Indio, Calif. (Feb. 12, 2025) – Chicago Fire FC defeated the San Jose Earthquakes 5-1 in the third match of the Coachella Valley Invitational Wednesday morning at the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, California. Jonathan Bamba and Brian Gutiérrez each scored their first two goals of the preseason, while Philip Zinckernagel tallied his first and added a pair of assists in the first half.
Chicago got on the board quickly from the penalty spot. After a fourth minute give-and-go from Gutiérrez, Bamba was tackled in the box as he threatened to get behind the San Jose defense. Following the referee’s whistle, the Ivorian winger tucked a well-placed shot near the right post to put the Fire in the lead.
Despite some pressure from the Earthquakes, the Fire doubled the lead just eight minutes later. After receiving the ball off a turnover in the San Jose box, Zinckernagel passed to Oregel, who laid it up for Gutiérrez to blast into the San Jose goal.
The Men in Red would not ease off the accelerator, and added another goal just three minutes later when Zinckernagel found an open Bamba on a counter down the left wing. The winger dribbled past midfield and into the final third, where he gave it right back to Zinckernagel in an open position on the right flank. He rounded the goalkeeper and scored on an empty goal to tally his first with the Fire.
Once again, Zinckernagel made San Jose pay with a counter down the right side, where he found himself on the end of a through ball from Gutiérrez. The Danish winger sought a brace, but instead was tackled in the box, handing the ball to Gutiérrez to earn his own brace with a penalty kick conversion in the 27th minute.
In the 34th minute, Zinckernagel got his second assist of the match in impressive manner. With his back turned to goal, the winger spotted Bamba streaking unmarked into the box. He curled a perfect pass into his path to give the Ivorian a brace of his own and cap the scoring in the first half.
Both teams made wholesale changes from the onset of the second half, but the Quakes kept their front three intact to get one back. In the 56th minute, San Jose won the ball back off an errant throw-in, working the ball to MLS All-Star Chicho Arango. The Colombian forward then rifled a shot into the upper corner of the goal to round out the scoring for the day.
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Box Score:Chicago Fire FC 5:1 San Jose Earthquakes
Goals:
CHI - Bamba (1) (Penalty) 5’
CHI - Gutiérrez (1) (Oregel 1, Zinckernagel 1) 13’
CHI - Zinckernagel (1) (Bamba 1) 16’
CHI - Gutiérrez (2) (Penalty) 26’
CHI - Bamba (2) (Zinckernagel 2) 34’
SJ - Arango (1) (Fernandez 1) 56’
Discipline:
CHI - Acosta (Yellow Card) 18’
SJ - Wilson (Yellow Card) 27’
SJ - Rodrigues (Yellow Card) 81’
Chicago Fire FC: GK Brady (Gal, 46’), D Barroso (Reynolds, 45’), D Terán (González, 46’), D Rogers (Konincks, 46’), D Gutman (Dean, 46’), M Acosta (capt.) (Williams, 46’), M Oregel (Osorio, 46’), M Gutiérrez (Cassano, 46’), F Zinckernagel (Glasgow, 46’), F Barlow (Boltz, 46’), F Bamba (Hlyut, 46’)
Subs not used: GK Los, D Pfrommer
San Jose Earthquakes: GK Daniel (Edwards, Jr., 46’), D Munie (Floriani, 46’), D Wilson (Roberts, 46’), D Romney (Marie, 46’), M Espinoza (Lima, 62’), M Harkes (Fernandez, 46’), M Kaye (Leroux, 46’; Ricketts, 74’), M Costa (Rodrigues, 46’), F López (Tsakiris, 62’), F Martinez (Bouda, 62’), F Arango (Pellegrino, 62’)
Subs not used: GK Montali, D Verhoeven, M Medina, M Skahan, F Judd
Referee: Servando Berna
Assistant Referees: Art Arustamyan, Eric Del Rosario
Fourth Official: Jose Landa
