CHICAGO (July 3, 2024) – Chicago Fire FC (5-10-6, 21 points) scored three unanswered goals late in the second half to win 4-3 over the Philadelphia Union (4-9-8, 20 points) on Wednesday night at Soldier Field. Trailing 3-1 as the game approached the final whistle, the Fire scored in the 82nd, 89th and 90+2nd minutes to come from behind and win their fourth match at Soldier Field in 2024.
Both Hugo Cuypers and Maren Haile-Selassie continued their scoring form, with Gastón Giménez also opening his 2024 account. Cuypers scored his first career MLS brace, including the game winner in the 90+2nd minute, extending his team-leading tally to nine goals. Haile-Selassie scored in his fourth-straight game, and assisted on Cuypers’ game winner. He is the third Fire player since the 2020 season to score in four straight matches, and the ninth different player in Club history to accomplish the feat.
Chicago broke through in the 30th minute when Haile-Selassie scored his fifth goal of the season. Chicago played the ball up the right flank for Allan Arigoni, who sent a cross into the six-yard box. The ball was mis-hit by a Philadelphia defender and landed in front of Haile-Selassie, who struck it past goalkeeper Oliver Semmle.
The Union responded to Haile-Selassie’s finish with three straight goals, including consecutive goals on either side of halftime. In the 38th minute, Chris Donovan capitalized on a pass from Leon Flach in the box and redirected the ball into the back of the net.
Philadelphia’s second goal was a penalty kick awarded to the Union after Video Assistant Review. The referee determined that Chicago goalkeeper Chris Brady fouled Philadelphia’s Nathan Harriel in the box, pointing to the spot. Daniel Gazdag scored the penalty in the 45+7th minute for his 11th goal of the season. The Union’s third came in the 49th minute when Jack McGlynn sent a shot to the lower left corner past a diving Brady.
Despite having a goal overturned by VAR in the 54th minute, Chicago continued to push forward in the second half and began its comeback in the 82nd minute when Cuypers scored his team-leading eighth goal of the season. A short corner on the left was played across the box where Chris Mueller headed it back across the goal. Cuypers was ready, redirecting the ball inside the far post with a powerful header.
The Fire leveled the score from another short corner in the 89th minute. Giménez was the first to react after the ball was headed high into the air by Rafael Czichos and hit a powerful first-time volley from the penalty spot to score his first of the season.
Three minutes later, Chicago found the game-winner when Haile-Selassie lobbed the ball to the back post for an unmarked Cuypers, who made no mistake with his first-time finish from close range to secure all three points for the Fire.
Notes:
- With the result, the Fire joined the Portland Timbers as the only two teams in MLS to win two or more games after being down by two or more goals in a match this season.
- Additionally, the Fire have now gained 11 points from trailing positions this season, which ranks as the third-most in the league. Only Inter Miami CF (24) and Orlando City SC (12) have secured more points from trailing positions in 2024.
- This is the first time since the 2019 season that the Fire have scored four or more goals in three or more games in a single season.
- This marks the first time in Chicago Fire FC history that the Club scores three goals in less than 10 minutes to win a game.
- Gastón Giménez’s goal marked the Fire’s 50th MLS goal against the Union. The Fire have now scored 50 or more goals against 11 different MLS opponents since 1998.
- After recording his first career MLS brace tonight, Hugo Cuypers now has a team-leading nine goals this season. His nine goals are the second-most by a Fire player in a single season since the start of the 2020 campaign.
- Cuypers’ goal in the 90+2nd minute was the 15th stoppage time game-winner in Fire history.
- Tonight’s match marked the second time this season that Maren Haile-Selassie has recorded a goal and an assist in a game for the Fire (prev: 6/15/24 at TOR).
- Haile-Selassie now has six assists this season, the most on the team in 2024.
- Rafael Czichos recorded his second assist of the season tonight.
- Wyatt Omsberg earned his first start of the 2024 MLS regular season.
- Maren Haile-Selassie started for the 13th time this season. With his goal against Philadelphia, he joined Hugo Cuypers as the two Fire players to have scored in four consecutive matches in 2024.
NEXT MATCH: Chicago will travel to Northern California to face the San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday, July 7. Kickoff at PayPal Park is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT. The match will be broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass and transmitted locally via wlsam.com (English) and WRTO 1200 AM (Spanish).
Social: Twitter - @chicagofire, @vamosfire (Hashtags: #CF97 #VamosFire) | Instagram - @chicagofire | Facebook
Box Score:Chicago Fire FC 4:3 Philadelphia Union
Goals:
CHI – Haile-Selassie (5) (WATCH) 30’
PHI – Donovan (1) (Flach, 2) (WATCH) 38’
PHI – Gazdag (11) (penalty) 45+7’
PHI - McGlynn (3) (Gazdag, 2) (WATCH) 49’
CHI - Cuypers (8) (Mueller, 2) (WATCH) 82’
CHI - Giménez (1) (Czichos, 2) (WATCH) 89’
CHI - Cuypers (9) (Haile-Selassie 5) (WATCH) 90+2’
Discipline:
CHI – Omsberg (Yellow Card) 4’
PHI – Glesnes (Yellow Card) 32’
CHI – Brady (Yellow Card) 45+7’
PHI – Gazdag (Yellow Card) 54’
CHI - Klopas (Ejection) 90+6’
Chicago Fire FC: GK Brady, D Souquet, D Omsberg, D Czichos; M Dean (Mueller, 46’), M Herbers (capt.), M Acosta (Barlow, 77’), M Gutiérrez (Pineda, 90+4’), M Arigoni (Giménez, 65’); F Haile-Selassie, F Cuypers (Koutsias, 90+4)
Subs not used: GK Richey, D Konincks, M Casas Jr., M Poreba
Philadelphia Union: GK Semmle; D Elliot, D Glesnes (capt.), D Harriel, D Wagner; M Gazdag, M McGlynn, M Bueno, M Flach, M Sulliva; F Donovan (Rafanello, 76)
Subs not used: GK Rick, D Mbaizo, D Makhanya, M Olney Jr., F Anderson, F Vazquez
Stats Summary: CHI / PHIShots: 18 / 12
Shots on Goal: 10 / 4
Saves: 1 / 6
Passing Accuracy: 80% / 79.6%
Corners: 4 / 1
Fouls: 16 / 12
Offsides: 3 / 2
Possession: 46.9% / 53.1%
Attendance: 19,453
Referee: Abdou Ndiaye
Assistant Referees: Chris Elliott, Jason White
Fourth Official: Lukasz Szpala
VAR: Younes Marrakchi, Jeremy Kieso
