Chicago Fire FC Defeats Portland Timbers 2-1 to Earn First-Ever Victory at Providence Park

PORTLAND, Ore. (June 21, 2023) – Chicago Fire FC (4-6-8, 20 points) defeated the Portland Timbers (5-8-6, 21 points) for the first time in Club history with a 2-1 victory on Wednesday night at Providence Park.

Striker Kei Kamara scored the game-winning goal in the 83rd minute to notch his 144th MLS regular season goal, and his fifth for the Fire in 2023, putting him just one goal shy of tying Landon Donovan for second place on the MLS all-time scoring list. Fabian Herbers scored his second goal of the season to open the scoring, with both goals being served by Homegrown midfielder Brian Gutiérrez who leads the team with seven assists. With a two-assist performance against Portland, Gutiérrez became the 10th player in MLS history to record 15 career assists before turning 21 years old. The victory elevates Chicago to 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings, just three points below the playoff line.

Chicago opened the scoring in the eighth minute when some movement on the left flank ended with the ball at the feet of Gastón Giménez. The Argentine midfielder served a ball into the left side of the box, where Gutiérrez ran onto the pass and took the ball to the endline, playing it back to the top of the six-yard box. Fabian Herbers read the play and timed his run perfectly to get a one-time shot that whipped past the goalkeeper.

Portland pulled one back in the 26th minute by way of Franck Boli but Chicago pulled ahead in the 83rd minute. Chicago won a throw-in on the left side and the ball was collected by Gutiérrez inside the box. Gutiérrez served to the far post for Kamara, who elevated for a header that bounced in front of the goal before going in and hitting the roof of the net.

NEXT MATCH: Chicago travels from the West Coast to the Midwest for a visit to Sporting KC at 7:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, June 24 at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan. The match will be broadcast on Apple TV+, streamed in English on 890 WLS-AM, and transmitted locally in Spanish on TUDN 1200 AM.

Social: Twitter - @chicagofire, @vamosfire (Hashtags: #CF97 #VamosFire) | Instagram - @chicagofire | Facebook

Notes:

• Forward Kei Kamara scored his second game-winning goal of the season for the Fire, increasing his season tally to five goals overall and his career tally to 144 regular season goals.
• Brian Gutiérrez lined up from the outset for a third-straight regular season match, increasing his team-leading assist total to seven after setting up Fabian Herbers’s goal in the eighth minute and Kamara’s goal in the 83rd minute. His seven assists are tied for the fifth-most in the League.
• The Argentine duo of Federico Navarro and Gastón Giménez took the field side-by-side for the fifth time this season. It is Navarro’s fifth-straight start.
• Jairo Torres and Fabian Herbers got the nod against Portland, marking Torres’s third start of the season. Herbers scored his second goal of the season and his first goal against the Portland Timbers.
• Alonso Aceves started his third match for the Fire, having lined up from the outset against FC Cincinnati on June 3 and against Nashville SC on May 6.
• Captain Rafael Czichos, Arnaud Souquet and Mauricio Pineda lined up next to each other for a second-straight match.
• Goalkeeper Chris Brady returned to the Starting XI for the first time since receiving a cut above his left eye against Toronto FC on May 31 at BMO Stadium.
• Midfielders Javier Casas Jr. (right upper arm), Chris Mueller (right upper leg), Xherdan Shaqiri (national team) and defenders Carlos Terán (right knee) and Miguel Navarro (yellow card accumulation) were unavailable for selection tonight.

Box Score:Portland Timbers 1:2 Chicago Fire FC

Goals:

CHI - Herbers (2) (Gutiérrez 6, Giménez 1) (WATCH) 8’
POR - Boli (5) (Moreno 6, Chara 3) (WATCH) 26’
CHI - Kamara (6) (Gutiérrez 7) (WATCH) 83’

Discipline:

POR - Asprilla (Yellow Card) 56’
POR - Bravo (Yellow Card) 75’

Chicago Fire FC: GK Brady, D Souquet, D Czichos (capt.), D Pineda, D Aceves (Dean, 69’), M F. Navarro, M Giménez, M Herbers (Haile-Selassie, 78’), M Torres (Koutsias, 78’), M Gutiérrez (Omsberg, 87’), F Przybyłko (Kamara, 69’)

Subs not used: GK Richey, D Burks, D Ostrem, F Rodríguez

Portland Timbers: GK Bingham, D Bravo, D Zuparic, D Miller, D McGraw, M Evander (Blanco, 72’), M Chará (capt.), M Paredes, M Asprilla (Loria, 72’), M Moreno (Fogaça, 81’), F Boli (Niezgoda, 72’)

Subs not used: GK Ivacic, D Rasmussen, D Mabiala, M Caliskan, F Gutiérrez

Stats Summary: POR / CHIShots: 17 / 12
Shots on Goal: 5 / 3
Saves: 1 / 3
Passing Accuracy: 77% / 83.9%
Corners: 6 / 4
Fouls: 21 / 15
Offsides: 1 / 3
Possession: 45.7% / 54.3%

Attendance: 22,548

Referee: Fotis Bazakos
Assistant Referees: Chris Wattam, Kali Smith
Fourth Official: Brad Jensen
VAR: Younes Marrakchi
Asst. VAR: Mike Kampmeinert