Chicago Fire FC continued its push in the Eastern Conference standings with a 2-1 comeback win over New York City FC on Saturday in Chicago. Maren Haile-Selassie assisted on the tying goal and then scored the winner in the 87th minute, giving Chicago its third straight victory and keeping it in the upper tier of the conference race.
New York City FC struck first in the 19th minute, putting Chicago in an early hole in a match that already had implications for both clubs’ place in the table. Chicago answered after halftime when Anton Saletros tied it in the 55th minute, and the Fire finished the job late when Haile-Selassie delivered the decisive goal.
The result also split the season series between Chicago and NYCFC. New York City FC entered the day 10th in the East, while Chicago had been chasing teams ahead of it, including Nashville, New England and Inter Miami. For a Fire side trying to stay with the teams in front of it, the comeback was a useful response after a 3-1 loss at New York City on July 25.
How Chicago found the breakthrough
The match changed in a big way when Dje D’Avilla was sent off in the 43rd minute after a second yellow card, leaving Chicago to manage the rest of the game with 10 men. Even with that setback, the Fire still found a way to control the key moments after halftime. Saletros’ equalizer gave Chicago life, and Haile-Selassie’s finish in the 87th minute completed the turnaround.
Chris Brady made four saves for Chicago, while Matt Freese finished with two saves for New York City FC. Those numbers fit the flow of a game that stayed tight deep into the second half before Chicago seized control at the end.
Chicago is scheduled to host Philadelphia Union on Wednesday, and the Fire will try to carry the momentum from this result into another important Eastern Conference match. For now, the standings picture looks better after a win that combined resilience, late finishing and a timely impact from Haile-Selassie.
