CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Hristo Stoitchkov scored the tying goal and second-half substitute Evan Whitfield tallied the game-winner as the Chicago Fire rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Both goals came in the second half. Chicago (13-9-5, 44 points) moved within three points of first-place Tampa Bay in the Central Division. Los Angeles fell to 12-8-8 with 44 points.

The Galaxy led 1-0 in the second half until defender Paul Caligiuri was whistled for holding forward Ante Razov's elbow inside the penalty area. Stoitchkov took the ensuing penalty kick, hammering a shot off the right post and into the back of the net.

Chicago is 4-for-9 penalty kicks.

Whitfield, who came on in the 67th minute for Mike Sorber, finished a nice pass from Josh Wolff eight minutes later. Midfielder Peter Nowak threaded a pass to Razov, who passed forward to Wolff despite being tripped up from behind.

Wolff played the advantage, sending a ball in to Whitfield just inside the box. Whitfield sent the ball over the head of goalkeeper Matt Reis, planting it into the roof of the net for his second goal of the year.

Los Angeles scored in the 26th minute when rookie Sasha Victorine tapped in a loose ball on the goal line. Midfielder Simon Elliott started the play with a great through-ball that found Cobi Jones on the run into the box.

Jones' shot struck the inside of the near post, rolled along the goal line, hit the outside of the far post and rolled back into play. Victorine ran onto the stationary ball, putting it into the back of the net for his third of the year.

Galaxy captain and 1999 Defender of the Year Robin Fraser received his second yellow card of the match for his play on Razov and was ejected from the game.

Fraser will miss the Galaxy's next match, a divisional contest against San Jose on Saturday.