Chicago Fire rout Minnesota to keep Wild Card pace: “We’re in a dogfight” | OneFootball

By Tyler Snipes

If every remaining game is a must-win for Chicago Fire FC, a big test was passed in style on Saturday night.

Needing a massive road result against a Western Conference frontrunner, Chicago responded with a dominant 3-0 win over Minnesota United at Allianz Field, giving the Fire three crucial points as they battle the New York Red Bulls for the East's final Wild Card bid in the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs.

“It's just all about this time of the season,” head coach Gregg Berhalter said postgame. “You’ve got to keep collecting points and keep trying to move forward.”

With RBNY’s 2-0 win in Montréal, the pressure is still on down the stretch. New York (12W-12L-7D; 43 points) are just two points behind Chicago (13W-11L-6D; 45 points), though the Fire have one game in hand.

“We know we’re in a dogfight," Berhalter said. "We know Red Bull won today again, and it is what it is. So, we’re going to keep going.”

Crucial response

The road ahead got a big boost from Chicago’s scorers on Saturday night, as they bounced back from last weekend's 3-1 home defeat to New York City FC.

A pair of set-piece goals from newcomer Joel Waterman and Dje D’Avilla set the stage for another big moment from budding dark-horse Landon Donovan MLS MVP candidate Philip Zinckernagel.

The Danish newcomer slammed the door shut on Minnesota in the 70th minute, extending his personal scoring streak to three consecutive matches, and raising his season tally to 14g/13a.

“I think the guys performed really well,” Berhalter said. “And to me, the most important thing is the mentality because they were disappointed with the result [against] New York City, we had to respond, and it was a great response from the group.”

Milestone moments

The dominant result strengthens Chicago’s bid to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2017, and is perhaps a sign of the turnaround Fire fans have been hoping for.

Saturday marked the Fire’s eighth road win of the season, which ties a club best set all the way back in 1999.

For Berhalter, it marked his 80th MLS win in his 200th match in charge, though he refrained from reveling in the accomplishment.

"It's another three points to keep us moving and keep us in the picture, so that's good," Berhalter said.

Up next, Berhalter will have another potential statement game in line against his former side, the Columbus Crew, on Sept. 27 (8:30 PM ET | MLS Season Pass).

WATCH: Chicago Fire inch closer to playoffs with emphatic win at Minnesota