Major League Soccer Regular Season - 2

Chicago Fire 3 - 0 FT CF Montreal

Soldier Field

Match previews and recaps to help you decide which games are worth watching

Futmetrix Verdict
72
FT
Sat, Feb 28
Chicago Fire
3-0
CF Montreal
⚡ Intensity 89
⚖️ Balance 8
🏆 Stakes 44
🎲 Upset 0
10-man Chicago Fire crush Montreal 3-0.

Ten-Man Chicago Fire Build Massive First-Leg Advantage

Highly Entertaining Futmetrix Score: 72/100. Despite playing over a half-hour down a man, Chicago delivered a ruthless attacking masterclass to push Montreal to the brink of elimination.

Early Fireworks at Soldier Field

CF Montreal controlled possession with 56 percent of the ball, but the early exchanges belonged entirely to the Chicago Fire. The hosts turned the game into a shooting gallery, peppering the net and generating a formidable 3.05 expected goals. The breakthrough arrived in the 27th minute when J. Bamba found the back of the net to ignite the home crowd. The Balance of play heavily favored Chicago's direct, vertical attacks, forcing the visitors onto their heels despite holding more of the ball in the middle third.

The VAR Pivot

The game's complexion threatened to flip in the 54th minute. A high Intensity moment saw VAR intervene, upgrading a yellow to a straight red card for Jonathan Dean following a professional foul as the last man. Down to ten men, the Fire could have parked the bus. Instead, they maintained their attacking siege. Montreal managed a meager four shots all night, completely failing to test the shorthanded hosts. Only the heroics of visiting goalkeeper Thomas Gillier, who produced seven crucial saves, kept the scoreline respectable through the middle phase of the contest.

Late Avalanche

As the clock struck ninety, the Fire slammed the door entirely shut. H. Cuypers converted a high-pressure penalty to double the advantage, rewarding his relentless creative output on the night. Moments later, substitute R. Lod joined the party, finishing a swift move to cap off a 3-0 victory. With immense knockout Stakes on the line, this first-leg demolition puts Chicago in total control. Montreal now faces an absolute mountain to climb when these two sides meet again for the second leg on May 16th.

Key Questions

How did the red card for Jonathan Dean impact the match?

Despite playing with ten men for over 30 minutes, Chicago maintained their attacking pressure, restricting Montreal to just four shots while scoring twice late.

What made Hugo Cuypers the Man of the Match?

Cuypers delivered a complete offensive performance with three key passes and a crucial 90th-minute penalty strike to double Chicago's advantage.

How did substitute Hugo Cuypers change the game?

Cuypers actually started the match, dominating throughout. It was super-sub R. Lod who came off the bench to add the final 90th-minute goal.

What is the Futmetrix Score?

The Futmetrix Score is our 0-100 verdict on how entertaining a match is. We look at intensity, balance, stakes, and star quality to tell you if it's worth your time.

Match Statistics

Possession
44%
56%
Chicago Fire 44%
CF Montreal 56%
Shots
17
4
Chicago Fire 17
CF Montreal 4
Shots on Target
11
2
Chicago Fire 11
CF Montreal 2
Expected Goals (xG)
3.05
0.10
Chicago Fire 3.05
CF Montreal 0.10
Passes
326
428
Chicago Fire 326
CF Montreal 428
Pass Accuracy
73%
78%
Chicago Fire 73%
CF Montreal 78%
Corners
9
3
Chicago Fire 9
CF Montreal 3
Fouls
12
13
Chicago Fire 12
CF Montreal 13
Yellow Cards
1
3
Chicago Fire 1
CF Montreal 3
Red Cards
1
0
Chicago Fire 1
CF Montreal 0

Match Events

27' J. Bamba
Brayan Vera 🟨 30'
HT
J. Neal B. Craig 🔄 46'
Iván Jaime 🟨 53'
54' Jonathan Dean
56' 🟥 Jonathan Dean
57' 🔄 J. Bamba J. Waterman
A. Guboglo D. Bugaj 🔄 63'
B. Vera N. Streit 🔄 63'
Ivan Jaime D. Rios 🔄 72'
M. Longstaff W. Carmona 🔄 78'
89' 🔄 M. Pineda D. D'Avilla
90' H. Cuypers
90' R. Lod
Thomas Gillier 🟨 90'+2
90'+6 🔄 P. Zinckernagel R. Lod
FT

