New York City VS Chicago Fire

2026 Major League Soccer, United States

Yankee Stadium Sat, 25 Jul - 11:30 PM

Major League Soccer

New York City NYC

3 1

Chicago Fire CHI

Full Time Sat, 25 Jul 11:30 PM

Regular Season

Nicolás Fernández Mercau - 10'

Agustín Ojeda - 29'

Malachi Jones - 41'

Joel Waterman - 21'

CONTEXT

New York City defeated Chicago Fire by a score of 3-1 in a match that saw the home side establish a commanding lead by halftime. The game featured New York City scoring three times before the break while Chicago Fire managed one response. Possession favored the visitors at 53 percent compared to the hosts 47 percent yet the outcome aligned with the narrow expected goals differential of 0.01. New York City posted 1.48 xG against Chicago Fire 1.47 xG reflecting closely matched underlying numbers. No red cards were issued to either side and the result proved consistent with pre-match expectations for the stronger team. The significant structural deviation occurred in favor of New York City despite the balanced metrics.

TL;DR

Structural deviation: New York City showed significant deviation in the match outcome.
Efficiency shift: Efficiency metrics remained in line with expected performance levels.
xG alignment: The final result stayed consistent with the close xG values.
Market alignment: The observed outcome matched the pre-match alignment indicators.
xG expectations: Home xG reached 1.48 while away xG finished at 1.47.
Event impact: The halftime score of 3-1 shaped the second half adjustments.
Red card distortion: No red cards occurred so no distortion affected the result.

No standings statistics available.

No head-to-head records found.

0.5+ goals: 85%

1.5+ goals: 70%

2.5+ goals: 50%

3.5+ goals: 25%

Confidence: High (≥8 matches)

Quality vs Volume

Home: xG 1.8, Shots 12, xG/Shot 0.15

Away: xG 1.5, Shots 14, xG/Shot 0.11

Open Play vs Set Play

Open Play: 65%

Set Play: 35%

Expected Points

Team	xPts
Home	1.8
Away	1.2

R. Montero

Referee • 25 matches

Fouls / Match

Referee 30.4

League Avg 0

Yellow Cards / Match

Referee 4

League Avg 0

Red Cards / Match

Referee 0.36

League Avg 0

Penalties / Match

Referee 0.36

League Avg 0

M. Nelson

1st Assistant • 0 matches

Fouls / Match

Referee 0

League Avg 0

Yellow Cards / Match

Referee 0

League Avg 0

Red Cards / Match

Referee 0

League Avg 0

Penalties / Match

Referee 0

League Avg 0

W. Heatherly

2nd Assistant • 0 matches

Fouls / Match

Referee 0

League Avg 0

Yellow Cards / Match

Referee 0

League Avg 0

Red Cards / Match

Referee 0

League Avg 0

Penalties / Match

Referee 0

League Avg 0

M. de Oliveira

4th Official • 0 matches

Fouls / Match

Referee 0

League Avg 0

Yellow Cards / Match

Referee 0

League Avg 0

Red Cards / Match

Referee 0

League Avg 0

Penalties / Match

Referee 0

League Avg 0

P. Jansen

G. Berhalter

1.38

Avg Points / Game (Last 100 Matches)

1.73

Avg Points / Game (Last 6 Matches)

Head to Head (Wins - Draws - Losses)

2 - 2 - 0

Team Power Ranking

67.32

65.68

0 (Weakest) 100 (Strongest)

Metric

New York City

Chicago Fire

Power Score

67.32

65.68

League Position

Global Rank

323

369

Form Analysis Opponent-Weighted

Line chart of recent results (points/trend). Friendlies excluded by default. Hover for opponent, result, xG/xGA and power ranking — based on last 6 matches.

New York City — Opponent-weighted form score

Chicago Fire — Opponent-weighted form score

Win (3 pts) Draw (1 pt) Loss (0 pts) New York City Chicago Fire

Heatmaps Ball coordinates

Attack and defence zones from ball position data. Filters: last 6 matches (overall/home/away), time period, competition.

New York City

Left / Center / Right —

Opposition half density —

vs season average —

Chicago Fire

Left / Center / Right —

Opposition half density —

vs season average —

Possession Efficiency Possession-Adjusted

How effectively each team uses and defends their share of possession. Efficiency adjusted based on team possession percentage

New York City ⚠ Proxy

⚠ Proxy Chicago Fire

Attacking Efficiency

Higher is better

Attacking Efficiency

1.96

5.91

Defensive Efficiency

Lower is better

Defensive Efficiency

5.91

1.96

Combined Efficiency Index

-3 0 3

New York City -0.27 Efficiency Index

Chicago Fire +0.27 Efficiency Index

xG data unavailable for both teams. Values estimated using shots and dangerous attacks (proxy). Confidence: Medium.

New York City

Chicago Fire

AttackEff = xG ÷ pos

DefenceEff = xGA ÷ (1−pos)

Set Pieces Efficiency Attack & Defence

Set-piece reliance and strength using expected metrics and actual outcomes for each team.

New York City

Chicago Fire

Created Set-piece attacking threat

New York City Chicago Fire

Set-piece xG Share

34%

Goals per Match

0.00 0.00

vs Expected (xG)

-0.10 vs -0.50

Conceded Set-piece defensive exposure

New York City Chicago Fire

Set-piece xGA Share

34%

Conceded per Match

0.00 0.00

vs Expected (xGA)

-0.50 vs -0.10

New York City

Chicago Fire

xG Share = set-piece xG ÷ total xG

vs Expected = goals − set-piece xG

Counter / Transition Attack & Defence

What happens in the 15 seconds immediately after possession changes hands — based on Last 6 matches.

