Montréal vs Fuego de Chicago: Resumen

Chicago Fire FC delivered a commanding 2-0 road victory against CF Montréal at Stade Saputo on Saturday night, further cementing their reputation as road warriors in the 2025 MLS campaign.

Under the warm July evening sky in Montréal, the visitors demonstrated clinical finishing and tactical discipline that has become their hallmark away from home. Hugo Cuypers opened the scoring in the 13th minute, pouncing on a rebound after a shot ricocheted off the post, giving Chicago an early advantage they would never relinquish.

The atmosphere at Stade Saputo turned increasingly tense as the home side struggled to convert their possession into meaningful chances. The 16,342 fans in attendance grew restless as their team, already enduring a difficult season, failed to find rhythm against Chicago's organized defense.

Jack Elliott doubled the Fire's lead in the 54th minute with a towering header from Philip Zinckernagel's perfectly delivered corner kick. The 6-foot-6 defender rose highest in a crowded penalty area, leaving Montréal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois with no chance.

This result represents Chicago's seventh road victory of the 2025 season—a remarkable achievement that has kept them in playoff contention despite inconsistent home form. For Montréal, the defeat deepens their position near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, now with just 15 points from 24 matches.

The CF Montréal vs Chicago Fire FC match highlighted the contrasting trajectories of these two MLS sides—Chicago finding their groove on the road while Montréal continues searching for answers during a challenging campaign.

"Our road mentality has been exceptional this season. The players understand what it takes to get results away from home—discipline, organization, and clinical finishing. Today was another example of executing our game plan perfectly," stated Chicago Fire FC head coach Gregg Berhalter. "Cuypers and Elliott took their chances brilliantly, but this was a complete team performance."

"It's frustrating because I felt we controlled portions of the game but couldn't translate that into goals," admitted CF Montréal interim head coach Marco Donadel. "We're creating situations, but we lack the final touch, the final pass. This has been our story too often this season. The players are working hard, but we need to be more effective in both boxes."

"Seven road wins shows our character," remarked Chicago goalscorer Hugo Cuypers. "We've developed a strong mentality away from home. I was just in the right place for my goal—sometimes you need that bit of luck when the ball comes off the post, but we earned that luck through our pressing."

"We're going through a difficult period, no question," acknowledged Montréal captain Samuel Piette. "But we have to stick together. The fans deserve better, and we know that. It's on us as players to show more quality in the final third and stop conceding these preventable goals."

"What's impressive about Chicago is their efficiency," noted MLS analyst Taylor Twellman during the post-match broadcast. "They don't need many chances to punish you, and Zinckernagel's contribution to ten consecutive away matches with either a goal or assist is remarkable—it's no coincidence their road form has improved with his consistency."

Possession: CF Montréal 58% - 42% Chicago Fire FC

The possession statistics tell only part of the story in this CF Montréal vs Chicago Fire FC encounter. Despite controlling the ball for nearly 60% of the match, Montréal struggled to translate possession into meaningful opportunities.

Shots: CF Montréal 14 (3 on target) - Chicago Fire FC 9 (5 on target)

The clinical nature of Chicago's performance is evident in their shot conversion rate. With fewer attempts but more precision, the visitors made their opportunities count while Montréal's finishing woes continued.

Corners: CF Montréal 7 - Chicago Fire FC 4

Ironically, while Montréal won more corner kicks, it was Chicago who capitalized on a set-piece situation for their second goal through Elliott's powerful header.

Fouls: CF Montréal 12 - Chicago Fire FC 15

Cards: CF Montréal 2 yellow - Chicago Fire FC 3 yellow

Individual Performances:

Philip Zinckernagel (CHI): 1 assist, 3 chances created, 89% passing accuracy Hugo Cuypers (CHI): 1 goal, 3 shots (2 on target), 72% pass completion Chris Brady (CHI): 3 saves, 1 claim, 2 punches

Joel Waterman (MTL): 92% pass completion, 8 recoveries, 3 interceptions Samuel Piette (MTL): 2 shots, 91% passing accuracy, 11 defensive actions Jonathan Sirois (MTL): 3 saves, 41 touches

The MLS statistical indicators reveal Chicago's pragmatic approach, making the most of fewer opportunities while defending resolutely when required. Montréal's statistics highlight their struggle to convert territorial advantage into goals—a recurring theme in their challenging 2025 campaign.

13' GOAL (0-1) - Chicago takes the lead against the run of play. Brian Gutiérrez launches a counterattack, finding Zinckernagel who shoots from the edge of the box. His effort strikes the post and rebounds kindly to Hugo Cuypers, who reacts quickest to slot home past a helpless Jonathan Sirois.

