FC Cincinnati hit the road again this weekend and make the trip to Chicago, Illinois, for a rematch with The Fire, just two weeks after hosting them at TQL Stadium to open the season series.
The Orange and Blue are coming off a win this week, taking down Red Bull New York last Saturday at home in a wire-to-wire victory despite significant injuries sidelineing some of their more experienced contributors. With that feeling of victory as wind in their sails, FCC are looking to carry the confidence they earned forward while also addressing areas they can build on to further improve.
“Winning always has guys feeling, acting, maybe a little bit more upbeat, but it's typically, how do you go about the performance and getting a result? So that can bring out different emotions after the game and throughout the week,” FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan said Thursday. “It was a really strong 45 [minutes] and then the second 45 [minutes] they were in control of the game, and that was part of the conversation, as it should be.
“But I think under the circumstances, those being the last few weeks of having to come back in games and being more on the front foot and getting the goals, that was a positive.”
In the opening matchup of the series with Chicago Fire FC on April 18, FC Cincinnati came from behind to earn a draw. Now, hitting the road for the sixth time this season, the Orange and Blue are looking to earn their first road victory and continue a run of strong form against Chicago Fire that dates back three years. FCC are currently on a four-match unbeaten run and have not lost to Chicago since 2024. They also haven’t lost at Soldier Field since 2020, going 4-0-1 in the five matches there since.
Nonetheless, FC Cincinnati is not looking to rest on their history and are preparing for a difficult opponent that gave them trouble in recent memory.
“You see teams quickly…that's the reality. What it does is it makes you more familiar with them for the second match. But the same goes for them, so Chicago is going to have a pretty good idea of us and what they can expect,” Noonan added ahead of the match. “So it's not new, and it can be a positive or a negative, depending on how you learn from the first game and how you make adjustments for the second."
Chicago has been one of the strongest teams in the Eastern Conference this season, sitting third in the table and winning four of its last five league matches. The Fire had a midweek match in the U.S. Open Cup that could factor into how this Saturday’s match looks from a personnel standpoint, but the identity Chicago plays with, and the quality of their depth, means that FCC is still preparing for an offensively talented side with the poise to defend in a strong way.
“They create a lot of moments, and I think we do as well. It's maybe not looking so much at the expected goals and looking at how they gain advantages to put this really strong attacking group in positions to make plays,” Noonan said of their preparations for Chicago. “That's what our focus is, but yeah, hopefully our attack continues and hopefully our defending improves to limit their strengths."
This road trip sparks a string of away matches before the MLS season breaks for the FIFA World Cup this summer. FC Cincinnati play three of its next four matches on the road before closing out the first half of the season at home on May 23.
FC Cincinnati at Chicago Fire FC – Saturday, May 2, 2026 – 8:30 p.m. ET – Soldier Field
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History vs Chicago Fire FC
After coming from behind to get a draw earned late last time out against Chicago Fire FC, the Orange and Blue improved their all time record against their Windy City opponents to 7-4-5. Tom Barlow and Evander both scored in that match to give FC Cincinnati the 3-3 result, extending the unbeaten streak FCC have against Chicago that dates back to 2024.
Historically, the road team has had more success in the all-time head-to-head between FC Cincinnati and Chicago Fire FC. FCC are 5-1-1 in matches played in Chicago, while CFFC are 3-2-3 in MLS matches at Cincinnati.
FC CINCINNATI NOTES
(Courtesy of *FC Cincinnati Communications*)
Denkey’s on Fire – Kévin Denkey continued his exceptional run of scoring form, adding two more goals on Saturday against Red Bull. The Togolese forward now has 10 goals across all competitions for the Orange and Blue in 2026, which includes three two-goal performances.
Denkey was named to the MLS Team of the Matchday for Matchday 10 for his Denkey was named to the MLS Team of the Matchday for Matchday 10 for his performance against Red Bull, where he became the fourth player in club history to score multiple goals in consecutive games.