Player Cards

Our take on every player in this match

Chicago Fire

Goalkeepers
C. Brady
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
L. Barroso
STORMTROOPER
STORMTROOPER
1
Shots
1
Shots
0
Goals
1
On Target
J. Elliott
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
M. Mbokazi
PROVOCATEUR
PROVOCATEUR
2
Fouls Won
2
Fouls Won
3
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
J. Dean
FRIENDLY FIRE
FRIENDLY FIRE
Red Card
Mistake
Red Card
Mistake
2
Fouls
6
Rating
Midfielders
A. Saletros
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
M. Pineda
ENFORCER
ENFORCER
5
Tackles
5
Tackles
7
Duels Won
78%
Win %
P. Zinckernagel
NPC
NPC
89
Minutes
89
Minutes
20%
Pass Acc
6.6
Rating
Forwards
M. Haile-Selassie
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
H. Cuypers
CLUTCH HERO
CLUTCH HERO
90
Goal Time
90
Goal Time
Penalty
Impact
8.9
Rating
J. Bamba
SNIPER
SNIPER
100%
Conversion
100%
Conversion
1
Goals
1
Shots
BENCH
J. Cohen
SPECTATOR
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
J. Waterman
PROVOCATEUR
PROVOCATEUR
2
Fouls Won
2
Fouls Won
4
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
C. Cupps
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
P. Dithejane
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
S. Oregel
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
R. Lod
CLUTCH HERO
CLUTCH HERO
90
Goal Time
90
Goal Time
Goal
Impact
7.5
Rating
D. Poreba
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
D. D'Avilla
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
14
Total Mins
Started
Entry
C. Mueller
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry

CF Montreal

Goalkeepers
T. Gillier
FRIENDLY FIRE
FRIENDLY FIRE
Pen Given
Mistake
Pen Given
Mistake
1
Fouls
8
Rating
Defenders
A. Guboglo
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
63
Total Mins
63
Entry
J. Neal
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
45
Total Mins
46
Entry
E. Morales
WALL
WALL
0
Dribbled Past
0
Dribbled Past
2
Tackles
75%
Duel Win %
B. Vera
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
63
Total Mins
63
Entry
Midfielders
M. Longstaff
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
12
Late Mins
12
Late Mins
78
Total Mins
78
Entry
V. Loturi
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
G. Synchuk
PROVOCATEUR
PROVOCATEUR
4
Fouls Won
4
Fouls Won
8
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
Ivan Jaime
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
72
Total Mins
72
Entry
D. Thorhallsson
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Forwards
P. Owusu
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
BENCH
S. Breza
SPECTATOR
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
B. Craig
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
45
Total Mins
Started
Entry
L. Petrasso
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
D. Bugaj
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
27
Total Mins
Started
Entry
S. Piette
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
W. Carmona
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
12
Total Mins
Started
Entry
D. Rios
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
18
Total Mins
Started
Entry
O. Escobar
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
N. Streit
👻 Invisible Nothing to note

Head to Head

Date Home Score Away Competition Venue
07/19/2025 CF Montreal 0 - 2 Chicago Fire Major League Soccer Saputo Stadium
03/30/2025 Chicago Fire 1 - 1 CF Montreal Major League Soccer Soldier Field
09/21/2024 CF Montreal 2 - 0 Chicago Fire Major League Soccer Stade Saputo
03/16/2024 Chicago Fire 4 - 3 CF Montreal Major League Soccer Soldier Field
09/16/2023 CF Montreal 0 - 0 Chicago Fire Major League Soccer Stade Saputo
07/13/2023 Chicago Fire 3 - 0 CF Montreal Major League Soccer Soldier Field
09/13/2022 CF Montreal 3 - 2 Chicago Fire Major League Soccer Stade Saputo
08/28/2022 Chicago Fire 0 - 2 CF Montreal Major League Soccer Soldier Field
09/19/2021 CF Montreal 2 - 0 Chicago Fire Major League Soccer Stade Saputo
07/19/2025
Major League Soccer Saputo Stadium
03/30/2025
Major League Soccer Soldier Field
09/21/2024
Major League Soccer Stade Saputo
03/16/2024
Major League Soccer Soldier Field
09/16/2023
Major League Soccer Stade Saputo
07/13/2023
Major League Soccer Soldier Field
09/13/2022
Major League Soccer Stade Saputo
08/28/2022
Major League Soccer Soldier Field
09/19/2021
Major League Soccer Stade Saputo
Chicago Fire Win
CF Montreal Win
Draw

League Standings