after another giveaway.

At the other end of the pitch, Toronto began to find its legs with Johnson and Lambe driving at the Fire.

Lambe's shot in the 14th was parried by Chicago goalie Sean Johnson with Ryan Johnson unable to get to the rebound.

Nyarko put a bicycle kick on goal in the 33rd after a long throw by Dan Gargan was not dealt with by Cann. Fortunately for Toronto it went straight at Kocic.

Lambe ended Toronto's scoring drought at home in the 36th with a right-footed rocket from outside the penalty box after Sean Johnson's punch off a corner sent the ball straight to the Bermudian.

Four minutes later, Lambe scored again after Ryan Johnson raked a cross across goal. Toronto's Matt Stinson was bundled over the ball but Lambe, coming in from the right, banged it in.

It marked Toronto's first lead of the MLS season.

One minute later, the Toronto defence fell asleep on a free kick from inside the halfway line. Sebastian Grazzini's long ball found Segares alone in front of goal and he deflected it in. Lambe was a yard behind Segares.

In the 54th, Kocic was almost caught out by a floating Nyarko ball that seemed to start as a cross but finished on target. Kocic managed to palm the ball away.

Grazzini hit the crossbar in the 61st minute with Kocic off his line. At the other end, Frings shot just wide in the 63rd.

After a stylish Frings rush, Ryan Johnson came so close in the 75th with a deflection off an Eric Avila cross that stadium officials fired off the goal celebration confetti by mistake. The ball went just past the post.

Ryan Johnson's header hit the post two minutes later as Toronto's bad luck in front of goal continued.

Winter made three changes from the team that lost 1-0 to Chivas USA last weekend. In came Frings, Stinson and Eric Avila. Out went Miguel Aceval, Luis Silva and Danny Koervermans (groin).

There was no place again for designated player Julian De Guzman, who was on the bench. The 31-year-old midfielder, who made US$1.9 million last season, has not started three of Toronto's six MLS games.

Terry Dunfield opened as holding midfielder, his sixth straight league start, before giving way to de Guzman in the second half.