Chicago Fire, Orlando City Play to 1-1 Draw at Soldier Field

The Chicago Fire managed to salvage a point at home despite an early mistake that resulted in a goal as they played to a 1-1 draw against Orlando City on Wednesday at Soldier Field.

The Fire (2-6-8, 12 points, 14th in Eastern Conference) are now without a win in their last nine matches going back to April 6 and have only scored four goals in the over 800 minutes since that win. The draw is Chicago’s fourth in those nine and their sixth draw of the 2024 MLS season.

Fire head coach Frank Klopas trotted out three center backs (Rafael Czichos, Carlos Terán, and Mauricio Pineda) against Orlando at home and that still wasn’t enough for his side to avoid a defensive gaffe that put Chicago in an early hole.

Orlando (4-5-6, 17 points, 11th in Eastern Conference) took the lead in the fourth minute through one of the ugliest goals you’ll ever see and the Fire can only blame their backline. Iván Angulo brought the ball into the Fire’s penalty area and played the ball into a mass of humanity in front of goal. The ball bounced around and Chicago had plenty of chances to clear it but didn’t and the loose ball eventually fell to Facundo Torres, who tapped his shot into the corner of the net to give his side an early 1-0 lead.

Chicago tried to fight back before halftime but only mustered a single on-target effort and it came from Federico Navarro, a midfielder who hasn’t scored since 2022.

It was more of the same in the second half until some substitutions brought some substance to the Fire’s attack and that all came together to help tie the match at one in the 70th minute.

Maren Haile-Selassie started the sequence by finding fellow substitute Arnaud Souquet with a ball down the left side of Orlando’s penalty area. Souquet took the ball near the end line before hitting a cross to Hugo Cuypers and Chicago’s No. 9 had no problem scoring from five yards away to tie the match at one in the 70th minute.

Chicago had one final chance to score in the 85th minute but Fabian Herbers mishit his half-volley, sending each side home with a point.

Match Observations

The Fire had a disastrous start to the match and can only blame themselves for conceding in the fourth minute. Orlando brought the ball down the right side into the Fire’s penalty area and Facundo Torres ended up with the ball right in front of goal. Chicago deflected the ball away and it fell to Iván Angulo, whose shot was blocked in front of goal. Chicago had plenty of chances to clear the ball out of their own area but the ball eventually fell back to Torres, who tapped it into the corner of the Fire’s net. The Fire’s defense was dreadful and there was nothing Chris Brady could do to stop the shot from Torres after his side failed to kick the ball away from danger.

Andrew Gutman went down in the 10th minute and was taken off in favor of Arnaud Souquet a moment later. Gutman was visibly upset as he made his way back to the locker room on his own power. Frank Klopas said post-match that Gutman injured his hamstring and it wasn’t the same leg he injured earlier this season.

The Fire managed three shots in the first twenty minutes but failed to hit the target with each effort.

Chicago had a great chance to tie the match in the 21st minute but the Fire, again, failed to hit the target. Tom Barlow won the ball back in Orlando’s half of the pitch and the loose ball fell kindly to Brian Gutiérrez, who took a few dribbles before playing the ball to Hugo Cuypers. Chicago’s No. 9 briefly lost possession but the ball bounced back to him and he ripped a right-footed shot that was dragged just wide of Orlando’s goal at the near post.

Arnaud Souquet won the Fire a corner kick in the 32nd minute and his side had a great opportunity to hit the target but didn’t. Kellyn Acosta took the corner kick in the northeast corner of Soldier Field that Tom Barlow met at the near post. However, Orlando’s Pedro Gallese wasn’t forced into action as Barlow’s header flew well wide of the net.

Souquet combined with Hugo Cuypers to create a fabulous goal-scoring chance in the 37th minute but he couldn’t hit the target with the effort from close range. Souquet played the ball to Cuypers at the edge of Orlando’s penalty area and the No. 9 played the ball back to the right back with his first touch. Souquet had time and space on the right but completely skied the net with his shot, wasting a glorious chance to finally test Pedro Gallese.

Chicago finally registered their first shot on goal of the match in the 42nd minute and it was Federico Navarro of all people who forced Pedro Gallese into his first save of the contest. Brian Gutiérrez maneuvered well between a couple of Orlando defenders before playing the ball to Navarro on the left. Navarro made a run into the penalty area and hit a shot across the face of goal that was parried away from danger by a diving Gallese.

