Chicago Fire FC Defeats Toronto FC 1-0 at Soldier Field

CHICAGO (July 15, 2023) – Chicago Fire FC (8-7-8, 32 points) defeated Toronto FC (3-11-10, 19 points) 1-0 on Saturday night at Soldier Field. The homestand marks the first time since 2015 that the Fire have won three-straight matches at home, and only the third time in Club history that the team has had three consecutive wins coupled with three clean-sheets.

Przybyłko scored his fourth goal of the season in the 90th minute, putting the Fire on top, when Miguel Navarro received the ball and carried it up the right flank. Navarro whipped the ball into the box where Przybyłko slammed a header past Johnson, who had been impenetrable up to that point. Navarro picked up his third assist of the season on the goal, which is his single-season career high.

Chicago had five shots in the opening 25 minutes, the most dangerous of which was a 23rd-minute attempt by Fabian Herbers. The play began with a short corner kick taken by Brian Gutiérrez to Xherdan Shaqiri who passed it right back to him as he was running back toward the top of the 18. Gutiérrez then sent a sharp ball into the box, where Herbers redirected it with power toward the goal but former Chicago Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson reacted well to block the shot.

It looked as though Toronto could break through in the 32nd minute when the Canadian team sent a ball behind the backline for Deandre Kerr who was just a step ahead of Rafael Czichos. Kerr received the ball, taking a controlling touch in the box that slowed him down enough for Czichos to get a toe on the ball and slightly redirect it. Defender Jonathan Dean came up right behind Czichos to finish clearing it out of danger.

Chicago started the second half with one change to the lineup as Kei Kamara took the field for the 411th time in an MLS regular season. In the 67th minute, it looked like Kamara would break through the deadlock, finding himself behind the defense to get a shot off at a tight angle that Johnson once again stopped. The rebound fell right back to Kamara, who tried his luck again but sent it into the side netting on the outside.

Chris Brady demonstrated his focus and skill in the 73rd minute when Toronto’s second-half sub Brandon Servania managed to send a blast to the lower right corner. The Naperville native read the play and got down quickly to make the save with his outstretched hand. The clean sheet was Brady’s sixth clean sheet of the season, also marking the first time he has recorded three consecutive shutouts. Brady and former Fire goalkeeper Gaga Slonina are the only teenagers in MLS history to record three-straight clean sheets.

NEXT MATCH: Chicago and the rest of the league will see a short break for the MLS All-Star break before returning to action in the 2023 Leagues Cup. The Fire will kick off Leagues Cup 2023 on the road against Minnesota United FC at 7:30 p.m. CT on Thursday, July 27 at Allianz Field. Four days later, the Club will host Puebla at 7:30 p.m. CT at SeatGeek Stadium on Monday, July 31. Both Leagues Cup matches will be broadcast on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+.

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

Notes:

• Chicago Fire FC Head Coach Frank Klopas made one change to the starting XI that took the field against CF Montréal on Wednesday. Defender Jonathan Dean replaced Arnaud Souquet in the backline, joining Mauricio Pineda, captain Rafael Czichos and Miguel Navarro.
• Fabian Herbers made his sixth consecutive start, and his second-straight alongside Gastón Giménez. 
• Maren Haile-Selassie, Xherdan Shaqiri and Brian Gutiérrez started alongside each other for the fourth consecutive match. Georgios Koutsias led the attack from the outset for the third-straight time.
• Homegrown goalkeeper Chris Brady backstopped the team for the 20th time this season, picking up his sixth clean sheet of the 2023 MLS regular season.
• Defender Wyatt Omsberg (left lower leg), midfielders Javier Casas Jr. (right upper arm), Chris Mueller (right upper leg) and Federico Navarro (right lower leg) and forward Victor Bezerra (right lower leg) will not be available for tonight’s match. Additionally, midfielder Ousmane Doumbia is unavailable for the match as he serves a suspension for yellow card accumulation during the 2023 Swiss Cup.
• The Fire have won five of their last six regular-season matches, including the last three. Chicago has won three straight league games just once since the start of the 2018 season, a run in July 2022 that included a home win over Toronto.
• Chicago has collected four points in its last two matches against Toronto FC after taking three points from its previous 14 against the Reds. The Fire have kept clean sheets in each of the last two games, the first time they've shut Toronto out in consecutive meetings.

Box Score:
Chicago Fire FC 1:0 Toronto FC

Goals:
CHI - Przybyłko (4) (M. Navarro, 3) (WATCH) 90’

Discipline:
TOR - Petretta (Yellow Card) 55’
CHI - Czichos (Yellow Card) 76’

Chicago Fire FC: GK Brady, D Dean (Souquet, 89’), D Czichos (capt.), D M. Navarro, D Pineda, M Giménez (Terán, 80’), M Herbers (Torres, 72’), M Haile-Selassie (Przybyłko, 89’), M Shaqiri, M Gutiérrez , F Koutsias (Kamara, 46’)

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

Toronto FC: GK Johnson, D Rosted (Mabika, 63’), D Franklin, D O’Neill (Hedges, 69’), D Petretta (Servania, 69’), M Ibarra, M Marshall-Rutty, M Osorio (capt.), M Kerr (Blessing, 52’), F Sapong, F Akinola (Coello, 52’)

Subs not used: GK Romero, M Thompson, M Antonoglou, F Perruzza

Stats Summary: CHI / TOR
Shots: 12 / 10
Shots on Goal: 5 / 1
Saves: 1 / 4
Passing Accuracy: 84.5% / 82.9%
Corners: 6 / 2
Fouls: 11 / 12
Offsides: 2 / 2
Possession: 49.5% / 50.5% 

Attendance: 18,246

Referee: Sergii Boiko
Assistant Referees: Jeremy Hanson, Mike Nickerson
Fourth Official: Danielle Chesky
VAR: Greg Dopka
Asst. VAR: TJ Zablocki