Chicago Fire FC (6-12-7, 25 points) fell 2-1 against Inter Miami CF (18-4-5, 53 points) on Saturday night at Chase Stadium.
Defender Rafael Czichos scored his first goal of the season in the 73rd minute, and Homegrown defender Justin Reynolds made his MLS debut against the Herons.
The home side opened the scoring in the sixth minute when midfielder Robert Taylor carried the ball up the left flank and ran it along the endline. Taylor tapped it back toward the top of the box for midfielder Matias Rojas, who sent it inside the far post.
Chicago leveled the score in the 73rd minute when Czichos carried the ball up the left side of the field and into the 18-yard-box. Czichos took a shot, sending the ball into the net between the near post and Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender.
Miami regained the lead in the 75th minute when Jordi Alba took advantage of a miscleared ball that landed in the box, sending it into the goal.
NEXT MATCH: Chicago will start its run in the 2024 Leagues Cup on the road against Sporting KC on Sunday, July 28. Kickoff at Children’s Mercy Park is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. CT. The match will be broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass.
Notes:
- Homegrown defender Justin Reynolds made his MLS debut, entering in the 86th minute for Allan Arigoni. Reynolds became the second player to play for the Fire wearing No. 36, following in the footsteps of his older brother, Andre Reynolds II.
- Additionally, with his appearance tonight, Reynolds became the 21st Homegrown Player to feature in an MLS match for the Men in Red.
- Rafael Czichos scored his first goal of the 2024 season, and his sixth overall for the Men in Red.
- Gastón Giménez made his 10th start of the season, and donned the captain’s armband for the fourth straight match. Giménez’s assist on Czichos’ goal was his third of the season.
- Chris Brady registered seven saves in the match, marking the second time in his young career that he has registered five or more saves in back-to-back matches (March 18, 2023 vs. Cincinnati and March 25, 23 at Inter Miami CF).
- Defenders Chase Gasper (leg), Andrew Gutman (leg), and Carlos Terán (leg); and midfielders Federico Navarro (leg) and Xherdan Shaqiri (not due to injury) were unavailable for today’s match.
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Box Score:
Inter Miami CF 2:1 Chicago Fire FC
Goals:
MIA – Rojas (4) (Taylor, 4) 6’
CHI – Czichos (1) Giménez (3) 73’
MIA – Alba (4) (Afonso, 1) 75’
Discipline:
MIA – Taylor (Yellow Card) 39’
MIA – Fray (Yellow Card) 85’
CHI – Gutiérrez (Yellow Card) 88’
Chicago Fire FC: GK Brady, D Souquet, D Czichos, D Omsberg (Pineda, 19’), D Arigoni (Reynolds, 86’), M Gutiérrez, M Herbers (Mueller, 59’), M Acosta (Barlow, 86’), M Giménez (capt.), M Haile-Selassie (Koutsias, 59’) F Cuypers
Subs not used: GK Richey, D Dean, D Salquist, M Casas Jr.
Inter Miami CF: GK Callender (capt.), D Aviles, D Alba, D Redondo (Allen, 81’), M Busquets, M Rojas (Fray, 81’), M Gressel (Ruiz, 70’), M Weigandt, F Suarez, F Taylor (Afonso, 70’), F Bright
Subs not used: GK Dos Santos, D Sailor, D Negri, M Sunderland, F Campana
Stats Summary: MIA / CHI
Shots: 19 / 14
Shots on Goal: 9 / 6
Saves: 4 / 7
Passing Accuracy: 86% / 86.6%
Corners: 7 / 4
Fouls: 9 / 10
Offsides: 2 / 1
Possession: 47.1% / 52.9%
Referee: Marcos DeOliveira
Assistant Referees: Jeremy Hanson, Walt Heatherly
Fourth Official: Joshua Encarnación
VAR: David Barrie, Craig Lowry