Match Recap: Chicago Fire FC pulls 2: 2 against DC United in 2025 Home Opener

CHICAGO (March 1, 2025) -Chicago Fire FC (0-1-1, 1 point) received his first point from 2025 in a 2-2 draw against DC United (0-0-2, 2 points) on Saturday evening. Hugo Cuypers scored his first two goals of the season, while Philip Zinckernagel and Jack Elliott scored their first templates of the year in their home debut with Chicago.

In the coldest home game in the history of Chicago Fire FC, DC United first got hot. DC left back, Daniel Schnegg played a ball forward, who immediately played the ball into the box to the Benteke. The striker was able to pull away from his defender in front of the pass to meet a simple tap-in and to give his side the lead four minutes after the game.

Chicago defended himself and searched Jonathan Bamba on the left wing. The wing player finally forced a corner kick in the 30th minute, the fellow wing player Zinckernagel. The Dane hit a line drive with his right -handed cuypers, which knocked the ball home and stormed into the long post. His first goal of the season brought back the swing to the fire, which could not convert any further chances before the referee ended half.

The men in Red pushed the envelope on and ended up in the 71st minute with a similar chance. Zinckernagel once again took a corner from the left flag and directed Elliott in the way of the Cuypers. On the way, the ball took off a DC defender and deleted the assists, but the fire gave the lead that it would hold until the end of the regulation.

The black and red, which was still involved in the game, sent every player in a late corner kick into the box, including goalkeeper Kim Joon-Hong. After the kick was taken, the ball took several hops into the box until he reached Jacob Murrell, who hit a raised bicycle kick that was in the upper 90 of the long post. The breathtaking gate was enough to kill the remaining watch, which gave visitors a late, unexpected point.

Next match: Chicago will take a road trip with three games against the Brimstone Cup rival FC Dallas on Saturday, March 8th in the Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. The first kick is planned for 7:30 p.m. and the match is transferred worldwide on the MLS season pass to Apple TV and locally transferred to Wlsam.com (English) and La Que Buena 105.1 via the UFORIA app (Spanish).

• With a 26-degree temperature (Fahrenheit) at the first kick, the match was officially the coldest home start in the Chicago Fire History on Saturday, and the second coldest game that was recorded on March 18, 2023 (22 degrees) against FC Cincinnati.

• The match on Saturday was the debut of the Major League Soccer by midfielder Sam Williams, defender Sam Rogers and midfielder Harold Osorio. Williams played 84 minutes as a starter and filled himself out for Brian Gutiérrez in the middle of the field, while Rogers came into the starting role in the starting role and 90 minutes after a injury to Carlos Terán. In the meantime, Osorio checked for a minute of added time for Kellyn Acosta.

• Cuypers' first goal from 2025 and 11. Overall at Chicago was supported for the first time by Zinckernagel and Elliott, both of whom celebrated their Fire Home debut on Saturday evening.

• Defender Omar González also recorded his first minutes with the fire in the 84th minute and checked after Sergio Orogel Jr. The match was the 292nd MLS appearance of the regular season for the Veteran Center Back.

Social: Twitter – @chicagofirePresent @vamosfire (Hashtags: #cf97 #vamosfire) | Instagram – @chicagofire | Facebook

Box score:Chicago Fire FC 2: 2 DC United

Goals:
DC – Benteke (2) (Pirani 1, Schneggg 1) (clock) 4 '
Chi – Cuypers (1) (Elliott 1, Zinckernagel 1) (clock) 30 '
Chi – Cuypers (2) (clock) 71 '
DC – Murrell (1) (Herrera 1) (clock) 90+6 '

Discipline:
DC – Rowles (yellow card) 42 '
DC – Herrera (yellow card) 50 '
Chi – Rogers (yellow card) 89 '
DC – Schnegg (yellow card) 90+3 '

Chicago Fire FC: GK Brady, D Dean, D Rogers, D Elliott, D Gutman, M Acosta (capt.) (Osorio, 90+2 '), M Oregel, Jr. Bamba

Subs not used: GK Gal, D Reynolds, D Cupps

DC United: GK Joon-Hong, Dhera, D. Rowles, D Bartlett, D Schnegg, M Enow (Badji, 75 '), M Servania (Peltola, 61'), M Kijima (Zuhir, 85 '), M Pirani, M Stroud (Murrell, 61'), F Bentke (capt.) (Capt.)

Subs not used: GK Barraza, D McNaughton, D Tubbs, D. Dodson, M, M. Barajas

Statistics Summary: CHI / DCShots: 11/19
Goal recordings: 4/6
Saved: 4/2
Suitability: 75.1% / 79.5%
Corners: 5/10
Fouls: 13/17
Offidse: 0/3
Possession: 43% / 57%

Referee: Marcos Deoliveira
Assistant: Referee: Jeffrey Greeson, Walt Heatherly
Fourth official: Nabil Bensalah
VAR: Younes Marrakchi
Avar: Craig Lowry