CHICAGO (March 28, 2025) – After closing out a successful three-game road trip with a win over the previously undefeated Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Chicago Fire FC returns to the lakefront to face Eastern Conference foe CF Montréal at Soldier Field on Saturday, March 29.
Chicago comes home with a three-game winning streak in tow. Following road wins against FC Dallas and Toronto FC, the Fire made a statement early against the ‘Caps, with Hugo Cuypers notching his third goal in as many matches just 52 seconds in. Vancouver would answer back in the first half, but Philip Zinckernagel and Rominigue Kouamé scored their first goals in Major League Soccer to give the Fire their best start to a season since 2008.
Montréal will go into Soldier Field hoping for a change in fortunes after a tough start to the season. The Bleu-blanc-noir had yet to allow a goal for 187 minutes, holding Nashville SC scoreless for 56 minutes on Saturday. But three goals in a span of 11 minutes doomed Montréal, resulting in a drop to 15th place in the Eastern Conference as of Sunday morning.
Saturday’s match will be the 30th meeting all-time between Chicago and Montréal, dating back to the Canadian side’s very first game in Major League Soccer – a 1-1 draw at the Montreal Olympic Stadium on March 17, 2012. The Montrealers enjoy a 13-9-7 record against Chicago, including a 2-0 win in their last meeting in Montréal. But Chicago got the upper hand in their last meeting at Soldier Field, a 4-3 victory on March 16, 2024, punctuated by Kellyn Acosta’s remarkable “Windy City Winner” scored from midfield in the ninth minute of stoppage time.
Game Information
CHICAGO FIRE FC (3-1-1, 10 points) vs. CF Montréal (0-4-1, 1 point)
Saturday, March 29, 2025
Soldier Field – Chicago, Illinois
All-Time MLS Regular Season Record vs. MTL: (9-13-7)
Last Game vs. MTL: March 16, 2024 (4-3 W) – Soldier Field – Chicago (Match Recap)
Last Game at MTL: Sept. 21, 2024 (0-2 L) – Stade Saputo – Montréal, Quebec (Match Recap)
Keys to the Match
- Bamba’s Due: Philip Zinckernagel’s first goal of the season in Vancouver left Jonathan Bamba as the lone member of the front three without a goal, but the underlying numbers say that is likely to change. With a team-leading three assists and 11 key passes, the winger has been heavily involved in setting up goals. He is currently tied for third on the team in shots (seven), but with only one on target so far. He is due for a few more shots on target, and one of those will go in for his first goal with Chicago.
- Keep it Clean: After allowing six goals in the first two matches of 2025, the Fire defense has cleaned up, allowing only one in each of the last three. The synergy between a revamped backline has improved, and an in-form Chris Brady has invigorated a defense looking for their first clean sheet of the year. Expect the defense to play a clean match and help Brady get the 13th shutout of his career.
- Be Wary of Traps: Montréal is off to an inauspicious start to 2025, but the team is only months removed from hosting a Wild Card game in the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs. Montréal’s lineup has not changed dramatically from their penalty kick shootout loss to Atlanta United in that round, and it has yet to play a home game this season. In his first match at the helm of the Bleu-blanc-noir, interim head coach Marco Donadel will hope to inspire his team to ruin Chicago’s homecoming on Saturday.
By the Numbers
5 – By all accounts, Philip Zinckernagel had a successful match against Vancouver, notching his first goal for Chicago and adding his second assist of the year. Per FBRef, the winger also had five successful take-ons in the match, tied for the most of any player in MLS on Matchday 6. Santiago Moreno (POR), Pavel Bucha (CIN) and Diego Rossi (CLB) also had five successful take-ons, but Zinckernagel was the only one to score a goal of the four.
11 – Jonathan Bamba is tied for tenth in the league with 11 key passes in 2025 (per StatsBomb), defined as passes directly leading to a shot on target. His propensity for dangerous passes was on display on Saturday, as his cross into the box in the 62nd minute led to Zinckernagel’s opening goal, despite not officially counting as an assist due to a deflection. The winger's three assists in 2025 have him tied for third in the league in assists, and his expected assist rate (xGAs) still has him in the top 15 of MLS.
16 – Rominigue Kouamé became the 16th player in Club history to score in his debut for the Fire on Saturday against Vancover. The Malian midfielder is the second Fire player to accomplish the feat this season, after Leonardo Barroso scored six minutes into his first appearance against FC Dallas on March 8. Kouamé joins the likes of FIFA World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger, 2013 MLS MVP Mike Magee, and Ballon D’Or winner Hristo Stoitchkov on the shortlist, the latter of whom is the only one to score twice on his debut.
How to Watch
First kick at Soldier Field is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT and the match will be broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV and transmitted locally on wlsam.com (English) and Que Buena 105.1 via the Uforia app (Spanish).
