BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. (Sept. 13, 2026) – Chicago Fire FC II (10-11-6-3, 39 points) fell 2-1 against Philadelphia Union II (12-11-4-2, 42 points) on Sunday afternoon at SeatGeek Stadium. The loss eliminated Chicago from MLS NEXT Pro Playoff contention for the first time since its inaugural 2022 season.
Chicago Fire II struck first in the 30th minute when winger Damyan Villanueva finished from the center of the box after midfielder Vitaliy Hlyut’s assist. Chicago continued to threaten throughout the opening half and nearly doubled its advantage when Hlyut’s effort hit the post two minutes into the second half.
Philadelphia found the equalizer in the 66th minute when Kellan LeBlanc scored from the right side of the box to make it 1-1. CFII continued to respond with pressure, but the visitors completed the comeback eight minutes later with a goal from Theo Reed. The home side continued to push for an equalizer late in the game, earning multiple free kicks and creating chances in the final minutes, but couldn’t find an answer as Philadelphia held on for the 2-1 victory that kept its playoff hopes alive.
NEXT MATCH: Chicago Fire FC II will close out the 2026 regular season at home against Chattanooga FC on Sunday, Sept. 20. Decision Day is scheduled to kick off simultaneously across the Eastern Conference at 1:00 p.m. CT, with match entry and parking free for fans at SeatGeek Stadium. The match can be streamed across the globe on OneFootball and MLSNEXTPro.com.
Social: X - @ChicagoFireFCII (Hashtags: #ChicagoFireII) | Instagram - @chicagofirefcii | Facebook
Box Score:
Chicago Fire FC II 1:2 Philadelphia Union II
Goals:
CHI - Villanueva (6) (Hlyut 4) 30’
PHI - LeBlanc (4) (De Paula 4) 66’
PHI - Reed (5) (Griffin 4) 74’
Discipline:
PHI - Benítez Cobo (Caution) 72’
Chicago Fire FC II: GK Nemo Jr., D Napoe, D Sandmeyer, D González, D Nagle, M Fleming (C), M Pineda, M Villanueva, M Hlyut (Montiel 76’), M Williams, F Boltz (Diawara 61’)
Substitutes not used: GK Gongadze, D Chavez, M Clark, M Bernhardt
Head Coach: Mike Matkovich
Philadelphia Union II: GK Holbrook, D De Paula, D Sundstrom, D Moore, D Griffin, M LeBlanc, M Benítez Cobo, M Sequera, M Ferreira (Gladstone 66’), F Reed, F Ruf
Substitutes not used: GK Judy, D Uzcategui, D Pratt, M Berthe, M Mendoza, M Diop, F Olivas
Head Coach: Christopher Harmon
Stats Summary: CHI / PHI
Shots: 17 / 8
Shots on Goal: 5 / 3
Passing Accuracy: 84.3% / 71.7%
Saves: 1 / 4
Corners: 2 / 4
Fouls: 14 / 18
Offsides: 1 / 1
Venue: SeatGeek Stadium (Bridgeview, Ill.)
Referee: Rafael Bonilla
Assistant Referee 1: Ethan Buege
Assistant Referee 2: Leo Mora
Fourth Official: John Kennedy
