Match Information
Chicago Fire FC (13-8-6, 45 points) vs. New York City FC (8-10-9, 33 points)
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Saturday, October 10, 2026
1:30 p.m. CT
Soldier Field – Chicago
How to Watch:Â Apple TV
English: Evan Weston & Sacha Kljestan
Spanish: Alejandro Figueredo & Tony Cherchi
How to Listen: WLSam.com // TUDN Chicago 106.7-HD2
English: Max Anderson & Joe Chatz
Spanish: Omar Ramos & Liz Jiménez
Match Preview
Chicago Fire FC remains at Soldier Field for a weekend matinee against New York City FC on Saturday, Oct. 10.
Coming off a road win against Charlotte FC in their last match before the international break, the Fire returned to the lakefront for a makeup match against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Tuesday night. Three Chicago wingers made all the difference in the match, with Jonathan Bamba's ninth-minute strike setting the tone before Philip Zinckernagel doubled the lead five minutes into the second half. Vancouver halved the deficit in the 73rd minute, but a wide-open look set up by Robert Lewandowski allowed Maren Haile-Selassie to seal the match with his ninth goal of the season, sending the Fire to fourth place in the East.
New York City FC returns to action Saturday after a 2-2 road draw against Atlanta United FC on Sept. 26 in which the visitors took two leads. That result came after a 1-0 home loss to rival Red Bull New York on Sept. 18, with USMNT striker Julian Hall scoring the only goal of the match off a miscue in the defensive half. Eager to stop a slide down to ninth in the Eastern Conference standings, New York City will rely on an unbeaten run against the Fire dating back to 2021.
All-Time MLS Regular Season Record vs. NYC: (3-14-8)
Last Game vs. NYC: Sept. 13, 2025 (1-3 L) – Soldier Field – Chicago (Match Recap)
Last Game at NYC: July 25, 2026 (1-3 L) – Yankee Stadium – New York (Match Recap)
Hyundai Keys to the Match:
- The Ninja: Philip Zinckernagel stealthily sneaked through the defense to suddenly find himself open for a game-winning goal against Vancouver on Tuesday. Can he score another sneaky goal against New York City on Saturday?
- The Sensei: The Chicago Fire rewarded Maren Haile-Selassie with a new contract that will keep him in Chicago until 2029. The veteran’s versatility on the pitch and leadership in the locker room have helped him keep the Fire near the top of the East while leading the way in goal contributions this season.
- The Tsunami: Two wins in a row. Several players back from international duty. Key returns from injury. The Men in Red could be poised for a massive wave of points that could take them deep into the postseason.
Match Notes
- Fresh off a goal against Vancouver, Philip Zinckernagel leads his teammates in goals scored against New York City FC with two. But Andrew Gutman leads the way with three goal contributions, including a goal and two assists, in 12 appearances against the blue-clad club.
- Maren Haile-Selassie has not scored against New York City, but could be a factor coming off a goal and an assist against Vancouver. With another such performance, the Swiss winger could become the second player in Fire history to record 10 goals and 10 assists in a single season, following Zinckernagel's 15-15 campaign in 2025.Â
- Midfielder André Franco (Lower Body) and Robin Lod (Lower Body) are unavailable for selection on Saturday. Beside Lod (Finland), goalkeeper Chris Brady (USMNT), defender Noah Allen (Greece U-21), and midfielders Anzor Mekvabishvili (Georgia) and Robert Turdean (U-21 USMNT) returned this week following international duty with their respective national team.
Starting XI
Chicago Fire FC Director of Football and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter will name a Starting XI approximately one hour prior to the start of the match on the lakefront.
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).
