D.C. United returns to Audi Field to face Chicago Fire FC, riding the high of a 2-1 road win over FC Cincinnati. The statement win will set the tone as the Black-and-Red head into the second half of the season.
D.C. struck early and defended with grit, handing Cincinnati its first home loss of the 2025 season. Gabriel Pirani delivered, scoring less than two minutes into the match, and later assisted Conner Antley’s header in the 19′, showcasing D.C. United’s growing ability to be a threat on set pieces. With Luis Barraza making three crucial saves and David Schnegg leading the team in recoveries, the win showed the Black-and-Red’s potential when the group plays with confidence and cohesion.
Head coach Troy Lesesne praised assistant coach Zach Prince for his role in set piece success, calling it a “monumentally important” phase of play. With goals created directly from restarts in each of the last two games, don’t be surprised if D.C. leans on set pieces again tonight.
Now, D.C. United will look to build on that momentum against a Chicago Fire FC side that has surged into form behind one of the league’s most dangerous attacking duos, Hugo Cuypers and Philip Zinckernagel. This will be the second meeting between the two Eastern Conference teams this season, following a dramatic 2-2 draw in Chicago on March 1, in which Jacob Murrell rescued a point for United with a stunning bicycle-kick equalizer in the sixth minute of stoppage time. If you haven’t watched this goal, do yourself a favor and put it on repeat.
Lesesne called last week’s result against Cincinnati “probably our biggest” in his tenure. Still, he was quick to refocus on the challenges ahead. “We’ve created momentum… but not sustained it. That’s something we’re all aware of going into this weekend,” Lesesne said.
With multiple starters away on international duty or sidelined due to injury, D.C. will once again have to dig deep. The team will be without key contributors like Matti Peltola, Kye Rowles, and Aaron Herrera, who were instrumental in last week’s victory. Players like Antley, Schnegg, and Pirani will need to lead the charge as D.C. United faces a Chicago Fire squad that has scored 13 goals in its last five matches and boasts the best road record in MLS.
Tonight’s match will be a true test of D.C.’s resilience and desire to prove that the Cincinnati win was no fluke.
Hear everything head coach Troy Lesesne had to say at the pre-game press conference here.
Let us know your thoughts about tonight’s match in the comments below and be sure to join us live here during the game to chat with your fellow supporters.
Key Player: Gabriel Pirani
The midfielder has been key in recent matches, scoring against both New England and Cincinnati while adding a crucial assist last weekend. Pirani opened the scoring in the 2’ at TQL Stadium and delivered a cross to Conner Antley that would ultimately be the game-winner. With creative options limited this week, Pirani’s ability to unlock the defense and influence set pieces will be vital.
Watch Out For: Hugo Cuypers and Philip Zinckernagel
Few attacking pairs are as lethal on the road. Cuypers leads MLS with six goals away from home, while Zinckernagel has contributed a league-best 10 goal contributions (5 goals, 5 assists) in road matches. The Fire have scored in 10 straight away games and are coming off a dominant 3-1 win at Orlando. If D.C. United’s short-handed backline can’t contain these two, it could be a long night at Audi Field.
Challenges: D.C. United will be without key starters due to international duty, including defenders Kye Rowles and Aaron Herrera, midfielders Boris Enow and Matti Peltola, and forward Kristian Fletcher. Christian Benteke and Lucas McNaughton remain out due to injury. With as many as nine key players unavailable, it’s “next man up” for players like Conner Antley, who has impressed since returning from injury and netted the winner last week against Cincinnati.
Previously: The last matchup between D.C. United and Chicago Fire on March 1 ended in a 2-2 draw at Soldier Field. Christian Benteke opened the scoring in the 4’ from a Gabriel Pirani cross, but Hugo Cuypers responded with two goals for Chicago, both from set pieces. Jacob Murrell’s stoppage-time bicycle kick salvaged a dramatic point for D.C. United. The Black-and-Red are unbeaten in their last five meetings against Chicago, including a 1-1 draw in their last meeting at Audi Field in 2024.
