Chicago Fire FC II (0-1-0-0, 0 points) opened the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Regular Season with a 4-1 loss to Huntsville City FC (1-0-0-0, 3 points) Sunday afternoon at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois. Trip Fleming recorded the first goal of 2025 and his second goal overall for Chicago. Former Fire II midfielder Christian Koffi opened the season with a brace for the visitors.
Conceding possession early in the match, Huntsville City FC got on the board first through a familiar face. Koffi got on the end of an errant back pass in the 15th minute, then dribbled into the box with space in front. As he reached the corner of the six-yard box, he unleashed a right-footed shot that beat Patrick Los on his near post to notch the first goal of 2025 for Huntsville.
Chicago responded just seven minutes later. Claudio Cassano, who had previously led the bulk of the opportunities in the first half, quickly sliced through the Huntsville defense on the left wing. He rifled a shot that was blocked by a defender, but Fleming collected the rebound on the far post to finish and score the first of the season for the Men in Red.
The visitors retook the momentum, earning a penalty kick in the 35th minute after midfielder Ethan O’Brien was clipped in the box. Koffi took the ball and finished the penalty to his left to retake the lead in the 37th minute.
The French midfielder continued causing trouble for Chicago in the 43rd minute, when he found a pocket of space on the left to play a dangerous ball across the box. The cross was tipped into the goal by Justin Reynolds, who had tracked back to cover a forward, giving Huntsville a 3-1 lead going into the break.
As the visitors dropped back to contain a possible Fire comeback, Chicago struggled to find chances in the second half. Huntsville used the Fire’s numbers forward to their advantage, as Gunnar Studenhofft got on the end of a wide-open counter-attack to seal the match for the visitors in their first win of 2025.
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Box Score:
Chicago Fire FC II 1:4 Huntsville City FC
Goals:
HNT - Koffi (1) (WATCH) 15’
CHI - Fleming (1) (WATCH) 22’
HNT - Koffi (2) (Penalty) (WATCH) 37’
HNT - Reynolds (Own Goal) 43’
HNT - Studenhofft (1) (Jones 1) (WATCH) 86’
Discipline:
HNT - Véliz (Yellow Card) 13’
HNT - O’Brien (Yellow Card) 45’
CHI - Osorio (Yellow Card) 46’
HNT - Rose (Yellow Card) 53’
CHI - Osorio (Second Yellow) 78’
CHI - Osorio (Ejection) 78’
Chicago Fire FC II: GK Los, D Fleming, D Konincks (capt.), D Cupps, D Reynolds, M Nagle (Calle, 46’), M Williams (Diouf, 79’), M Osorio, F Hlyut (D Richards, 65’), F Boltz, F Cassano (Soudan, 56’)
Substitutes not used: GK Stechnij, D Oyegunle, M Montiel
Huntsville City FC: GK Lauta, D Bowen, D Barrett, D Carmichael, D Rose (Alonso, 64’), M Véliz, M Casas, M Barker John (M Jones, 64), M O’Brien, M Koffi, F Miglietti (Studenhofft, 75’)
Substitutes not used: GK Ammar Delic, M Gill, M Henry-Scott, F Sipic
Stats Summary: CHI / HNT
Shots: 11 / 8
Shots on Goal: 4 / 5
Passing Accuracy: 89% / 86.2%
Saves: 2 / 3
Corners: 4 / 3
Fouls: 11 / 13
Offsides: 0 / 1
Referee: Atahan Yaya
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Little
Assistant Referee 2: Eric del Rosario
4th Official: Igor Bych