RECAP: Three Points Dropped for the Fire in 3-2 Defeat to Cincinnati
Entertainment is seemingly guaranteed whenever the Chicago Fire take to the pitch in 2026.
Unfortunately for the club’s fans, entertainment does not always equal victory.
The Men in Red fell 3-2 to FC Cincinnati at Soldier Field on Saturday, failing to convert numerous attacking chances.
The unfavored visitors snuck away with all three points despite playing down a man in the latter stages of the match.
Star Power and Goals Galore Early
Excitement was high coming into the fixture, given the teams’ recent history. The two sides met just two weeks previously in Cincinnati and played out a thrilling 3-3 draw. From the onset, the reverse fixture had the makings of another all-time classic.
The Men in Red got their go-ahead goal at the 15-minute mark. Philip Zinckernagel worked his way into space on the right side and delivered a low cross to Hugo Cuypers. The striker took a touch before sending the ball goal-wards. A wicked deflection off the body of Kyle Smith left Roman Celentano with no chance, and the ball trickled into the net to make it 1-0 Chicago.
The visitors needed very little time to respond. A low ball from Bryan Ramirez in the 24th minute flashed across the face of the goal and went untouched until Pavel Bucha claimed it near the back post. The Czech’s ambitious angled effort was cleared off the line by Mbekezeli Mbokazi, but only as far as Evander, who converted from close range.
Back and forth the first half went. The Fire regained the lead briefly in the 28th minute after Zinckernagel connected with Cuypers for a second time. The Belgian notched his brace and 10th goal of the campaign (in just seven appearances) courtesy of yet another deflection, this time off of Andrei Chirila.
The 2-1 lead was short-lived. Just three minutes after going down, the Orange and Blue equalized through Evander. He slammed a low shot from the edge of the danger area past a helpless Chris Brady. Just like that, the teams’ respective stars had two goals apiece.
Chicago looked the more dangerous team in the dying minutes of the first half, but the 2-2 scoreline held going into the break.
Failure to Capitalize
The Men in Red picked up with the same attacking intensity out of the locker room. Three opportunities came begging early, capped off by a moment in the 55th minute where Cuypers very nearly completed his hat trick off another excellent delivery from Zinckernagel.
Just seconds after the chance, Cincinnati went down to 10 men. Smith’s high leg caught Robin Lod straight across the face, and the referee did not hesitate to show the red card. Lod returned to his feet after several minutes of treatment, sporting a grotesque-looking black eye. He was duly substituted off for Jonathan Bamba.
Whatever attacking momentum the Queen City side had fizzled out after the red card. The intensity increased tenfold from the Fire, who simply could not convert their chances. Maren Haile-Selassie, who had four goal involvements the previous week, and Anton Saletros looked particularly dangerous. The clock kept ticking for the hosts, however.
Of the seemingly countless chances, Zinckernagel’s 84th-minute attempt stood out as particularly threatening. The Danish superstar drilled a shot towards the back post from the right side, but was denied by a masterful reflex save by Celentano. Having tested the goalkeeper, the Fire came knocking again two minutes later. Bamba rocked a half-volley towards the ceiling of the net and forced a tip save from the ever-ready Celentano.
Penalties Galore Towards the End
Cincinnati nearly self-imploded when substitute Ayoub Lahjar conceded a penalty for an off-the-ball challenge on Zinckernagel. Yet, for the third time in quick succession, Celentano saved the day with a spot kick stop on Cuypers, who was seeking a hat trick.
From having the game in the palm of their hands just moments earlier, the Men in Red found themselves down deep into stoppage time. Dje D’Avilla gave away a penalty after clipping Bucha on the follow-through from an initially clean tackle. A brief VAR review confirmed the decision, and Evander took the ball to try and do what Cuypers couldn’t. The Cincinnati captain sent Brady the wrong way, completing his hat trick and giving the shorthanded visitors a 3-2 win.
A Huge Opportunity Missed
Results around Major League Soccer meant that a win on Saturday could have sent Chicago into second place in the Eastern Conference, just three points behind leaders Nashville.
Indeed, the game felt like it was the Fire’s for the taking. Ultimately, they failed to capitalize on the favorable situation and now sit fourth in the standings.
Head coach Gregg Berhalter, while frustrated with the outcome, had a largely positive evaluation of his team’s performance.
“We deserved to win based on our performance,” he said post-game.
“Sometimes in soccer, that doesn’t always line up. We have to walk away and hold our hands up and say okay.”
The Fire have a chance to bounce back next week, when they host the New York Red Bulls.
The game is a Saturday matinee, with kickoff scheduled for 1:30 pm at Soldier Field.
Discover more from Chicago Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