D.C. United Availability:
Out: Christian Benteke (ankle), Boris Enow (international duty), Kristian Fletcher (international duty), Aaron Herrera (international duty), Jackson Hopkins (hip), Kim Joon Hong (knee), Lukas McNaughton (thigh), João Peglow (groin), Matti Peltola (international duty), Kye Rowles (international duty)
Questionable: None
Chicago Fire FC Availability:
Out: Chris Brady (international duty), Christopher Cupps (international duty), Dje D’Avilla (not due to injury), Omari Glasgow (international duty), Chris Mueller (not due to injury), Sergio Oregel Jr. (international duty), David Poreba (lower body), Carlos Terán (lower body)
Questionable: Hugo Cuypers (lower body), Sam Rogers (torso)
Location: Audi Field, Washington, DC
Kickoff time: 7:30 pm ET
Referee: Lorenzo Hernandez
Available streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Thanks, Sarah, for the preview and thread. As usual, I’ll be watching the match in person at Buzzard Point.
Well in a friendly earlier the USMNT lost 2-1 to Turkey with both of Turkey’s goals coming from poor play by the USA. Turkey’s equalizer was a comedy of errors Turner played it short to Johnny Cordoso who played a pass with the outside of the boot and it deflected off the Turkey player off the post and into the goal in the 24′. Then in the 27′ for the second goal, a bad clearance fell to a Turkey player in the box who then put it past Turner. Jack McGlynn scored in the 1st minute
I’m wrapping up my viewing on record now. Mcglynn is insane from range. I cannot believe how respected Cardoso is in La Liga when he is actively bad for the USMNT at literally every opportunity he gets.
This from the player who wants to make Johnny a Brazil-like one name feature. Naw.
Starting XI: Barraza, Schnegg, Tubbs, Bartlett (Captain), Antley, Kijima, Servania, Zouhir, Stroud, Pirani, Murrell (looking like a 3-4-3)
Bench: Badji, Barajas, Dodson , Farr, Leal, Turner
On the MLS match preview video both Andrew Wiebe and Dax McCarty picked Chicago.
Moses Nyeman just equalized for Loudoun.
Fresh new sod on the field – looks so nice!
Karamoko subs in for Nyeman in the Loudoun game.
Well there’s the first one. So how bad is this loss gonna be?
Love spending my evening watching a USL squad trying to play in an MLS match.
So DCU’s defense is looking like a comedy tonight…
We are so lucky not to be down 2-0 right now.
Tubbs is apparently sitting on a yellow.
I know we’re only 17 minutes in, but this may be the game where I’m forced to give Rowles more credit for organizing the back line than I have been giving him.
Gutman bodies Pirani off the ball who goes down looking for a call that he doesn’t get.
Antley is positioning like a RB in a 4 or 5 man backline not a RCB in a 3 man backline.
Yeah this is wild, just a complete lack of understanding of the role he’s supposed to be playing (and/or ability to play it at this level). His space has been completely vacant all night and we’re getting torched repeatedly there.
And its lead directly to both goals.
And Bamba doubles the lead. This is going to be a route.
I’m at the game, not sure if that was Bartlett but whoever that was, they can’t be fit enough to be out there. Unbelievably slow.
The rout is on. Its 3-0 for Chicago.
Well, we sometimes complain about lack of quality in the squad, but turns out we have some players we desperately need in there.
This is a nice Chicago training session I guess
Not all heroes where uniforms, but sometimes training cones do
I’m sure the knives will be out for Troy but this squad is an utter embarrassment.
Knives should be out for the ownership, McKay, and Troy.
Would still like to see what Troy could do with an actual MLS squad, but I get it.
We’d need new owners for that?
Hell, half an MLS squad, even.
Look, the team isn’t doing themselves any favors, obviously, but i think what needs to be addressed is why DC is even scheduled to play this weekend. We have played 2 more games than Chicago. We will have played more than any team in the league after this. There’s no reason this shouldn’t have been an off week.
Will be interesting to see if any of the other teams playing this weekend end up down 4-0 at halftime.
Commentary hasn’t been great since the switch to AppleTV, and normally I would default to the radio broadcast. Listening the the AppleTV team tonight I wonder how long it will take for this commentary team to figure out DC is playing with four in the back and not three (Antley is very clearly playing RB and Stroud on the Wing). Kind of stunning – as if they only have the roster sheet in front of them and are not watching the game. This is to say nothing of the general criticism of DCs spacing tonight, which is fair commentary.
Especially since it’s pretty much standard for modern coaches to fib on the use of the lineup on team sheets, you’d think they would catch on to such deception before halftime.
Schnegg over making tackles in the RCB area now lol
Alright that’s an insane no call
Gutman gets away with taking out Antely.
