Chicago Fire Overcome Slow Start to Defeat D.C. United 3-1

The Chicago Fire showcased resilience on the road, overcoming a slow start amidst heavy rain in Washington D.C. to secure a 3-1 victory over D.C. United on Wednesday evening.

The Fire (6-2-4, 20 points, fourth in Eastern Conference) bounced back after a sluggish first 60 minutes and managed to avenge their earlier season loss to D.C. United at Soldier Field.

Goals from Robin Lod, Hugo Cuypers, and Maren Haile-Selassie in the final moments of the match provided just the boost needed for Chicago, ending a three-match losing streak across all competitions.

Tai Baribo put D.C. United ahead in the 41st minute with a backheeled assist from Louis Munteanu, while Chicago struggled to record a shot on target against former Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson. The situation appeared grim for the visitors as they headed into halftime, particularly after Philip Zinckernagel squandered a prime opportunity in the 44th minute.

The second half began similarly for Chicago until Robin Lod changed the momentum with a crucial goal. In the 62nd minute, Philip Zinckernagel delivered a cross-field ball—which head coach Gregg Berhalter emphasized during halftime—that Lod capitalized on, heading the ball past Johnson to equalize.

Following Lod’s goal, he and Jonathan Bamba made way for Maren Haile-Selassie and Puso Dithejane. The substitution proved pivotal, enabling the Fire to push for victory.

Dithejane forced a penalty kick in the 69th minute after being taken down in the penalty area, leading to a chance from the spot for Philip Zinckernagel. Although Johnson saved Zinckernagel’s attempt, Andrew Gutman capitalized on the rebound, assisting Hugo Cuypers, who scored his 12th goal of the season to give Chicago a 2-1 lead.

The Fire was not satisfied with a narrow victory and added a third goal before the final whistle. In the 87th minute, Mauricio Pineda won a free kick, and Zinckernagel’s following shot was parried into the path of Haile-Selassie, who secured the win with his third goal of the season.

Chicago registered eight shots on target, compared to only one in the first half, while goalkeeper Chris Brady made six saves, limiting D.C. United to just one goal in challenging conditions.

For a struggling Chicago Fire team, this road win was significant with two more matches before the FIFA Men’s World Cup break approaching.

“It was a very difficult game,” Berhalter noted after the match. “We knew what D.C. was going to bring – a lot of physicality and set pieces. I thought we managed that well overall.”

Berhalter also acknowledged the importance of halftime adjustments that focused on utilizing the entire field to create more opportunities.

Cuypers, who has scored in every match this season, expressed the team’s satisfaction with the hard-fought win, underscoring the challenge posed by D.C. United in their home territory.

Starting 11: Chris Brady (GK), Andrew Gutman, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Jack Elliott (C), Jonathan Dean, Dje D’Avilla, Mauricio Pineda, Philip Zinckernagel, Jonathan Bamba, Robin Lod, Hugo Cuypers.

Substitution at 63’: Maren Haile-Selassie and Puso Dithejane on for Robin Lod and Jonathan Bamba.

Substitution at 90+5’: Jason Shokalook and Chris Mueller on for Hugo Cuypers and Philip Zinckernagel.

Unused Subs: Josh Cohen (GK), Joel Waterman, Sam Rogers, Viktor Radojević, Dylan Borso.