Match Information
2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup – Round of 16
Chicago Fire FC (3rd, MLS Eastern Conference) vs. St. Louis CITY SC (14th, MLS Western Conference)
Wednesday, April 19, 2026
7:00 p.m. CT
SeatGeek Stadium – Bridgeview, Ill.
How to Watch:Â Paramount+
Play-by-Play: Tyler Terens
Analyst: Paddy Foss
Match Preview
Chicago Fire FC will take a six-game unbeaten streak into SeatGeek Stadium for a Round of 16 matchup against St. Louis CITY SC in the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, April 29.
The Men in Red come into a busy week in hot form, with a 5-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City the latest in a six-game unbeaten streak across all competitions. After a quiet first half on Saturday night, winger Philip Zinckernagel opened the scoring with two goals against Sporting, before setting up the first of Hugo Cuypers’ two goals for the night. The connection helped Cuypers become the first player in Fire history to score in six straight games in which he appeared in, a mark that he hopes to extend into the Open Cup after missing the Fire’s 2-1 victory at Detroit City FC in the Round of 32.
St. Louis CITY SC will face the Fire for the second time in the history of the iconic competition after a 4-0 Round of 32 win against FC Tulsa on April 15. Four different goal scorers tallied in the match held in Energizer Park. But CITY SC followed the victory with two losses against Western Conference opponents in regular season play, including a tough 3-2 home loss against San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday night. They now hope to avenge their only meeting with the Fire in the U.S. Open Cup, a 2-1 loss on May 9, 2023, also at SeatGeek Stadium.
All-Time U.S. Open Cup Record vs. STL:Â (1-0-0)
Last U.S. Open Cup Match vs. STL: May 9, 2023 (2-1 W) – SeatGeek Stadium – Bridgeview, Ill. (Match Recap)
Match Notes
- Chicago Fire FC seeks its fifth Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in the 26th edition of the iconic tournament it has competed in. In 29 seasons of Chicago Fire soccer, only three did not feature participation in the U.S. Open Cup – 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and 2024, when Chicago Fire FC II took the first team's place in the Open Cup.
- The Fire will look for win number 49 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a record among MLS teams. They will look for win number two against St. Louis CITY SC but the third against St. Louis-based teams – they previously split two matches against now-defunct St. Louis FC in 2017 and 2019.
- A victory would mark the Fire’s 53rd time advancing to the next round – a among MLS teams – and 17th Quarterfinals appearance, second most all-time in U.S. Open Cup history.
- Forward Jason Shokalook leads the Fire with two goals in the 2026 U.S. Open Cup. The 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Golden Boot has one previous goal in the U.S. Open Cup, tallying in the 90th minute of a 2-0 win against Forward Madison FC for Chicago Fire FC II in the Second Round of the 2024 edition.
Hyundai's Keys to the Match
- A Rivalry Renewed: Chicago vs. St. Louis. Need we say more? Another chapter of an old American rivalry is renewed, this time in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Wednesday’s match will serve as an opportunity to increase the 3-1-0 edge the Fire have against CITY SC across all competitions.
- Stay Thirsty: The Fire face St. Louis CITY SC just days after a 5-0 defeat of their rivals, Sporting KC – both currently at the bottom of the Western Conference. But the Men in Red know standings won’t mean anything on the pitch and will remain thirsty for more goals against St. Louis.
- Cup Runneth Over:Â Chicago comes into the Round of 16 with some good problems to have in the attack. Will a red-hot Hugo Cuypers lead the way? Or will leading U.S. Open Cup scorer Jason Shokalook add to his three goals all-time in the competition?
Lineups
Lineups will be posted approximately one hour before first kick.
For instant updates, follow Chicago Fire FC on X (@chicagofire and @VamosFire using hashtags #cf97), Instagram (@chicagofire), TikTok (@chicagofire), Facebook at facebook.com/chicagofire/, Threads (@chicagofire) and Bluesky (@chicagofire.bsky.social).
