PC: Chicago Fire FC
The Men in Red returned to Soldier Field after defeating New York City FC 2-1, playing an entire half with a red-card suspension in the 42nd minute on Oct 10.
In a nail-biter, Chicago’s go-ahead score in the 87th minute by forward Maren Haile-Selassie improved the club to 14-8-6 for the season, currently placing second in the Eastern Conference standings.
Heading into the match, the Fire had won their last three games but now had to face a familiar opponent at home with a history of consistently putting out the Fire. Since 2021, Chicago has suffered a ten-game winless streak against NYCFC.
At a time when a playoff push was in full swing, nerves ran high about whether the streak would continue or if the team chemistry would be enough to break the cycle.
In the opening minutes, things did not go in the Fire's favor, marked by mental mistakes and broken-down coverage, allowing the Pigeons to test the Fire goalkeeper, Chris Brady, with early shots on goal.
NYCFC forward Nicolas Fernandez and winger Agustín Ojeda served as a major problem for Chicago’s backline, both of whom put up shots on Brady around the 17th minute.
In the 19th minute, a costly turnover made by Fire midfielder Djé D'Avilla set up a quick counterattack for New York. During an attempt to clear the ball out of his own territory, D'Avilla lost control, setting up Ojeda to send in a cross across the box towards an unmarked Hannes Wolf, who curled the ball in the corner of Chicago's net, giving New York the first blow and an early lead.
In the 20th minute, D'Avilla was given a yellow card for a contested battle for the ball while trying to stop NYC from counterattacking. D'Avilla’s displayed frustration eventually led to the Fire losing a player, changing the entire trajectory of the match.
In the 42nd minute, a poor challenge on NYC midfielder James Sands gave the Ivorian midfielder his second yellow card of the match, ejecting him for the rest of the game.
The crowd never wavered, maintaining the same sky-high energy in hopes of a Chicago comeback.
In the 54th minute, a cross from Fire forward Maren Haile-Selassie set up an unmarked Anton Saletros for a header to even up the match.
“Teams get challenged throughout the year with these types of things, and it was good to see the guys able to step up,” Fire head coach Gregg Berhalter said.
A combination of deflected and saved shots on goal from Saletros and global icon Robert Lewandowski kept NYC’s backline active, but too many breakdowns in NYC's goal box defense led to the key turning point of the game.
In the 87th minute, Haile-Selassie was given a gift by NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Freese for a go-ahead stunner late in regulation time, giving Chicago a 2-1 lead.
Chicago finished the match with 10 shots, 4 on goal, and 84 percent passing accuracy, leading the charge in the victory.
The Swiss forward became the second player in Club history to record a double-double of 10 goals and 10 assists in a single Major League Soccer season. Fire forward Philip Zinckernagel is the only other player in Club history with the accolade.
“Since he came here four years ago, I knew he had it in him. I'm not too surprised to be honest,” Brady said.
“I'm pleased, that means I'm helping the team. Today we did a great job and played better being down a man instead of an eleven-on-eleven, “ Haile-Selassie said.
The Fire showed true grit while competing down a man the entire second half of the match. Chicago clawed their way back to a hard-fought 2-1 victory and is on the verge of clinching a playoff berth with a win at home next week.
Chicago will face the Philadelphia Union in Soldier Field on Wednesday, October 14th, at 7:30 pm CST.
