ST. PAUL, Minn. (Sept. 20, 2025) – Chicago Fire (13-11-6, 45 points) earned a 3-0 shutout victory against Minnesota United FC (15-7-9, 54 points) on Saturday night at Allianz Field. With the victory, Chicago remains in playoff position in the Eastern Conference.
Defender Joel Waterman and midfielder Dje D’Avilla each scored their first goals with the Fire in the first half, before Philip Zinckernagel closed out the scoring with his 14th goal of 2025.
Chicago took possession of the ball from the start and turned it into a goal in the 26th minute. After drawing a foul in the final third, midfielder André Franco crossed the ball into the box, which spilled into the path of Waterman. The Canadian international pounced on the rebound to claim his first goal with the Fire and the lead.
Shortly before halftime, the Men in Red earned another foul from a similar position. This time, the cross from Franco fell directly into the path of D’Avilla, who headed home his first professional goal to give the Fire a 2-0 lead going into the break.
Minnesota made several substitutions early in the second half to curtail the Fire attack, but the visitors took advantage in the 70th minute. Wingback Andrew Gutman jumpstarted a counter attack in the 70th minute before playing the ball across the box to Zinckernagel, who shook off a defender before firing home his 14th. Goalkeeper Chris Brady made four saves, claiming his fourth clean sheet of the season and the Fire’s eighth win away from home.
NEXT MATCH: Chicago returns home to host the Columbus Crew on Saturday night. The match on Saturday, Sept. 27 is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT and 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).
Notes:
- Defender Joel Waterman tallied his first goal with Chicago in only his second match with the Men in Red. The goal was the fifth in regular season play for Waterman, and his first since July 16, also on the road, against Philadelphia.
- Midfielder Dje D’Avilla also tallied his first goal of the season with Chicago, in similar fashion to Waterman’s first. Unlike the Canadian defender’s tally, it was also the first of his Major League Soccer and professional career.
- With this goal on Saturday, Philip Zinckernagel tallied his 27th goal contribution of the season. The Danish midfielder’s combined 14 goals and 13 assists are only one goal contribution short of the record set by Nemanja Nikolić in 2017, when he scored 24 goals and recorded four assists in a Golden Boot campaign.
- With their win in Minnesota, the Fire tied the Club record for most road games won in a single season. The Men in Red’s eight wins away from home this season are tied for most in one year with the 1999 Chicago Fire’s eight wins away from Soldier Field.
- Chicago’s 36 goals scored on the road are the most in a single Fire season. The Men in Red are now the fifth team in league history to score 35 goals in one season, all behind 44 goals the LA Galaxy scored in 1998.
- Chicago Fire FC Director of Football and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter earned his 80th regular win in Major League Soccer in his 200th match on Saturday.
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Box Score:
Minnesota United FC 0:3 Chicago Fire FC
Goals:
CHI - Waterman (1) (WATCH) 26’
CHI - D’Avilla (1) (Franco 3) (WATCH) 42’
CHI - Zinckernagel (14) (Gutman 10, Bamba 9) (WATCH) 70’
Discipline:
MIN - Trapp (Yellow Card) 40’
MIN - Duggan (Yellow Card) 59’
MIN - Romero (Yellow Card) 87’
CHI - Elliott (Yellow Card) 87’
Chicago Fire FC: GK Brady, D Dean (Barroso, 90+3’), D Rogers, D Waterman, D Elliott (capt.), D Gutman, M D’Avilla, M Franco (Kouamé, 90+3’), M Zinckernagel (Gutiérrez, 79’), M Bamba (Haile-Selassie, 79’), F Cuypers
Subs not used: GK Gal, D González, M Acosta, M Oregel Jr., F Barlow
Minnesota United FC: GK St. Clair, D Gressel, D Romero, D Duggan, D Triantis, D Markanich (Rosales, 72’), M Trapp (capt.) (Lod, 55’), M Gene (Boxall, 55’), M Fitz (Hlongwane, 55’), M Randell (Pereyra, 55’), F Dieng
Subs not used: GK Smir, D DÃaz, M Taylor, F Mesanvi
Stats Summary: MIN / CHI
Shots: 12 / 18
Shots on Goal: 4 / 9
Saves: 6 / 4
Passing Accuracy: 80.5% / 88%
Corners: 6 / 5
Fouls: 16 / 9
Offsides: 1 / 1
Possession: 40.8% / 59.2%
Attendance: 19,693
Referee: Marcos DeOliveira
Assistant Referees: Jeremy Hanson, Stephen McGonagle
Fourth Official: Sergii Boiko
VAR: Edvin Jurisevic
AVAR: Tom Supple
