Chicago City Wire

Chicago Fire FC is set to face the Columbus Crew at Soldier Field on Saturday, September 27, in an important Eastern Conference match that coincides with Hispanic Heritage Night, presented by Meridian.

The Fire enter the match after a 3-0 win against Minnesota United FC on September 20. Defender Joel Waterman and midfielder Dje D’Avilla both scored their first goals for Chicago in the first half, while Philip Zinckernagel added his 14th goal of the season. This result keeps Chicago two points ahead of the New York Red Bulls for ninth place in the East—the final spot for the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs—with one game in hand.

Columbus comes into Chicago following a 1-1 draw at home against Toronto FC. Wessam Abou Ali gave Columbus an early lead before Richie Laryea equalized for Toronto after halftime. The Crew have only one win from their last seven matches and are just above Chicago in eighth place.

Saturday’s match will be the 79th regular season meeting between Chicago and Columbus, making it the most frequent matchup in Fire history. The Crew took the lead in this series during their first meeting of the current season, but both teams have changed significantly since then.

Chicago goalkeeper Chris Brady and his defense recently secured their fifth clean sheet of the season against Minnesota United. The team aims to repeat consecutive shutouts—a feat they last achieved in July—especially as playoff qualification nears.

Forwards Hugo Cuypers and Philip Zinckernagel are approaching club milestones. Cuypers leads with 16 goals this year; Zinckernagel could reach his fifteenth if he scores on Saturday. Achieving this would make them the first pair of double-digit scorers to each reach fifteen goals for Chicago in a single season. A goal from Zinckernagel would also tie Nemanja Nikolic's club record for single-season goal contributions at 28, set during Chicago’s last postseason appearance in 2017.

Joel Waterman and Dje D’Avilla’s recent goals were significant personal achievements: "Defender Joel Waterman and midfielder Dje D’Avilla each scored their first goal as members of the Fire on Saturday night. For D’Avilla, the moment was extra sweet – the goal was also the first of his professional career following stints at clubs in Ivory Coast, United Arab Emirates and Portugal. For Waterman, it was the first game-winning goal of his career since 2022 in only his second match with the Men in Red."

Set pieces have been a strength for Chicago this year—they scored twice from such plays against Minnesota United, bringing their total to twelve set piece goals this season, which ranks third-best league-wide.

Head coach Gregg Berhalter reached a career milestone by coaching his 200th MLS regular season match last weekend: "Director of Football and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter coached his 200th MLS regular season match on Saturday, earning the 80th victory of his career. His career total is tied for 21st all-time in Major League Soccer history with Columbus’ Wilfried Nancy." If Berhalter secures another win against Columbus on Saturday, he will move into a tie for twentieth place all-time with Dave Dir.

The match is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. CT and will be available globally through MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Local radio coverage can be found via wlsam.com (English) or Que Buena Fire through Uforia App (Spanish). A replay airs Monday night at Marquee Sports Network.

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