CHICAGO (April 18, 2025) – Chicago Fire FC will wrap up a brief, two-game homestand against FC Cincinnati Saturday night at Soldier Field.
The Fire will look to continue their unbeaten streak at home following a 0-0 draw against Eastern Conference side Inter Miami CF. The teams traded chances throughout the match, combining for 25 shots, including seven on target by Chicago. But both goalkeepers turned in clean sheets to remember, with Miami’s Oscar Ustari stopping a home goal seven times and Chris Brady denying Lionel Messi twice on clear-cut chances.
Similarly, Cincinnati arrives in Chicago after a clean sheet of its own in the nation’s capital. In his first start of the season, Homegrown midfielder Gerardo “Dado” Valenzuela took advantage of a giveaway to notch his first goal of 2025. The effort was enough for Orange and Blue, as goalkeeper Roman Celentano and his defense shut out the Black and Red in a 1-0 road victory.
Saturday’s contest is the 13th edition of a budding Eastern Conference rivalry between Chicago and Cincinnati. The visitors have the edge overall with a record of 5-4-3, including a 2-1 victory in last year's home opening match at Soldier Field on March 2, 2024. But the Fire answered back five months later, taking a 1-0 road win at TQL Stadium.
Game Information
CHICAGO FIRE FC (3-2-3, 12 points) vs. FC Cincinnati (5-2-1, 16 points)
Saturday, April 19, 2025
Soldier Field – Chicago, Ill.
All-Time MLS Regular Season Record vs. CIN: (4-5-3)
Last Game vs. CIN: March 2, 2024 (1-2 L) – Soldier Field – Chicago (Match Recap)
Last Game at CIN: July 17, 2024 (1-0 W) – TQL Stadium – Cincinnati, Ohio (Match Recap)
Keys to the Match
- Give Mauri his Flowers: Homegrown midfielder Mauricio Pineda has appeared in every match this season, serving as a link between the defense and the attack. He leads the Club with a passing accuracy rate of 92%, better than or equal to 97 percent of all MLS players. An average day at the ballpark for Pineda could help the Fire defense relieve pressure from Cincinnati’s front line, while unlocking the Cincinnati defense with the right pass.
- Tear Down the Wall: Cincinnati is among the most dangerous teams in the league, with excellent attackers like Evander and Luca Orellana leading the charge. But the key to the Orange and Blue’s recent success has been the defense, which has been among the best since Pat Noonan took over as head coach in 2021. It will be no small task for the Fire attack to beat defenders like Miles Robinson, Nick Hagglund and Matt Miazga, who is now back in action after injury. But with one of the most potent offenses in MLS, the Fire will hope to adjust and tear down Cincinnati’s tough defensive wall.
- Defend Soldier Field: Chicago and Cincinnati have played evenly throughout their history, but the visitors have won more often than the home team has. Cincinnati is 3-1-1 at Soldier Field and come in having won two straight on the road. But with their best start to a season since 2012, and an undefeated start at Soldier Field, the Fire will be ready to reverse course and defend the lakefront from the Orange and Blue.
By the Numbers
1 – Sunday’s match against Inter Miami CF saw the largest home crowd in Chicago Fire FC history. The announce attendance of 62,358 beat out the Fire’s previous record of 62,124 on Oct. 4, 2023 against the same opponent. The two matches are the only two occasions in which the team has seen a figure over the 60,000 mark. But Chicago is no stranger to large crowds, having also seen 55,358 in last season’s match against Miami, and 54,432 on July 16, 2005.
5 – Chicago has posted a higher rate of xG (expected goals) than their opponents in five of their last six matches, including against Miami on Sunday. By the eye test alone, Chicago had more opportunities that could not find the back of the net thanks to Miami’s Oscar Ustari and the defense. The underlying numbers can back the eye test up – the Fire’s NPxG (cumulative expected goal value of all non-penalty shots conceded, per StatsBomb) of 1.56 per match is the fourth highest in the league, indicating the attack is firing on all cylinders but could use a little more luck to show up on the scoresheet.
6 – Of the 12 matches contested between Chicago and Cincinnati, half have seen a clean sheet recorded by one or both teams. Chris Brady recorded eight saves in their last meeting, a 1-0 shutout over the Orange and Blue in July 2024. A year prior, Cincinnati won by the same score at home against the Fire. The teams have played to 0-0 draws twice. With both sides coming off a clean sheet, a defensive showdown may be in the cards at Soldier Field on Saturday night.
How to Watch
Kickoff at the lakefront is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT. The match will be broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV and transmitted locally on wlsam.com (English), and Que Buena Fire via the Uforia app (Spanish).
