Chicago Fire FC will kick off the second half of the 2025 season against Supporters’ Shield contender Philadelphia Union on Wednesday, June 25 at Soldier Field.
Following a successful five-game road trip through the East Coast, Chicago returned to the lakefront on Saturday, June 14 to co-host a doubleheader with Chicago Stars FC. In the second leg, the Men in Red faced Nashville SC. The result gave Chicago a 7-6-4 record at the halfway point, just five points short of last season’s total of 30.
The Union kicked off their own second half with a 2-1 win over Charlotte FC on the same night that left them two points ahead of Vancouver at the top of the Supporters’ Shield standings. Philadelphia seemed destined for a 1-1 home draw with the Crown heading into the eighth minute of stoppage time. But forward Markus Anderson tallied a winner with seconds left to extend Philadelphia’s lead in the Eastern Conference to four points ahead of Cincinnati. They will hope to carry that momentum against the Fire, who have a three-game unbeaten streak in head-to-head matchups dating back to 2023.
Game Information
CHICAGO FIRE FC (7-6-4, 25 points) vs. Philadelphia Union (11-3-4, 37 points)
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Soldier Field – Chicago
All-Time MLS Regular Season Record vs. PHI: (11-14-9)
Last Game vs. PHI: July 3, 2024 (4-3 W) – Soldier Field – Chicago (Match Recap)
Last Game at PHI: Feb. 24, 2024 (2-2 D) – Subaru Park – Chester, Pa. (Match Recap)
Keys to the Match
- Hold Down the Fort: Chicago Fire FC’s upcoming match against the Philadelphia Union marks the second leg of a three-game homestand, but first off, a bye week. The Fire has an opportunity to build momentum against league-leading Philadelphia, the class of the East, and four points ahead of its nearest opponent in the standings. Philadelphia is also the second-best road team in Major League Soccer at 5-2-1 away from home – second only to the Men in Red, who are itching for a chance to beat the best team in the league in front of their fans.
- Attack Mode: With 35 goals this season, the Fire are just ahead of the Union’s 34 as the second and third top scoring teams in MLS. This matchup may be viewed as a test for Chicago, but it will also be just as much of a test for the Union’s stingy defense, which ranks third in the league for the fewest goals conceded with 19 this season. But five of those goals have come against one single opponent – Inter Miami CF, the only team with more goals than Chicago. Attack mode is on for the Men in Red.
- Pining for Pineda: Homegrown midfielder Mauricio Pineda is a player of many trades. His strong defensive profile, along with his 91% passing accuracy, makes him a versatile force on the field. Pineda may face his toughest challenge yet against one of the best midfields in the league. But all the experience of his 10,000 regular-season minutes in MLS will be on display on Wednesday night in yet another strong shift from the Bolingbrook native.
By the Numbers
2 – Omar González was one of the latest additions to the 2025 Chicago Fire FC roster shortly before the season started in February, seeing few minutes in the opening months. But the veteran defender has now seen consecutive starts for the Fire, putting him only two matches away from reaching 300 regular season matches played in Major League Soccer. If González plays in both matches this week, he will join a list of 71 players who have reached the milestone, including just 13 active players in the league.
14 – Philip Zinckernagel begins the second half of the season with a Fire-leading 14 goal contributions in 15 matches. Coming off a bye week and another week off celebrating his wedding, the Danish winger also comes into the match against Philadelphia with a four-game scoring streak – one short of the Club record currently held by David Accam and Robert Berić – and a seven-game goal contribution streak on the road that is currently tied for third all-time in MLS history.
17 – Two players have appeared in all 17 matches so far this season for Chicago: defender Andrew Gutman and winger Jonathan Bamba. Gutman has played 1,406 minutes this season for his hometown club, just three behind fellow defender Jack Elliott, and the most with a single team in one season since 2022 with Atlanta United FC. In those minutes, the defender turned in eight goal contributions – just two behind Bamba’s 10, good for third place on the team behind front line mates Zinckernagel and Hugo Cuypers and buoyed by a Club-leading seven assists.
How to Watch
Chicago will resume league play on the lakefront, facing off against Philadelphia Union on Wednesday, June 25 Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT. The match will be broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV and transmitted locally on wlsam.com (English) and Que Buena Fire via the Uforia app (Spanish).
