Chicago Fire FC Draws New England Revolution 2-2 at Soldier Field

CHICAGO (Sept. 23, 2023) – Chicago Fire FC (8-12-10, 34 points) tied 2-2 with the New England Revolution (13-6-10, 49 points) before 20,129 fans at Soldier Field on Saturday night.

New England scored first in the 17th minute but the lead was short-lived as Homegrown midfielder Brian Gutiérrez leveled the score just one minute later. Defender Jonathan Dean ran down a pass from Ousmane Doumbia on the right flank and sent a ball into the box. Dean’s pass was just behind the Fire attackers running into space, but Gutiérrez was able to connect with it and hit a first-time shot into the bottom left corner.

Gutiérrez followed up his goal with his team-leading ninth assist of the season in the 54th minute, holding onto a ball from striker Kei Kamara in the box while three defenders rushed in. Gutiérrez slipped the ball up to the top of the 18-yard box, where midfielder Gastón Giménez lined up and expertly placed his attempt inside the far post, just past the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Earl Edwards Jr. The goal was Giménez’s first of 2023. Carles Gil scored in the 59th minute to tie the game at two.

The result moved the Fire into 11th place in the Eastern Conference, one spot behind the New York Red Bulls and ahead of New York City FC. With four matches remaining in the regular season, the Fire’s next League fixture against the Red Bulls will be a pivotal contest in the race to the playoffs, as both teams are two points behind D.C. United for ninth and final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.

NEXT MATCH: The Fire will travel to face the Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 30. The match will be broadcast live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV and will be streamed locally on wlsam.com in English, and in Spanish on TUDN 1200 AM.

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Notes:

• Midfielder Brian Gutiérrez scored his second goal of the season in the 18th minute, tying his previous season-high set in 2022. His first goal of 2023 was also at Soldier Field, in the 3-0 win against CF Montréal on July 12. 
• After recording his team-leading assist, Gutiérrez, 20, is now one of two players aged 22 or younger with nine or more assists in the League this season, joining Atlanta United attacking midfielder Thiago Almada who leads MLS with 16 assists.
• Defender Jonathan Dean and midfielder Ousmane Doumbia each picked up their first career assist for the Fire on Gutiérrez’s goal.
• Giménez wore the captain’s armband against New England and scored his first goal of the season.
• Striker Kei Kamara led the attack, playing in his 417th MLS career match, good for fourth place on the MLS all-time appearance list. His assist on Giménez’s goal was his second of the 2023 regular season.
• Midfielder Fabian Herbers made his 99th career start in regular season play in tonight's match, placing him one shy of the century mark. Herbers, who joined the Fire from the Philadelphia Union prior to the start of the 2019 season, has made 77 starts in five seasons with Chicago. He is currently the longest tenured player on the 2023 roster. 
• The Fire’s all-time regular season record against the Revolution now stands at 27-24-20, including a 17-7-12 mark at home.
• Defenders Rafael Czichos (left upper leg) and Arnaud Souquet (yellow card accumulation), defender/midfielder Mauricio Pineda (right lower leg), midfielders Javier Casas (right lower leg), Chris Mueller (right upper leg), Federico Navarro (left upper leg) and Xherdan Shaqiri (red card suspension), and forward Victor Bezerra (right lower leg) were not available for tonight’s match.

Box Score:
Chicago Fire FC 2:2 New England Revolution

Goals:
NER - Chanclay (3) (WATCH) 17’
CHI - Gutiérrez (2) (Dean, 1; Doumbia, 1) (WATCH) 18’
CHI - Giménez (1) (Gutiérrez, 9; Kamara, 2) (WATCH) 54’
NER - C. Gil (9) (Vrioni, 2) (WATCH) 60’

Discipline:
CHI - Giménez (Yellow Card) 65’
CHI - Doumbia (Yellow Card) 90+7’
NE - Chancalay (Yellow Card) 90+10’

Chicago Fire FC: GK Brady, D Dean, D Omsberg, D Terán, D M. Navarro, M Doumbia, M Giménez (capt.), M Herbers (Haile-Selassie, 67’), M Gutiérrez (Aceves, 90+4’), M Torres (Koutsias, 77’), F Kamara (Przybyłko, 78’)

Subs not used: GK Richey, D Burks

New England Revolution: GK Edwards Jr., D Jones, D Gonzalez, D Romney, D Polster, M Kaye, M N. Gil (Boateng, 86’), M C. Gil (capt.), M Buck (Harkes, 62’), F Chancalay, F Vrioni (Wood, 62’)

Subs not used: GK Jackson, D Farell, D Makoun, D Sweat, M McNamara, F Bajraktarevic

Stats Summary: CHI / NER
Shots: 16 / 13
Shots on Goal: 7 / 3
Saves: 1 / 5
Passing Accuracy: 81.5% / 85.4%
Corners: 5 / 6
Fouls: 8 / 11
Offsides: 1 / 1
Possession: 44.6% / 55.4%

Attendance: 20,129

Referee: Tim Ford
Assistant Referees: Adam Garner, Mike Nickerson
Fourth Official: Jon Freemon
VAR: Kevin Terry, Jr.
Assistant VAR: Jozef Batko