CHICAGO (May 2, 2025) – Chicago Fire FC II returns home following a four-game road trip to face Orlando City B at Flames Field in Chicago on Friday night. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT and the match can be streamed on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Chicago will look forward to playing in front of a home crowd for the first time since March 13. Despite outshooting the Young Reds in Canada last Friday, the Fire could not get a goal. A first half strike by Dékwon Barrow was enough for Toronto, as goalkeeper Adisa de Rosario delivered a clean sheet in a 2-0 win against the Fire.
Orlando suffered a home loss last Sunday night, falling 4-2 to New York Red Bulls II at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee, Fla. Midfielder Jhon Solís and forward Justin Ellis each scored to bring the Lions within one goal, but the Red Bull offense proved too much as Orlando fell for the third time this season.
Friday’s match will be Chicago Fire II’s first home match at Flames Field in Chicago. It will also mark the seventh all-time match against Orlando, dating back to the very first match for both sides in MLS NEXT Pro in 2022. Orlando holds a 4-1-1-1 edge in the series, but the Fire have not lost a home game to the Lions since the inaugural 2022 season.
By the Numbers
1 – Chicago Fire II is tied with Columbus, Tacoma and Toronto for first in the league in the lowest number of yellow cards issued by referees. Chicago’s six yellow cards in the season are backed by the sixth fewest fouls committed in MLS NEXT Pro (63). The Fire’s clean play may help them avoid trouble against Orlando, which leads the league in fouls suffered with 117.
3 – Claudio Cassano continues to be a threat on the attack. The Italian midfielder is now tied for third in all of MLS NEXT Pro with 11 shots on target, which is more than half of the 19 shots he has recorded in six matches this season. He has turned that into two goals this season, with many chances turned away by good goalkeeping.
4 – Four players have recorded passing percentages above 90 for Chicago Fire II. Defender Olu Oyegunle and midfielders Harold Osorio, Jhoiner Montiel and Vitaliy Hlyut have percentages that put them in the upper echelons of the league. Of particular note is the work of midfielders like Osorio, who often play in highly contested spaces where passing is easily disrupted.
Player Spotlight: Chase Nagle
Chase Nagle serves as a conduit in the Fire midfield (Credit: Toronto FC)
Chicago Fire Academy midfielder Chase Nagle has played a key role in the first quarter of the 2025 season. After playing 460 minutes across eight appearances last season, the Chicago native has already appeared in five of the team’s six matches thus far in this campaign, including four starts.
With a strong, defensive mentality, Nagle has filled in around the center of the pitch, helping recover the ball and serving as a conduit between defense and attack. As a result, he is third on the team in fouls suffered with six this year – just behind Claudio Cassano and Dylan Borso, two of the best attackers in MLS NEXT Pro. With a passing accuracy of 86 percent, the midfielder is trusted by teammates to help deliver the ball into dangerous areas of the pitch or relieve some pressure from the defense.
