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The Chicago Fire were going for their third straight win on the road, a feat they haven’t been able to accomplish in a long time. The team standing in their way are the Vancouver Whitecaps, who are at the top of the MLS standings with 12 points and a perfect 4-0-0 record.
It only took 52 seconds for the Fire to get on the scoreboard. Hugo Cuypers who has been on a tear this season, adds his 5th and easiest goal of the year on a tap in from a perfect cross from Philip Zinckernagel.
Great start for the Fire on the road. The Fire’s lead didn’t last long. ‘Caps and Mexican forward Daniel Rios equalizes the game with a one-timer off the high near post and into the net past Chris Brady. Vancouver showed resilience and quality.
There were two Berhalters making headlines in this game, but it was Vancouver’s young Sebastian Berhalter (Gregg’s son) who was providing lots of quality on the pitch. He controlled the game of possession for the Whitecaps and made some dangerous balls into the box. The kid is a stud.
The game remained tied at 1 at the half. Anyone’s game at this point. A big game for the taking on the road.
Fifteen minutes into the second half, there goes that man again, Jonathan Bamba. Blazing past guys and laying it off to Zinck, whose shot is blocked, collects himself and blasts one into the net for a Fire lead. This is the mentality of this 2025 Chicago Fire, aggressive and resilient.
Vancouver pushed but they weren’t getting past Chris Brady, who continues his tear in the net. In the 87th Rominigue Kouamé made his Fire debut and it took him a few minutes in stoppage time to net his first goal for the Fire and put the lid on this game. 3-1 was the final, Fire take three out of their last three road games, that’s 9 points, folks!
This Fire season felt different since the appointment of Gregg Berhalter and now it looks different (in a good way). They are winning games they wouldn’t even dream about last season. This time handing a definitive loss to the current top team in MLS.
Nex Match:
The Fire return to Chicago to face its third consecutive Canadian side, CF Montréal, on Saturday, March 29 at Soldier Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT and the match will be broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Notes:
- Making his first appearance in MLS in the 87th minute, midfielder Rominigue Kouamé became the second player in 2025 to score in his Fire debut, after Leonardo Barroso did just six minutes into his debut against FC Dallas two weeks prior.
- Defender Leonardo Barroso continued to impress, adding his second assist of the season just seconds into his first start in Major League Soccer. The defender had his hands full on the wing, but held on through 90 minutes to help the Fire win its third in a row.
- With three goals scored in the match, Chicago set a record for most goals scored through the opening five games of a season in Club history. In 1999, the then-defending champion Chicago Fire scored 11 goals through its opening five games of the season. In 2025, the Fire have scored 12 through five games, also earning their best start to a season since the playoff-bound Men in Red opened the 2008 campaign with a record of 3-1-1.
- Hugo Cuypers tallied his fifth goal in four games, good for second most in the league behind Philadelphia’s Tai Baribo. His five goals are the most he has scored in four games with the Fire, and his four consecutive games with a goal are one short of a five-match scoring streak he set from May 25 through June 22 last year.
- The victory marked the first time since 2009 that the Fire won three matches in a row on the road. In that stretch, the Fire defeated Toronto FC, New York Red Bulls and Chivas USA from May 16-28. Chicago now has an opportunity to tie the mark for most consecutive road victories in Club history in two weeks against the New York Red Bulls.
