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On the eve of Independence Day, Philadelphia Union came to Chicago to create some fireworks, but the Fire were there to let them know it’s their show. The feeling out process early on between these teams. Philly playing the possession game.
In the 19th Philadelphia thought their patience would pay off when a ball to the box was tapped to the back of the the net, but a clear offsides was the call. No review necessary. Still 0-0. Couple minutes later the Union created a scoring opportunity when a crossed ball just went by the reach of Fire keeper Chris Brady and wide of the goal.
The Fire had a golden opportunity to get on the board in the 25th when a high lobbed ball landed right in front of streaking Maren Haile-Selassie in the box and he gently taps it to the charging Philly goalie. Wasted opportunity. Should have been put away.
Haile-Selassie with redemption in the 30th, off a fastbreak pass from Alan Arigoni crosses into the box and Maren was on the spot to flip the ball over the sliding Union defender and behind the goalie for a 1-0 Fire lead. Nice finish for the Fire. Moments later Fire’s Brian Gutierrez had a chance to add to the lead with a wide open shot from the top of the box, but it went over the top of the goal.
Minute later again Haile-Selassie had a one-on-one with Union keeper Oliver Semmie in the box and Maren chips it but the diving Semmie saves it. Had he hit it harder and lifted the ball higher it be 2-0. Beautiful ball to Haile-Selassie nonetheless. Fire are creating dangerous chances and completing some difficult balls to Philadelphia’s final third.
In the 38th Union’s luck changes when a ball to the box ricochets off Union’s Chris Donovan and goes past Brady into the corner. It’ 1-1 as halftime approaches. This is the kind of stuff that’s plagued the Fire all season, giving up goals right after taking the lead or tying. Holding leads has been a problem for the team.
On the last play of the half Brady gets called for a grab in the box and VAR review confirmed by a very oddly exuberant and loud referee Abdou Ndiaye. Penalty. Cool shot to the back corner by Daniel Gazdag and Philly heads to halftime up 2-1. Very unfortunate turn of events for the Fire. The call was questionable, but Brady can’t put himself in that position, especially on the last play of the half.
At halftime the Fire had six shots and four on target, compared to six shots for Philly and one on target. Point being, Fire squandered scoring opportunities and Philly made the most of their. Fire should have at least two goals heading into half. Will things change in the second half?
Second half started the Jack McGlynn show, when he blasted a firecracker to the back post that hit the opposite post and went in for a splendid goal. 3-1 in the 50th. Strong and decisive shot. Deserved goal. Fire can’t allow a player of McGlynn’s stature to go unmarked at the top of the box and get a look like that.
Chris Mueller and the Fire respond in the 54th when Mueller gets a ball deep in the Union box and puts a clean and direct shot past the sliding Union defenders to the back post of the goal. No chance Semmie to get to it. Mueller, calm and composed and it showed in the strike.
Hold on, since no goal goes unchecked these days, a VAR review was conducted and video review deemed an offsides call, offsides didn’t look visible from multiple angles in the stadium video board. Looks like a big break for Philly. Even when the Fire make something happen it frequently goes against them.
Chances don’t come easy for the Fire and when Brian Gutierrez puts a Union defender on skates and takes a shot on goal, it’s saved, a rebound cross to Cuypers follows, but it goes nowhere. Cuypers misses it and hits the side of the net on the slide. The game is turning to a night of missed opportunities for the Fire.
To the Fire’s credit, they don’t give up. In the 82nd Cuypers skies above multiple Union defenders to head the ball into the back of the net. Credit to Mueller for heading the ball to Cuypers, a ball that was going out of bounds had it not be for Mueller’s impressive read and balancing act to get it back into play and near Cuypers. Effort play. No quit in the Fire.
Minutes later, in the 89th Gaston Jimenez gets a touch on a high arching heder and volleys it calmly to the back of the net. Outstanding composure. Just as I’m writing this, Cuypers does it again! Unreal. Cuypers redemption off a lob pass from Haile-Selassie and Hugo on the spot to one-time the ball straight into the goal in the 94th. Phenomenal stuff.
Fire completes a remarkable gritty comeback 4-3 shootout win. It forced me to just change my initial headline of “A Philly Fireworks Show on the Lakefront” to a “Chicago” one. One of these wildly fun and unpredictable games. Reminiscent of the early season Saint Patrick’s high scoring comeback against Montreal.
In all the wild and exciting madness Frank Klopas gets ejected with a red card, for stepping foot on the field of play. One of those technical rules that seems mainly incidental and unfortunate. Klopas will have to miss the next game in San Jose. At the end of the day, I think he’ll take the win for the ejection.
Next, up is a trip to the West Coast this weekend against San Jose. The Earthquakes are at the bottom of the league standings. The Fire can’t afford to drop any points in this game and need to come away with three points if they plan to make the playoff push.
Notes:
- With the result, the Fire joined the Portland Timbers as the only two teams in MLS to win two or more games after being down by two or more goals in a match this season.
- Additionally, the Fire have now gained 11 points from trailing positions this season, which ranks as the third-most in the league. Only Inter Miami CF (24) and Orlando City SC (12) have secured more points from trailing positions in 2024.
- This is the first time since the 2019 season that the Fire have scored four or more goals in three or more games in a single season.
- This marks the first time in Chicago Fire FC history that the Club scores three goals in less than 10 minutes to win a game.
- Gastón Giménez’s goal marked the Fire’s 50th MLS goal against the Union. The Fire have now scored 50 or more goals against 11 different MLS opponents since 1998.
- After recording his first career MLS brace tonight, Hugo Cuypers now has a team-leading nine goals this season. His nine goals are the second-most by a Fire player in a single season since the start of the 2020 campaign.
- Cuypers’ goal in the 90+2nd minute was the 15th stoppage time game-winner in Fire history.
- Tonight’s match marked the second time this season that Maren Haile-Selassie has recorded a goal and an assist in a game for the Fire (prev: 6/15/24 at TOR).
- Haile-Selassie now has six assists this season, the most on the team in 2024.
- Rafael Czichos recorded his second assist of the season tonight.
- Wyatt Omsberg earned his first start of the 2024 MLS regular season.
- Maren Haile-Selassie started for the 13th time this season. With his goal against Philadelphia, he joined Hugo Cuypers as the two Fire players to have scored in four consecutive matches in 2024.
NEXT MATCH: Chicago will travel to Northern California to face the San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday, July 7. Kickoff at PayPal Park is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT. The match will be broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass and transmitted locally via wlsam.com (English) and WRTO 1200 AM (Spanish).