27' - Best chance for Montréal as Prince-Osei Owusu connects with Luca Petrasso's cross, but his header flies narrowly over the crossbar. The home crowd urges their team forward as they seek an equalizer.

45' - Chicago goalkeeper Chris Brady produces a spectacular save, diving full-stretch to tip Samuel Piette's long-range effort around the post. The teams go into halftime with Chicago leading 1-0 despite Montréal's territorial advantage.

54' GOAL (0-2) - Jack Elliott doubles Chicago's lead! Philip Zinckernagel delivers a pinpoint corner, and the towering defender rises highest to power a header into the top corner. Zinckernagel extends his remarkable record of contributing to goals in ten consecutive away matches.

62' Tactical Change - Montréal coach Marco Donadel makes a double substitution and switches from a 4-3-3 to a more attacking 3-4-3 formation, pushing Waterman into a defensive midfield role to create an overload in the central areas.

71' - The momentum shifts as Montréal presses forward with renewed urgency. Dante Sealy creates space on the right wing and cuts back for Hennadii Synchuk, whose first-time shot strikes the crossbar—another near miss for the frustrated home side.

89' - Chicago successfully manages the closing stages, with Mauricio Pineda and N'Guessan Kouamé controlling the midfield and disrupting Montréal's attempts to build attacks. The CF Montréal vs Chicago Fire FC match ends with the visitors securing all three points through disciplined game management.

The match events chronicle of this MLS contest reveals how Chicago's efficiency in key moments proved decisive, while Montréal's inability to capitalize on their periods of pressure ultimately cost them.

The CF Montréal versus Chicago Fire FC rivalry has developed into one of the more intriguing Eastern Conference matchups in recent MLS seasons, with tonight's result continuing a trend that has favored Chicago in recent encounters.

Prior to this match, the all-time head-to-head record stood at 15 wins for Chicago, 12 for Montréal, and 8 draws. With this victory, Chicago extends their advantage and has now won three consecutive matches against their Canadian opponents for the first time since 2017-2018.

Particularly notable in the recent history of this confrontation has been Chicago's improved performances at Stade Saputo. Traditionally struggling in Montréal, the Fire have now won their last two visits, suggesting a psychological barrier has been overcome. The aggregate score across their last three meetings now stands at 7-1 in Chicago's favor.

Individual battles proved decisive throughout the match. Chicago's center-back pairing of Jack Elliott and Samuel Rogers effectively neutralized Prince-Osei Owusu, limiting the Montréal striker to just one significant chance. In midfield, the contest between veterans Samuel Piette and Mauricio Pineda was fascinating, with Pineda's disciplined positioning often disrupting Montréal's build-up play.

Perhaps most tellingly, the difference in finishing quality was evident in the final third. While Philip Zinckernagel continued his remarkable away form with another assist, Montréal's attacking players failed to convert promising positions into clear-cut chances.

The tactical evolution of this confrontation has seen Chicago increasingly comfortable absorbing pressure away from home before striking on the counter or through set-pieces—a strategy that has proven particularly effective against Montréal's possession-based approach. This latest chapter in their history reinforces the growing gap between these two franchises during the 2025 campaign.

The MLS Eastern Conference table continues to take shape following this encounter, with Chicago Fire FC's road victory propelling them into a stronger playoff position.

Chicago Fire FC: 9-9-5, 32 points (7th in Eastern Conference) The Fire's impressive road form—now with seven away victories—has compensated for their inconsistent home performances. This latest win lifts Chicago two positions up the table and strengthens their hold on a playoff spot. With 11 matches remaining in their regular season campaign, Berhalter's side now sits six points clear of the playoff line. Their current position gives them a realistic chance of climbing even higher, potentially challenging for home-field advantage in the first round of playoffs if they can maintain their road form while improving at Soldier Field.

CF Montréal: 3-15-6, 15 points (14th in Eastern Conference) The Canadian side remains rooted near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, now 13 points adrift of the playoff positions with just 11 matches remaining. This defeat marks their third consecutive loss and further diminishes their already slim postseason hopes. Montréal's rating among MLS teams continues to decline, and they now have the second-worst record in the league, ahead of only San Jose Earthquakes. Their focus may soon shift to building for the 2026 season unless they can engineer a dramatic turnaround in form.

The contrasting trajectories in the table reflect the current states of these clubs—Chicago building momentum toward a playoff push while Montréal faces the prospect of a disappointing campaign with limited hope of salvaging their season.