Chicago Fire FC Falls 2-1 to Atlanta United FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium

CHICAGO (April 23, 2023) – Chicago Fire FC (2-2-4, 10 points) fell 2-1 to Atlanta United FC (5-1-3, 18 points) after conceding a goal during second half stoppage time at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Second half substitute, Kacper Przybyłko, scored his second goal of the season in the 90th minute to bring the Fire level, following Giorgos Giakoumakis’ opening goal in the 13th minute. However, an own goal in the 99th minute would secure all three points for the home side, snapping Chicago’s four-match unbeaten run.

The Fire fell behind early in the match when a long pass found its way inside the box for midfielder Brooks Lennon, who then centered the ball through the Fire defense to Giakoumakis for the game’s opening finish.

Chicago bounced back with chances of their own and outshot Atlanta, 5-2, through the first 45 minutes of the match. The Fire’s best chance of the half came in the 37th minute, when winger Maren Haile-Selassie created space and found forward Kei Kamara just outside of the box, streaking towards the goal. Kamara registered a shot on target, but Atlanta goalkeeper Quentin Westberg was able to make the save.

Nearly midway into the second half, 19-year old Homegrown goalkeeper Chris Brady was forced to come up big to keep the Fire within one. In the 58th minute of play, Atlanta’s Matteus Rossetto found a trailing Thiago Almada, who fired a shot towards Brady that forced the young goalkeeper to make a sprawling save to keep the score at 1-0.

With the Fire still searching for an equalizer late in the match, Przybyłko was brought on and made an immediate impact in the final third. Pouncing on an errant pass from Atlanta, Przybyłko was left all alone on a breakaway against goalkeeper Clément Diop. Although Przybyłko’s initial shot was denied, the ball found Homegrown Brian Gutiérrez, who found a wide open Przybyłko to his left. The Polish striker would capitalize on his second attempt, scoring the equalizer and his second goal of the season in the 90th minute.

After the fourth official issued nine minutes of stoppage time, Atlanta nearly recaptured the lead off a set piece that was headed towards the goal by defender Juan José Purata, but was denied by Brady’s left-handed save. The Atlanta attack continued to apply pressure and were rewarded with a corner kick with a minute left in the match. The corner was whipped into the box and deflected off Haile-Selassie for an own goal. 

NEXT MATCH: The Fire will return to Chicago for two matches in four days. Chicago is set to host Midwest Premier League side Chicago House AC in the third round of the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, April 26 at 7 p.m. CT at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Ill. Three days later, the Fire return to the lakefront to host the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, April 29 at 7:30 p.m. CT at Soldier Field. The match will be broadcast on Apple TV+, and transmitted locally in Spanish on TUDN 1200 AM.

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Notes:

• Today’s road match against Atlanta United FC marked the 800th league match for Chicago Fire FC since 1998. 
• Forward Kacper Przybyłko scored his second goal of the season.
• Fabian Herbers achieved an MLS milestone today with his inclusion in the starting lineup. The match marked Herbers' 150th regular season appearance of his MLS career. Herbers originally entered the league in 2016 as a member of the Philadelphia Union.
• Making his sixth straight start in today’s match, midfielder Brian Gutiérrez notched his team-leading fourth assist of the season by creating Przybyłko’s goal late in the second half.
• Midfielder Jairo Torres (right upper leg) and forward Victor Bezerra (left upper leg) were unavailable for selection due to injury.

Box Score:

Atlanta United FC 2-1 Chicago Fire FC 

Goals:
ATL - Giakoumakis (5) (Lennon 3, Almada 6) (WATCH) 13’
CHI - Przybyłko (1) (Gutierrez 4) (WATCH) 90’
ATL - Haile-Selassie (Own goal) (WATCH) 99’

Discipline:
ATL - Giakoumakis (Yellow Card) 24’

CHI - Herbers (Yellow Card) 34’
CHI - Terán (Yellow Card) 77’
CHI - Giménez (Yellow Card) 80’

CHI - Dean (Yellow Card) 90+5’

Chicago Fire FC: GK Brady, D Soquet (Przybyłko, 82’), D Terán, D Czichos (capt.), D Dean, M Herbers (F. Navarro, 61’), M Gutiérrez, M Haile-Selassie, M Shaqiri (Giménez, 61’), M Mueller (Aceves, 81’), F Kamara (Koutsias, 72’)

Subs not used: GK Richey, D M. Navarro, D Omsberg, M Pineda

Atlanta United FC: GK Westberg (Diop 45’), D Gutman, D Purata, D Robinson, D Lennon, M Sosa, M Rossetto, M Etienne (M Wiley, 58’), M Almada (Chol, 69’), M Araújo (Ibarra, 80’), F Giakoumakis (M Berry, 58’)

Subs not used: D Hernandez, D Abram, M Sejdic, F Wolff

Stats Summary: ATL / CHIShots: 9 / 12
Shots on Goal: 4 / 5
Saves: 2 / 4
Passing Accuracy: 82.5% / 82.4%
Corners: 4 / 5
Fouls: 7 / 12
Offsides: 2 / 5
Possession: 56.6% / 43.4%

Attendance: 43,335

Referee: Victor Rivas
Assistant Referees: Kathryn Nesbitt, Ben Pilgrim
Fourth Official: Drew Fischer
VAR: Kevin Stott, TJ Zablocki