Chicago Fire FC returns to league play Saturday night, turning its attention back to the lakefront to face San Diego FC for the first time.
Chicago returns to Soldier Field after a brief trip to the Queen City to face FC Cincinnati last Saturday. The hosts opened with two goals by the dangerous duo of Kévin Denkey and Evander to take a 2-0 lead early in the second half. Fire winger Philip Zinckernagel cut the deficit in half with his ninth goal of the season, threatening to tie the match in the coming minutes. But Cincinnati’s stingy defense held on to the lead to win and jump up to first in the Eastern Conference and Supporters’ Shield standings.
San Diego will face Chicago for the first time in any competition on Saturday. Major League Soccer’s newest franchise has risen to the top of the Western Conference with the help of MVP candidate Anders Dreyer, who leads the league in assists. He added his 15th assist of the year Saturday night against Houston Dynamo FC, helping his side take a 3-2 lead at home in the second half. But the visiting Dynamo turned the game around with a brace by Ezequiel Ponce, handing San Diego its first loss since May.
Game Information
CHICAGO FIRE FC (8-8-4, 28 points) vs. San Diego FC (12-6-3, 39 points)
Saturday, July 12, 2025
Soldier Field – Chicago
All-Time MLS Regular Season Record vs. SD: (0-0-0)
Keys to the Match
- Set the Standard: Saturday will mark the first time Chicago faces San Diego in Club history, and the Fire will be eager to set the standard against MLS’ newest franchise. The Men in Red are 10-6-4 all-time in their first regular season match against expansion sides, including a 6-3-2 record at home. SDFC will be no slouch, coming into the match leading the Western Conference. But the Fire will be inspired to add to their 2-0-0 record against the West this season.
- Put on a Show: DannyLux will be taking the stage Saturday night at Soldier Field, but both teams have a chance to put on a show just minutes prior. San Diego arrives in Chicago with a league-best 44 goals this season, while the Men in Red are fourth with 39. Each side is led by a Danish playmaker with over 17 goal contributions this season – Philip Zinckernagel for the Fire and Anders Dreyer for San Diego. The Danish duel will headline a festival of goals that could ensue on the lakefront.
- Welcome Back, Chris! After weeks spent with the U.S. Men’s National Team, goalkeeper Chris Brady will be back for a marquee matchup against San Diego. The Naperville native has recorded one shutout, five wins and 50 saves this year, but will come back from international duty reinvigorated by his time with some of the best American goalkeepers like Matt Turner and Matt Freese. He returns to the Fire in the middle of a playoff race, and within striking distance of the top of the East with a game in hand.
By the Numbers
4 – Saturday’s match against San Diego will be the fourth in five games against a team in the top four of the Supporters’ Shield standings for the Fire. Chicago dropped the first two against Nashville SC and Philadelphia Union, currently second and third in the standings, before defeating Charlotte FC at home. They followed it up with a narrow loss to FC Cincinnati on the road last weekend, which pushed the Orange and Blue to the top of the East. It does not get easier this week, with San Diego fourth in the Supporters’ Shield race and first in the West. But the Fire has a perfect record against the West this season, including a win against SDFC’s rival for the top of the conference, Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
9 – Andrew Gutman tied a career high in goal contributions with his ninth coming Saturday against FC Cincinnati. The defender added his career-high seventh assist of the year on Philip Zinckernagel’s goal, eclipsing the five he recorded in 2023. In that season, he set his personal best with two teams – Atlanta United and Colorado Rapids – making this the first time Gutman has done it with a single team in one season, and his hometown club to boot.
17 – After scoring his ninth goal of the season on Saturday against FC Cincinnati, winger Philip Zinckernagel now has 17 goal contributions this season. The number lifted Zinckernagel to a tie for 15th place among Fire players with the most goal contributions in a single season, matching the totals of players such as Chris Rolfe in 2008 and Nemanja Nikolić in 2018. But the Danish winger still has 14 regular season matches left to reach the top of the list, led by Nikolić’s 28 in 2017.
How to Watch
Chicago will return to Soldier Field for an inaugural matchup against San Diego FC, before regional mexican artist DannyLux takes the stage for a postgame concert. The interconference match will kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT and 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).