There’s a 4th….
It’s time for us to stop calling ourselves ugly with our negative self talk.
Tonight, we’re ghastly, and we should celebrate that.
So can we just not come out at halftime and forfeit? I don’t see us scoring at all and just shipping more goals.
Garber waiting in the tunnel with a “dissolution of organization” contract ready to go…
Give NY or LA a 3rd team or hell somehow give Messi a team of his own like they did with Beckham?
Murrell misses a sterling chance off a header at end of half. Some spectacular plays early in the season, but the regression to the mean with him has been swift and brutal
He’s pretty bad in the air.
Him and Pirani…Pirani had 2 great games…then regressed to the mean hard in this game.
I’m afraid a second half viewing would be more disease than virtue, so I’m gonna log off Apple. Certainly hope they keep the damage minimal.
Quality of the players is obviously pretty bad in crucial spots. That’s why we can’t string more than 2 forward passes together. Conceding the same goal 4 times is…I don’t have words for it. Any coach could tell their players to just run fast at goal and they’ll have a 90% chance of scoring. We should’ve been bunkering from the first minute if we don’t have anyone that can win a footrace.
There’s a 5th…
Badji picks the goalkeepers pocket and makes it 5-1.
There’s a 6th for Chicago.
Gavin Turner comes on for Stroud in his MLS Debut.
Pirani draws a yellow from Acosta. Free kick almost dead on just outside the box.
Pirani skies it after Schnegg ran over it.
Barajas for Pirani and Dodson for Antley.
There’s a 7th on a quick counter off a DC corner.
And the boos rain down in the stadium.
Is it too early for cake or death?
Impulsively, the only guys I’d keep from tonight are Schnegg, Servania and Turner. Badji got his goal and I do thank him for punishing the GK’s stunting, but he missed some easy chances.
I’d add at least Kijima to that. Stroud is also solid as a sub.
I did neglect him in my haze of despair. I thought Tubbs looked like a professional soccer player too. He looked like the only CB fit enough to be playing.
Unfortunately, I think nothing matters until this ownership sells the team.
Just abjectly awful and hopeless. A complete organizational fail.
😞
Disgusting
Not the night for DC teams…OGDC down 14-0 after a penalty try at the first half water break and got 2 yellow cards in 30 secs of each other so down to 13 men for 10 mins. The first one was super harsh even though there was head contact. The San Diego Legion player was being tackled into Fanana-Schultz…
Old Glory’s bacon is saved another try given up because of a tackle off the ball behind the ruck by San Diego.
And Old Glory channels their inner DCU….OG turned it over less than 5 meters out and then San Diego quickly counters and dots it down.
And San Diego sees a red card killing a promising San Diego attack. San Diego is now down a man for the next 20 mins of game play, but then the Legion will be able to sub in. Leading with the shoulder into the ruck with head contact, high degree of danger, and no mitigation. It was in the 37′.
At half its 21-0 to San Diego. OG has turned it over twice inside San Diego’s 5m line….so frustrating.
And damn …2 minutes into the half despite being down a man San Diego dots down…and its converted. Its 28-0 to San Diego….If Old Glory could not channel their inner DC United tonight that’d be great.
It isn’t their normal starting XV for OGDC and some guys are in different positions….but still damn I’d like to at least see some points.
And San Diego converts a penalty kick to make it 31-0…
OGDC has had a man advantage for 14 mins so far and hasn’t scored, but given up 10 pts…
Finally we score a try. Its 31-5…Conversion is not good…its 31-5…it was on line but fell short and passed under the bar from a really bad angle almost to the sideline.
Finally Old Glory’s defense stops the Legion inside the 5. It was a lineout followed by a maul, but then a Legion player collapsed the maul and the ball was not released into play.
Old Glory just keeps committing errors tonight…and its been killing them and giving the Legion so much help that they did not need…
And a penalty try to San Diego….38-5….
I guess it is too painful to post a summary of one of the worst losses in DCU history.
I am not sure what the coaching staff was thinking sending Antley forward so much early in the game with a weak central midfield. The team then was getting burned down his side. But there was lots of blame to spread around in this one.
I guess Goff summed it up pretty well on BlueSky.
“DCU has now lost to San Jose and Chicago by a combined 13-2. DCU goals conceded: 35 in 18 matches. Goal differential: -18”