Chicago Fire FC 0–0 Orlando City SC

By Alonso Contreras

A tense, dramatic, and eventful match at Soldier Field ended goalless, as Chicago Fire and Orlando City SC battled through 90+ minutes of relentless end-to-end action, missed chances, and a pivotal red card — all without either side able to break the deadlock.

First Half: A Flurry of Chances, a Crucial Red Card

The match began at a frenetic pace, and both teams carved out promising opportunities within the opening 20 minutes. Orlando City forced early corners and nearly struck through Iván Angulo and Luis Muriel, but Chicago goalkeeper Chris Brady stood firm.

Chicago, too, were quick to respond. In the 10th minute, a double save by Pedro Gallese denied both Zinckernagel and Cuypers. The visitors were momentarily rattled but held their shape. In the 12th minute, Cuypers missed a sitter a moment that would haunt Chicago later.

The match’s pivotal moment came in the 36th minute when Duncan McGuire was fouled just outside the box by Chicago's Chris Brady, who was immediately shown a red card for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity. Chicago were forced to reshuffle, bringing on Jeffrey Gal to man the goal as Bamba made way.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, Chicago continued to show flashes of danger, with Cuypers and Bamba threatening late in the half. But Gallese again was exceptional between the sticks. Orlando looked sharper in the dying moments of the first half, with Angulo forcing a save and Muriel sending an ambitious effort over.

Half-Time Score: Chicago Fire FC 0–0 Orlando City

Second Half: Post, Crossbar, and a Series of Heroic Saves

The second half opened with Orlando expected to press their advantage, and they did just that. Alex Freeman had a golden chance with a header in the 49th minute, but failed to convert.

Chicago, impressively resilient despite being a man down, remained organized and dangerous on the break. Gallese was again called into action in the 67th minute, pulling off a pair of excellent saves from Cuypers and Zinckernagel, following a wave of dangerous corners.

The turning point for Orlando came in the 75th to 77th-minute window. First, Martín Ojeda hit the post after a left-footed strike, followed quickly by Marco Pašalić rattling the crossbar from distance. The Fire’s goal seemed charmed.

In the 82nd minute, Orlando made a triple substitution to inject fresh legs: Enrique, Thorhallsson, and Santos came in, aiming to tilt the scales. However, despite their dominance in possession and territory, Orlando lacked cutting edge in the final third.

Muriel and Thorhallsson both missed late chances from outside the box in stoppage time, failing to even test Gal. Cuypers and Glasgow continued to draw fouls and frustrate Orlando's rhythm in transition.

Key Match Stats:

• Shots: Chicago Fire 17 – 24 Orlando City

• Shots on Target: Chicago 6 – 8 Orlando

• xG: Chicago 2.10 – 2.35 Orlando

• Possession: Chicago 41% – 59% Orlando

• Red Cards: Chris Brady (Chicago, 36’)

• Man of the Match: Pedro Gallese (Orlando City SC) – 6 saves, 3 high-danger stops

Conclusion:

Despite playing with a man down for nearly an hour, Chicago Fire FC showed remarkable defensive discipline and goalkeeping grit. Orlando City will rue their missed chances — hitting the post twice and failing to convert high-quality opportunities. For a match that ended 0–0, it offered drama, controversy, and relentless tempo.

Ultimately, both sides leave with a point — Chicago proud of their resilience, Orlando frustrated by their inefficiency.