Matchday | Chicago Fire FC Hosts New York City FC on Anime Day at Soldier Field

Match Information

Chicago Fire FC (13-8-6, 45 points) vs. New York City FC (8-10-9, 33 points)

Anime Day – Naruto-Themed Shirt Giveaway for First 5,000 Fans
Saturday, October 10, 2026
1:30 p.m. CT
Soldier Field – Chicago

How to Watch: Apple TV
English: Evan Weston & Sacha Kljestan
Spanish: Alejandro Figueredo & Tony Cherchi

How to Listen: WLSam.com // TUDN Chicago 106.7-HD2

English: Max Anderson & Joe Chatz
Spanish: Omar Ramos & Liz Jiménez

Match Preview

Chicago Fire FC remains at Soldier Field for a weekend matinee against New York City FC on Saturday, Oct. 10.

Coming off a road win against Charlotte FC in their last match before the international break, the Fire returned to the lakefront for a makeup match against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Tuesday night. Three Chicago wingers made all the difference in the match, with Jonathan Bamba's ninth-minute strike setting the tone before Philip Zinckernagel doubled the lead five minutes into the second half. Vancouver halved the deficit in the 73rd minute, but a wide-open look set up by Robert Lewandowski allowed Maren Haile-Selassie to seal the match with his ninth goal of the season, sending the Fire to fourth place in the East.

New York City FC returns to action Saturday after a 2-2 road draw against Atlanta United FC on Sept. 26 in which the visitors took two leads. That result came after a 1-0 home loss to rival Red Bull New York on Sept. 18, with USMNT striker Julian Hall scoring the only goal of the match off a miscue in the defensive half. Eager to stop a slide down to ninth in the Eastern Conference standings, New York City will rely on an unbeaten run against the Fire dating back to 2021.

All-Time MLS Regular Season Record vs. NYC: (3-14-8)

Last Game vs. NYC: Sept. 13, 2025 (1-3 L) – Soldier Field – Chicago (Match Recap)
Last Game at NYC: July 25, 2026 (1-3 L) – Yankee Stadium – New York (Match Recap)

Hyundai Keys to the Match:

• The Ninja: Philip Zinckernagel stealthily sneaked through the defense to suddenly find himself open for a game-winning goal against Vancouver on Tuesday. Can he score another sneaky goal against New York City on Saturday?

• The Sensei: The Chicago Fire rewarded Maren Haile-Selassie with a new contract that will keep him in Chicago until 2029. The veteran’s versatility on the pitch and leadership in the locker room have helped him keep the Fire near the top of the East while leading the way in goal contributions this season.

• The Tsunami: Two wins in a row. Several players back from international duty. Key returns from injury. The Men in Red could be poised for a massive wave of points that could take them deep into the postseason.

Match Notes

• Fresh off a goal against Vancouver, Philip Zinckernagel leads his teammates in goals scored against New York City FC with two. But Andrew Gutman leads the way with three goal contributions, including a goal and two assists, in 12 appearances against the blue-clad club.

• Maren Haile-Selassie has not scored against New York City, but could be a factor coming off a goal and an assist against Vancouver. With another such performance, the Swiss winger could become the second player in Fire history to record 10 goals and 10 assists in a single season, following Zinckernagel's 15-15 campaign in 2025. 

• Midfielder André Franco (Lower Body) and Robin Lod (Lower Body) are unavailable for selection on Saturday. Beside Lod (Finland), goalkeeper Chris Brady (USMNT), defender Noah Allen (Greece U-21), and midfielders Anzor Mekvabishvili (Georgia) and Robert Turdean (U-21 USMNT) returned this week following international duty with their respective national team.

Starting XI

Chicago Fire FC Director of Football and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter has named the following Starting XI in search of the team's third win in a row overall and second-straight at Soldier Field:

• The Starting XI will feature two changes from the side that defeated Western Conference leaders Vancouver Whitecaps FC 3-1 in the Fire's return to the lakefront following the international break.

• After earning his first start with the United States Men's National Team in the 4-2 victory against Chile on Sept. 29, goalkeeper Chris Brady returned to Chicago for his 26th start of the year. The Homegrown goalkeeper seeks his 12th win of the season and first against New York City in his career.

• Another player previously on international duty, forward Robert Lewandowski, returns to the Starting XI against New York City FC. The Polish striker entered the match against Charlotte in the second half, just days after getting a hat trick against Romania on Oct. 2 with his national team.
• Available off the bench are goalkeeper Josh Cohen; defenders Andrew Gutman, Andreas Hanche-Olsen and Noah Allen; midfielders Mauricio Pineda, David Poreba and Sergio Oregel Jr.; and forwards Puso Dithejane and Johan Gómez.

• Midfielders André Franco (Lower Body) and Robin Lod (Lower Body) were unavailable for selection against New York City.

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