Orlando had a great chance to double their lead just before halftime but Iván Angulo could not get the ball out of his own feet. Angulo combined with Nicolás Lodeiro and Orlando’s No. 77 made a massive run into Chicago’s penalty area. Angulo got around Chris Brady but was tackled by Federico Navarro near the penalty spot and lost the ball, ending the sequence before a shot was taken. A VAR check confirmed no penalty and Chicago went into the break down 1-0.

Each team had a single shot on target in the first half but Chicago outshot Orland 11-5 overall despite being down a goal at the break.

After zero offensive improvement in the first 15 minutes of the second half, Frank Klopas brought on Maren Haile-Selassie and Fabian Herbers in the 61st minute in an effort to bolster his side’s attack.

The attacking changes finally paid dividends in the 70th minute and Chicago tied the match through their club-record signing. Maren Haile-Selassie started everything with a gorgeous entry pass to Arnaud Souquet on the left flank. The French defender played a cross to the near post and Hugo Cuypers tapped to ball past Pedro Gallese right in front of the Fire supporters, tying the match at one on his final touch of the match.

Orlando had a great chance to retake the lead in the 77th minute but the effort from Designated Player Luis Muriel made for an easy Chris Brady save. Facundo Torres made a run down the left side and played a perfect cross to Murriel in the center of Chicago’s penalty area. Orlando’s No. 9 had plenty of time and space to hit a good header but his effort went right at Chris Brady in the center of his own goal and he made the easy save.

Chicago had their chance to take the lead in the 85th minute. Maren Haile-Selassie’s corner was met in the air by a leaping Carlos Terán in the Orlando penalty and the loose ball fell to Fabian Herbers on the right. Herbers went for the right-footed volley but nearly whiffed and the ball went flying in the wrong direction, taking the Fire’s hope for a win with it.

Chicago outshot Orlando 18-8 while both sides recorded two shots on goal. Expected goals were in the Fire’s favor 1.4-1.2.

Chicago head Frank Klopas said post-match that he had a “here we go again” moment amidst this now-nine-match winless streak when Orlando scored such a sloppy goal early.

“I don't know,” said Klopas. “It's just a difficult one because [it’s] the one thing that we talked about, having a really good start against this team. I think it's a team that starts slow in games, especially the first 15 minutes. We talked about it and we wanted to come out (strong), and it's one of those things, we have opportunities to clear the ball two or three times. We don't, and you give up a goal that early and then sometimes inside, I'm saying, ‘Here we go again,’ you know, right at the start. But for me, I think in the two games and after that, I felt in the first half, after that goal, I think there were moments where we could have pressed better. I think we got in moments (where) we press at the wrong time and there were moments in transition where they were dangerous.

“Tactically, we switched [Federico Navarro] on the left side to deal with their pace on that side a little bit better and that kind of settled things down. But then I felt, for me, that the character of the team was excellent. We pushed the game, we came out the second half and we created a lot of chances. We scored the goal, obviously, and that's a positive again, to come from behind. I felt the guys that came in brought really good energy and played really well and that's what we need.

“So in the end, I think for me, in the two games, we've changed tactically the way we want to play. But I think it's been a good change for us. We haven't gotten the wins, but for me, I feel that we're improving as a team. There's a big belief within the group. There's frustration also, for sure, a lot of emotions because of where we are at the moment, but we have to keep going. Like I told the guys, it's great that we're playing Saturday again, it's going to be a big crowd. And then I think we have to build on this, also, the momentum in the last two games and come out with the same attitude against the Galaxy (on) Saturday.”

Maren Haile-Selassie came on for Tom Barlow in the 61st minute and said that he came off the bench wanting to help his side create actual chances on goal after they’d struggled to do so early against Orlando.

“I felt that we had good situations, we just didn't finish it on a goal,” said Haile-Selassie. “So, we didn't create big chances, but we had good situations. So, it was about finishing, the last movement, the last pass, to make it correct and of good quality. So, that was what I was trying to do. And I’m glad I could help to get a point.”

What’s On Tap Next?

The Fire host the Los Angeles Galaxy at Soldier Field on Saturday. The kicks off at 7:30 PM CT and will air on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+.

Follow @soccer_ontap on X for more Chicago Fire news and updates!