Chicago Fire FC returns to Soldier Field on Saturday, Sept. 13 to face New York City FC in a battle between Eastern Conference playoff contenders.
Chicago is back on the lakefront following a big matchup against longtime rivals New England Revolution last Saturday night at SeatGeek Stadium. Just under 90 seconds into the match, winger Jonathan Bamba got on the end of a lofted pass from Brian Gutiérrez to open the scoring. Eight minutes later, fellow winger Philip Zinckernagel doubled the lead, before forward Hugo Cuypers capped off the Fire’s night with his 16th goal of the season. The visitors struck back twice, but goalkeeper Chris Brady made some key stops to hand the Fire a 3-2 win that lifted them above the New York Red Bulls into ninth place in the East. They will now seek revenge for a 3-1 loss at Yankee Stadium back in May by leaping over NYCFC into eighth with a win.
Sitting one spot above Chicago is New York City, which had a bye week during the FIFA international window. Before that, NYCFC welcomed D.C. United to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx on Saturday, Aug. 30. Defender Justin Haak gave the hosts the lead in the 19th minute of play. But midfielder Gabriel Pirani equalized the match for the Black and Red just before halftime, before stunning the home crowd with another goal in the 77th minute. The visitors held on for an upset victory, leaving NYCFC in a tenuous eighth place in the East.
The Eastern Conference clash is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. It will be transmitted locally on wlsam.com (English) and Que Buena Fire via the Uforia App (Spanish). A replay of the match will be available on Marquee Sports Network on Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 2:30 p.m. CT.
Game Information
CHICAGO FIRE FC (12-10-6, 42 points) vs. New York City FC (13-9-5, 44 points)
Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025
Soldier Field – Chicago
All-Time MLS Regular Season Record vs. NYC: (3-12-8)
Last Game vs. NYC: July 13, 2024 (0-0 D) – Soldier Field – Chicago (Match Recap)
Last Game at NYC: May 25, 2025 (1-3 L) – Yankee Stadium – New York City (Match Recap)
- Sweet Home Chicago: After establishing themselves as one of the best road teams in the league earlier this season, the Men in Red have made a fortress of the Windy City as of late, remaining undefeated in the Club’s last four games at home. The Fire continues its strong playoff push and looks to keep all three points from Saturday’s match in Chicago.
- Head-to-Head Combat: New York City FC currently sits directly in front of the Fire in the Eastern Conference, with 44 points and in eighth place to Chicago’s 42 points and ninth place. A win against the visitors would have Chicago in eighth place and still controlling their fate in the playoff race.
- Minimize Maxi: One of the greatest weapons in the NYCFC arsenal comes in the form of midfielder Maxi Moralez. The 38-year-old Argentine leads New York in assists this season with 10, and is second in minutes played with 2,219. The Fire’s midfield will have their hands full with Moralez, but the Men in Red have players who control the game just as well. It will be a showdown, and minimizing the impact Moralez has on the match will be key.
By the Numbers
2 – Midfielder André Franco recorded two assists in only his second match with Chicago. In his home debut, the Portuguese midfielder dazzled the crowd with his work between the lines, linking the front three and backline efficiently. He led both teams in passes (61), key passes (4) and passing accuracy (92.4%) among all starters, showing off his quality on the ball.
4 – Chicago is unbeaten in its last four home matches, getting three wins in the process. The Fire built from their last victory at Soldier Field – a 1-0 shutout of the New York Red Bulls on July 26 – with a pair of wins and a draw at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview. The recent home form has helped Chicago remain in the thick of the playoff hunt, and could come in handy against an NYCFC side that is 4-5-5 away from the Big Apple.
90 – Dje D’Avilla played a full 90 minutes against New England for the second time in the last three matches in his fifth consecutive start. Alongside Franco and forward Hugo Cuypers, D’Avilla recorded a passing percentage over 90 percent, not an easy feat for a midfielder tasked with more defensive responsibilities. Along with the crisp passing has come clean play, committing only two fouls in each of the last three straight matches.
