Match Information
Chicago Fire FC (4-2-1, 13 points) at FC Cincinnati (2-4-1, 7 points)
Saturday, April 18, 2026
6:30 p.m. CT
TQL Stadium – Cincinnati
How to Watch:Â Apple TV
English: Steve Cangialosi & Danny Higginbotham
Spanish: Bruno Vain & Andres Agulla
How to Listen: WLSAM.com // TUDN Chicago 106.7 HD2 | Uforia by TREBEL App
English: Max Anderson & Joe Chatz
Spanish: Omar Ramos & Teresa Limón
Match Preview
Chicago looks to extend a four-game win streak across all competitions when the Fire travel to Ohio to face off against FC Cincinnati in a Walmart Saturday Showdown on April 18.
The Men in Red remain on the road following a victory in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 against Detroit City FC on Tuesday night. In his first start for the first team, forward Jason Shokalook struck twice in the matter of seconds to put the Fire up 2-0 in the first half. The hosts answered, but a Fire defense that had not allowed a goal in two regular season matches held on to advance to the Round of 16.
Cincinnati has a full week of rest to prepare for a Chicago side looking for its fourth straight win in MLS. The Orange and Blue hope a home match might help following a winless two-game road trip. After a 4-2 loss at Red Bull New York on April 4, Cincinnati went down one man and one goal to Toronto FC in the second half of their match the following week. In the eighth regular season appearance of his career, forward Kenji Mboma Dem scored his first goal with the Cincinnati first team, earning a much needed road point ahead of their meeting with the Fire.
All-Time MLS Regular Season Record vs. CIN: (4-7-3)
Last Match vs. CIN: April 19, 2025 (2-3 L) – Soldier Field – Chicago (Match Recap)
Last Match at CIN: July 5, 2025 (1-2 L) – TQL Stadium – Cincinnati (Match Recap)
Hyundai Keys to the Match:
- Mbotional Damage: Mbekezeli Mbokazi had his moment in the spotlight in Chicago’s 1-0 victory against Atlanta United FC on Saturday. But the South African has quickly turned his attention to Cincinnati, where he has a shot to get a third straight shutout for the Fire, their first since 2023, and possibly his first goal.
- Lod Bearing: Robin Lod has played every match this season in a variety of roles. The Finnish veteran has contributed on all ends of the field, scoring the latest goal in Fire history against Montréal, getting a game-winning assist in Philadelphia and spearheading a press that has helped the Fire allow only five goals this season.
- Beast of the East: The Men in Red have yet to drop a match to 2025 Eastern Conference playoff opponents this season, defeating Philadelphia on the road and getting shutouts against Nashville and Columbus. Now they look for three points against last year’s second-best team in the East.
Match Notes
- Chicago is second in the Eastern Conference with five goals allowed, one more than first-place Nashville. The strong defensive start to 2026 is tied for the third-best through the opening seveb games in Club history; the Fire has allowed five goals or fewer in the opening seven matches just four times since 1998.
- Homegrown goalkeeper Chris Brady will look for his 22nd career regular season clean sheet – good for third all-time among Fire goalkeepers – against FC Cincinnati. His next appearance will be his 100th of the regular season for Chicago, making him the 23rd player to reach the century mark in Club history.
- Six current Fire players have scored against FC Cincinnati, though only Andrew Gutman has tallied more than once against his old side. On the other end, Evander and Kévin Denkey have five of the eight goals scored by five current Orange and Blue players against Chicago, including the last man to have won MLS Player of the Matchday for the Fire: Tom Barlow.
Starting XI
Lineups will be posted approximately one hour before first kick.
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