Chicago Fire FC Clinches 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs Berth with 5-3 Victory at Inter Miami CF

Homegrown defender Justin Reynolds tallies his first goal with his hometown club to help clinch Chicago’s first postseason berth since 2017

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (Sept. 30, 2025) – Chicago Fire FC (15-11-6, 51 points) clinched a berth in the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs with a 5-3 victory against Inter Miami CF (16-7-8, 56 points) Tuesday night at Chase Stadium.

Five different scorers tallied in Chicago’s Club-record ninth road victory of the season, including Homegrown defender Justin Reynolds’ game-winning goal, giving the Fire their 14th appearance in the postseason since their inaugural 1998 season and first since 2017.

Seeking a Club-record ninth road win of the season, Chicago got to work before the quarter hour mark. After winning a corner kick, winger Maren Haile-Selassie whipped in a corner kick that found the head of midfielder Dje D’Avilla. The header bounced in to give the visitors a lead in the 11th minute.

The Fire exploited Miami’s push for an equalizer 20 minutes later, when Rominigue Kouamé dumped a pass in front of a wide-open Jonathan Dean on the left wing. The wingback sprinted to the box before slipping a low shot past goalkeeper Óscar Ustari to double the Fire lead.

Miami answered back minutes later, when defender Tomás Avilés took advantage of a scrum in the Fire box following a corner kick to get one back. But the deficit went back up to two in the 43rd minute, when Haile-Selassie found a late-arriving Kouamé in the box. The Malian international dribbled past a defender to slot home Chicago’s third goal of the half.

The hosts adjusted in the second half, with striker Luis Suárez recording a second half brace against the Fire for the second time in series history to equalize the match. But the visitors struck back in the final 10 minutes of the match, with a Homegrown contingent of Brian Gutiérrez and Mauricio Pineda combining to set up Reynolds’ tap-in for his first career goal and the lead.

Three minutes later, Gutiérrez found an opening from beyond the box to take a shot, lacing a strike that found the far side of the net for the fifth and final tally of the night.

NEXT MATCH: Chicago returns to Soldier Field on Saturday, Oct. 4 for the last home match of the 2025 regular season on Fan Appreciation Night, presented by Zayed Law Offices. Kickoff against Toronto FC is scheduled for 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).

Notes:

• Chicago set the Club record for most road games won in a single Fire season with their victory on Tuesday night. The Men in Red’s nine road wins this season break the record set by the 1999 Chicago Fire’s eight wins away from Soldier Field.

• Homegrown defender Justin Reynolds tallied his first goal with Chicago Fire FC in the 80th minute of the match. The goal was also of the game-winning variety, making him the ninth different Fire player this season to get a game-winner and the goal that would push Chicago into the postseason.

• Midfielder Dje D’Avilla tallied his second goal in the last three matches to give Chicago a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute. The goal was similar to his first in Minnesota on Sept. 20, heading home a set piece from Maren Haile-Selassie.

• Defender Jonathan Dean tallied the second goal of his Fire career to double the lead for Chicago in the first half. Dean played a strong 61 minutes in his 17th start of 2025, giving way to Reynolds in the second half on the wing.

• In his first start since July 17 against CF Montréal, midfielder Rominigue Kouamé scored his third goal of the season to give Chicago a two-goal lead in the first half. The goal was his first since tallying the game-winning goal in the 86th minute of Chicago's 2-1 victory over Atlanta United FC on May 10 at Soldier Field.

• Coming into the match alongside Reynolds and Pineda in the 61st minute, midfielder Brian Gutiérrez finished off the night with his ninth goal of the season. The goal was his 15th goal contribution of the season, tying Andrew Gutman for third-most on the team this season.

• Tonight’s five-goal outburst gave the Fire 41 goals on the road in 2025, the most in a single season in Club history. The Men in Red are the fifth team in league history to score 35 goals in one season. They now trail the 1998 LA Galaxy (44) by three goals with one final road game remaining in New England on Decision Day.

• Chicago’s five goals are tied for the most scored at Chase Stadium by a visiting side with New England and Nashville (both in 2021). The final score of 5-3 also matches that set twice by the LA Galaxy in 1998 and 2000 at Lockhart Stadium, the venue’s predecessor on the same site.

• Director of Football and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter earned his 15th win of the season on Tuesday night, marking the third time in his career in which a team he coached won 15 games in a regular season. Both previous seasons (2015, 2017) resulted in Eastern Conference Finals appearances for his side.

Social: Twitter - @chicagofire, @vamosfire (Hashtags: #CF97 #VamosFire) | Instagram - @chicagofire | Facebook

Box Score:

Inter Miami CF 3:5 Chicago Fire FC

Goals:CHI - D’Avilla (2) (Haile-Selassie 6) (WATCH) 11’
CHI - Dean (1) (Kouamé 2, Bamba 9) (WATCH) 31’
MIA - Avilés (2) (WATCH) 39’
CHI - Kouamé (3) (Haile-Selassie 7) (WATCH) 43’
MIA - Suárez (8) (Rodríguez 1) (WATCH) 57’
MIA - Suárez (9) (Alba 12, Rodríguez 2) (WATCH) 74’
CHI - Reynolds (1) (Pineda 2, Gutiérrez 6) (WATCH) 80’
CHI - Gutiérrez (9) (WATCH) 83’

Discipline:
CHI - Bamba (Yellow Card) 32’
MIA - Avilés (Yellow Card) 45+3’
MIA - Busquets (Yellow Card) 68’
MIA - Rodríguez (Yellow Card) 68’
CHI - Franco (Yellow Card) 69’
MIA - Bright (Yellow Card) 78’
CHI - Elliott (Yellow Card) 86’

Chicago Fire FC: GK Brady, D Dean (Reynolds, 61’), D Waterman, D Elliott (capt.), D Gutman, D Haile-Selassie, M D’Avilla (Pineda, 61’), M Franco (M Acosta, 71’), M Kouamé (Zinckernagel, 46’), M Bamba (Gutiérrez, 61’), F Cuypers

Subs not used: GK Gal, D González, M Oregel Jr., F Barlow

Inter Miami CF: GK Ustari, D Weigandt (Fray, 46’), D Avilés (Allende, 46’), D Luján (Allen, 77’), D Alba, M De Paul, M Bright (Picault, 84’), M Busquets, M Segovia (Rodríguez, 46’), F Messi (capt.), F Suárez

Subs not used: GK Ríos Novo, D Sailor, D Falcón, M Morales

Stats Summary: MIA / CHIShots: 24 / 11
Shots on Goal: 11 / 6
Saves: 1 / 8
Passing Accuracy: 88.8% / 82.0%
Corners: 3 / 2
Fouls: 7 / 9
Offsides: 2 / 2
Possession: 61.4% / 38.6%

Referee: Allen Chapman
Assistant Referees: Adam Wienckowski, Eric Weisbrod
Fourth Official: Sergii Demianchuk
VAR: Shawn Tehini
AVAR: Mark Allatin