100 for Bucha – Pavel Bucha enters the weekend just one appearance shy of
100 for FC Cincinnati, across all competitions. Bucha has been a mainstay in the FC Cincinnati lineup since his arrival in MLS, appearing in 99 of a possible 104 matches.
Bucha would become the 11th player in club history to make 100 appearances.
Debut Performance – FC Cincinnati 2 defender Ayoub Lajhar made his MLS Regular
Season debut Saturday against Red Bull New York. Lajhar played 11 minutes as a second half substitute, coming on for Bryan Ramirez in the 79th minute. Lajhar is the second FC Cincinnati 2 player to make a first team MLS debut this season joining Andrei Chirila on March 15, 2026 at New England.
Scouting Chicago Fire FC (5-2-2, 17 Points, 3rd in Eastern Conference, W-D-W-W-W)
Chicago Fire FC have been off to a hot start in 2026 and have only continued that since last seeing FC Cincinnati two weeks ago. The Fire have played just twice since coming to TQL Stadium on April 18, earning a 5-0 win over Sporting KC, and falling in the U.S. Open Cup, losing 2-1 to St. Louis CITY SC on Wednesday night and being eliminated from the tournament.
Led by Head Coach Gregg Berhalter, The Fire have seen success in 2026 on the back of a strong defense. The Windy City club have five clean sheets in nine matches and have conceded only eight goals in their league matches, the sixth fewest in MLS this season. Three of those eight goals came against FC Cincinnati, the most they’ve allowed in 2026 in a single game thus far.
“Chicago is going to have a pretty good idea of us and what they can expect. So it's not new, and it can be a positive or a negative, depending on how you learn from the first game and how you make adjustments for the second,” FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan said Thursday ahead of the match of Chicago, highlighting how these two teams faced just two weeks ago and the memory of that game is still fresh on the mind.
“If you just looked at the (stats), you'd say, 'Okay, this is a great attacking team,’ and they are a very good attacking team. But put the expected goals conversation aside. What are the challenges that they're going to present to us? We just saw them, and they scored three goals against us. So we know they have an experienced team and experienced attacking group,” Noonan continued on this weekend's opponent. “So our conversations weren't around expected goals. It was, how do we limit the strengths of those players, how they link up together, how they attack quickly in transition, how they make plays in isolation? There's so many details that go into it.”
At the center of the defensive structure that has stood out is MLS newcomer Mbekezeli Mbokazi, who has started every match for Chicago in MLS action. The South African defender is new to MLS, joining this winter window from South African side Orlando Pirates. He has been hailed early as one of the top signings of the window and has contributed greatly to Chicago’s early success in 2026.
“Comfort on the ball, pace, physicality. He's been strong for them. It's noticeable,” Noonan said of defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi ahead of FC Cincinnati’s first match with Chicago in April. “Of course, we put more attention to the next opponent. So, I hadn't seen as much up until this point and when you watch the games and analyze their play and why they're strong defensively, I think that's a big reason for it. I think he's been really strong for them.”
Further up the field, a combination of proven league talent stands out for the Fire's attack. Star forward Hugo Cuypers leads the line, leading the team with eight goals. He scored twice against FCC last time out, and scored in every match he’s played in this season. Dynamic Ivory Coast winger Jonathan Bamba starts on the left and has two goals and two assists.
Midfielder Philip Zinckernagel has similarly been a consistent contributor; he and Cuypers had a brace in their victory over SKC and Zinkernagel scored the first goal versus FCC. He is joined by veteran midfielder Robin Lod in that middle of the park; the Finnish midfielder is in his first season with Chicago, having come over after spending the last 7 seasons with Minnesota United FC.
In net for Chicago Fire is Chris Brady, an MLS veteran at this point despite being just 22 years old. The U.S. international and Academy graduate goalkeeper is in his fourth season as the starting keeper for the club. Brady, who has been called into US Men’s National Team camps on various occasions, made his 100th MLS appearance for Chicago when they played FCC last time out.
