Match Information
Chicago Fire FC (11-6-2, 35 points) at Red Bull New York (7-3-4, 25 points)
Saturday, August 22, 2026
6:30 p.m. CT
Sports Illustrated Stadium – Harrison, N.J.
How to Watch:Â Apple TV
English: Steve Cangialosi & Danny Higginbotham
Spanish: Diego Pessolano & Daniel Chapela
How to Listen:Â WLS 890 AMÂ //Â TUDN Chicago 106.7-HD2
English: Max Anderson & Joe Chatz
Spanish: Liz Jiménez & Teresa Limon
Match Preview
Chicago Fire FC continues its four-game road trip in league play with a rematch against Red Bull New York on Saturday, August 22.
With two goals in the win against Cruz Azul six days prior, the red-hot Puso Dithejane struck again in only the fourth minute of the match against Orlando City SC on Wednesday. A weather delay culled the Fire's momentum near the half, which the hosts exploited to tie the match early in the second half. But in a moment of brilliance, forward Robert Lewandowski drew a foul in the box that gave him his first penalty attempt with Chicago. The Polish striker left no doubt on the kick, giving the Fire a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish. The victory was their sixth in a row across all competitions, the best such mark since 1998.
Red Bull New York has endured a tougher start to the second half of the season. Following a 3-2 win over Orlando on August 1, New York returned from a week off to see a 1-0 lead turn into a 2-1 loss against Atlanta United FC last Saturday. The Red Bulls held their own on Wednesday at home against Supporters' Shield leaders Nashville SC for 90 minutes, before a set piece header in stoppage time handed them their fourth loss in five matches since the break.
All-Time Major League Soccer Record vs. RBNY:Â (33-23-16)
Last Game vs. RBNY: May 9, 2025 (1-3 L) – Soldier Field – Chicago (Match Recap)
Last Match at RBNY: April 5, 2025 (1-2 L) – Sports Illustrated Stadium – Harrison, N.J. (Match Recap)
Hyundai Keys to the Match:
- Glory Days:Â The Men in Red extended their winning streak Wednesday to six across all competitions, a mark not seen since 1998. Can they extend the streak to seven just like they did in the glory days?
- Thunder Road:Â After opening a four-game league road trip with a win in Orlando, Chicago faces a challenging New York side that just suffered a home loss to Nashville. Now is the time to strike for a fifth victory on the road in 2026.
- Born to Run:Â Robert Lewandowski has hit the ground running with the Fire, scoring three goals in his last three league matches, including the game-winner in Orlando. The Polish icon is red-hot and ready to make some noise in New Jersey.
Match Notes
- A win against New York on Sunday would give the Men in Red seven in a row, the most across all competitions since 1998, when they rattled off 11 in a row in regular season play before winning their first-ever U.S. Open Cup match against Chicago Stingers on July 6.
- Chicago enjoys a 33-23-16 edge all-time against Red Bull New York. The 33 wins are the most against any MLS team in Club history, while the 110 goals scored by the Fire are most against any team other than the New England Revolution (111).
- Saturday’s match will be the 73rd regular season meeting between Chicago and New York, dating back to the Fire’s fifth game in Major League Soccer – a 1-0 loss to the team then known as the Metrostars at Soldier Field on April 17, 1998.
Starting XI
Chicago Fire FC Director of Football and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter has named the following Starting XI in search of the Club’s seventh straight victory:
- Eight changes have been made from the lineup that won a sixth consecutive match across all competitions on Wednesday in Orlando.
- Philip Zinckernagel returns to the pitch after missing his first match of the season in Orlando. The MLS All-Star will slide into his usual right wing position while wearing the captain’s armband for the first time this season.
- Filling in alongside Zinckernagel in the front line is Robin Lod, who closed out the win off the bench on Wednesday. The pair will line up with left winger Jonathan Bamba, who starts his second-straight league game and 13th in 2026.
- The versatile Maren Haile-Selassie will slot into the midfield as one of two players to appear in all 20 matches so far this season. In his last start against Portland last Sunday, Haile-Selassie set up Djé D’Avilla’s game-winning goal, recording 27 assists in his career with the Fire – the eighth-most of any player in Club history.
- New Jersey native Sam Williams will make his first appearance of the season for Chicago. The midfielder was recalled from a season-long loan to Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC earlier this week, making the matchday roster in Orlando. In the fourth start of his career with the Men in Red, Williams will join Haile-Selassie and Mauricio Pineda in the center of the pitch, the latter of whom makes his 125th start with the Fire.
- In the backline, Sam Rogers will spell Jack Elliott in the Starting XI for only the third time this season. Rogers will make his third consecutive appearance of the regular season for the Fire alongside fellow center back Joel Waterman, who starts his 11th match of 2026.
- Both fullback roles will see different starters from Wednesday as Leonardo Barroso and Viktor Radojević fill in for Jonathan Dean and Andrew Gutman on the right and left, respectively. The pair will start their first match together since July 25, but have seen plenty of action recently in both regular season and Leagues Cup play.
- Chris Brady joins Haile-Selassie as the second player to have appeared in all matches this season. His 20th start of the year will offer him an opportunity to match a career-high 12 wins that he set last season, along with a fourth victory against the Red Bulls. The Homegrown goalkeeper will also look for the fourth shutout of his career against New York.
- Goalkeeper Josh Cohen; defenders Jack Elliott, Andrew Gutman and Jonathan Dean; midfielders Anton Salétros, David Poreba and Djé D’Avilla; and forwards Puso Dithejane and Robert Lewandowski will be available off the bench for Berhalter.
- Midfielder Sergio Oregel Jr. (Lower Body) and winger Chris Mueller (Not Due to Injury) are unavailable for selection in Harrison. Defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi (Lower Body) and midfielder André Franco (Lower Body) remain on the Injured List and will be unavailable for selection for the foreseeable future.
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