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March 21, 2026
Chester, PA
On Saturday, the Chicago Fire defeated the Union with a score of 1-2. The Philadelphia Union’s feisty “refuse to lose at home” statistic now seems a distant past. Not only is the team’s name found at the very bottom of the MLS East table — nary a point can be found attributed to the team — that now includes three home losses. By contrast, last season, the Union had but one home loss.
Certainly, there were moments of cohesion for Philadelphia, but, the Union’s attacking function is out of wack. The team advances the ball with competence, but crowds the center near goal, and no one seems willing to take a hard shot. No where is the loss of left back Kai Wagner more apparent than in the absence of his wide service this year to strikers.
Following a now familiar pattern, the Chicago Fire earned the first goal on Saturday in first half stoppage time. Chicago’s Andrew Gutman brought the ball down quickly on the left wing, and then crossed right to a charging and unmarked Hugo Cuypers. The Philadelphia keeper Andre Blake stood no chance against the short range header from Cuypers.
The long first half stoppage time offered a gift to Philadelphia. The team was able to pull the score even just moments after Gutman’s goal when a header from Captain Alejandro Bedoya to Milan Iloski impossibly lofted up over the out-stretched body of the Chicago keeper Chris Brady. The assist went to Bedoya. At the half, the score was level at 1-1.
The second half brought on the deciding goal for Chicago. Chicago brought the ball quickly down the right wing and crossed left by Cuypers to Jonathan Bamba, who was parked alone at the end of the Chicago front. Bamba’s hard shot to the bottom left corner of the Philadelphia goal resulted in the 1-2 scoreline that was unaltered for the remainder of the game.
Photographs of the game appear below:
Chicago’s Leonardo Barroso distributing the ball.
Philadelphia’s Alejandro Bedoya tapping the ball out of the path of D’Avilla Dje Tah.
Chicago’s Mbekezeli Mbokazi controlling the ball past Philadelphia’s Bruno Damiani.
Chicago’s Hugo Cuypers followed closely by Philadelphia’s Olwethu Makhanya.
Philadelphia’s Milan Iloski scoring the Union’s lone goal in first half stoppage time.
The Fire’s Viktor Radojević covered by the Philadelphia captain, Bedoya.
Chicago’s Cuypers doubled-teamed by Nathan Harriel and Jovan Lukic.
The game winning goal shot by Chicago’s Jonathan Bamba, neatly into the space on the left of the goal.
