CHICAGO (April 29, 2023) – Chicago Fire FC (2-2-5, 11 points) battled the New York Red Bulls (1-3-6, 9 points) to a 1-1 draw on Saturday night at Soldier Field.
The Fire went ahead 1-0 shortly before halftime when forward Kei Kamara tallied his team-leading fourth goal of the season, placing him just two goals shy of Landon Donovan’s 145 career MLS tallies. However, the Red Bulls would find the equalizer from a corner kick in the 89th minute when second-half substitute Cory Burke found the back of the net.
Kamara scored his 143rd MLS regular season goal in the 34th minute following some back-and-forth play between Maren Haile-Selassie and Arnaud Souquet on the right flank. Haile-Selassie played Souquet behind the defense and the French defender sent a cross that was perfectly timed for Kamara to head into the net.
With the result, the Fire now sit in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, one point below the playoff line. The Club is also unbeaten through its first six home matches, with a 1-0-5 record.
NEXT MATCH: The Fire will head to the Music City to face Nashville SC at 7:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, May 6, at GEODIS Park. The match will be broadcast on Apple TV+, and transmitted locally in English on 890 WLS-AM and in Spanish on TUDN 1200 AM.
Notes:
- After scoring his 143rd career MLS goal, Kei Kamara is two goals away from surpassing Landon Donovan for the second-most goals scored by a single player in MLS history.
- Arnaud Souquet tallied his third assist of the season, which ranks as the second-most on the team in 2023.
- Midfielder Federico Navarro started his first regular season match since the Fire's season opener on March 4. The Argentine previously missed six-straight matches due to a left upper leg injury suffered in that game. Navarro also started and played 45 minutes in the Fire's midweek U.S. Open Cup win over Chicago House AC on Wednesday.
- Navarro is one of three of tonight's starters who also started in Wednesday's Open Cup game, alongside Miguel Navarro and Maren Haile-Selassie.
- Gastón Giménez returned to the starting XI after appearing as a substitute both in Atlanta last weekend and in the Open Cup on Wednesday.
- Alonso Aceves played in his third MLS regular season match for the Fire after starting and going 78 minutes in Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup match.
- Jonathan Dean entered the game in the 73rd minute, playing in his seventh match for the Fire after going the full 90 minutes last Sunday against Atlanta United FC and again on Wednesday in the U.S. Open Cup.
- Defender Carlos Terán made his ninth-straight start of the season, remaining one of only three Fire players alongside Souquet and Captain Rafael Czichos to start every regular season match so far this season.
Box Score:
Chicago Fire FC 1:1 New York Red Bulls
Goals:
CHI - Kamara (4) (Souquet 3, Haile-Selassie 1) 34’
NYR - Burke (1) (Tolkin 4) 89’
Discipline:
CHI - Czichos (Yellow Card) 4’
NYR - Cásseres Jr. (Yellow Card) 12’
NYR - Fernandez (Yellow Card) 38’
CHI - Pineda (Yellow Card) 45+1’
CHI - Navarro (Yellow Card) 47’
CHI - Mueller (Yellow Card) 49’
CHI - Dean (Yellow Card) 82’
Chicago Fire FC: GK Brady, D Souquet, D Terán (Pineda, 33’), D Czichos (capt.), D Navarro (Herbers, 62’), M Gutiérrez (Shaqiri, 73’), M Navarro, M Haile-Selassie (Dean, 73’), M Giménez, M Mueller (Aceves, 62’), F Kamara
Subs not used: GK Richey, M Torres, F Przybyłko, F Koutsias
New York Red Bulls: GK Coronel, D Tolkin, D S. Nealis, D Reyes (Stroud, 83’), D D. Nealis, M Cásseres Jr., M Edelman, M Harper, M Fernandez (Carmona, 61’), M Manoel, F Barlow (Burke, 56’)
Subs not used: GK Meara, D Reid, D Ndam, M Yearwood
Stats Summary: CHI / NYR
Shots: 8 / 14
Shots on Goal: 4 / 4
Saves: 3 / 3
Passing Accuracy: 64.8% / 64.9%
Corners: 0 / 5
Fouls: 15 / 15
Offsides: 1 / 0
Possession: 47.7% / 52.3%
Attendance: 11,432
Referee: Chris Penso
Assistant Referees: Cameron Blanchard, Jeremy Hanson
Fourth Official: Fotis Bazakos
VAR: Luis Guardia, Craig Lowry