New York City

Chicago Fire

Attack After Winning Possession transition → offence

New York City Chicago Fire

Goals per Match ↑ better

—

Shots per Match ↑ better

—

Dangerous Attacks ↑ better

—

Transition Efficiency Index Higher = stronger on the counter

New York City 0.50

Chicago Fire 0.17

Defence After Losing Possession loss → defensive exposure

New York City Chicago Fire

Goals Conceded ↓ better

—

Shots Conceded ↓ better

—

Dangerous Attacks Conceded ↓ better

—

New York City

Chicago Fire

Window = 15s post-possession change

Index = 0–1 composite score

PRESSURE INDEX

Momentum phases from smoothed minute-by-minute pressure.

CHI had peak pressure around 93'.
CHI started the game with stronger pressure.

NYC Pressure CHI Pressure

⚡

Pressure Index: CHI reached the top pressure at 93' (76.25).

Team Head to Head Last 6 Seasons

Summary of 4 matches between these sides — filtered by competition and venue context.

New York City NYC Home

4 matches

Chicago Fire CHI Away

Match Record

Wins

Draws

Losses

Goals

Goals Scored

Goals Conceded

Goal Difference

-4

Expected Goals

xGA

Data last updated: 2026-07-26T00:04:30+00:00

STARTING XI

Match Formation 4-1-4-1

Match Formation 4-3-3

49 F. Matthew

24 T. Gray

13 (C) T. Martins Bueno

6 J. Sands

2 N. Cavallo

32 J. Shore

26 A. Ojeda

7 N. Fernández Mercau

8 A. Perea Castañeda

88 M. Jones

11 T. Bacelar Martins

1 C. Brady

14 V. Radojević

3 (C) J. Elliott

16 J. Waterman

2 L. Caetano Barroso

17 R. Lod

42 D. D'Avilla

6 A. Salétros

19 J. Bamba

7 M. Haile-Selassie

11 P. Zinckernagel

General Information

Date & Time

Jul 25, 2026, 11:30 PM

Competition

2026 Major League Soccer, United States · Regular Season

Stadium

Yankee Stadium

Capacity

47309

Pitch Surface

Grass

Weather

☀️ 12°C, Fair

Referees

Ricardo Montero

Matthew Nelson

Walter Heatherly

Marcos de Oliveira

Statistics

Possession

NYC

49%

CHI

51%

Top Statistics

3 Goals 1

2 Big Chances Created 3

4 Shots 2

20 Dangerous attacks 55

47 Possession 53

1 Corners 2

16 Free kicks 8

1 Yellow Cards 3

Match Overview

61 Ball Safe 46

6 Goal Kicks 9

5 Goal Attempts 3

4 Substitutions 7

30 Throwins 22

1 Successful Headers 3

0 Injuries 1

14 Dribble Attempts 21

5 Successful Dribbles 5

36 Successful Dribbles Percentage 24

Attacking

88 Attacks 119

1 Big Chances Missed 2

Possession

69 Long Passes 46

425 Passes 478

344 Successful Passes 389

81 Successful Passes Percentage 81

7 Key Passes 6

34 Successful Long Passes 12

49 Successful Long Passes Percentage 26

Defensive

4 Saves 0

22 Tackles 22

8 Interceptions 12

52 Duels Won 47

Build-up

10 Total Crosses 18

2 Accurate Crosses 4

Discipline

5 Offsides 1

8 Fouls 16

Lineup

Referee : Ricardo Montero

Manager ▼

P. Jansen Coach

Starting XI ▼

Matt Freese Goalkeeper

6.29

Nico Cavallo Defender

6.35

James Sands Defender

6.41

Thiago Martins (C) Defender

6.31

Tayvon Gray Defender

6.34

Nicolás Fernández Mercau Midfielder

6.86

Andrés Perea Midfielder

6.38

Agustín Ojeda Midfielder

6.42

Mitja Ilenčič

Defender90+2'

Jonathan Shore Midfielder

6.53

Arnau Farnós

Attacker85'

Malachi Jones Midfielder

6.41

Bénie Traoré

Attacker69'

Talles Magno Attacker

6.53

Hannes Wolf

Attacker85'

Substitutes ▼

Tomás Romero Goalkeeper

Max Murray Defender

Kevin Pierre Jr. Midfielder

Máximo Carrizo Midfielder

Seymour Reid Attacker

Referee : Ricardo Montero

Manager ▼

G. Berhalter Coach

Starting XI ▼

Chris Brady Goalkeeper

6.12

Leonardo Barroso Defender

6.51

Jonathan Dean

Defender46'

Jack Elliott (C) Defender

6.21

Viktor Radojević Defender

6.32

Andrew Gutman

Defender71'

Joel Waterman Defender

6.6

Anton Salétros Midfielder

6.58

Robin Lod Midfielder

6.31

Puso Dithejane

Attacker71'

Djé D'Avilla Midfielder

6.45

Mauricio Pineda

Defender63'

Maren Haile-Selassie Attacker

6.49

Robert Lewandowski

Attacker46'

Philip Zinckernagel Attacker

6.29

Jonathan Bamba Attacker

6.4

Substitutes ▼

Josh Cohen Goalkeeper

Sam Rogers Defender

Sergio Oregel Midfielder

Jason Shokalook Attacker

Events

2ND-HALF

Mitja Ilenčič →

9th Substitution

90+2'

Arnau Farnós →

7th Substitution

85'

Hannes Wolf →

8th Substitution

85'

80'

Puso Dithejane

Foul / 4th Yellowcard

77'

Joel Waterman

Off the ball foul / 3rd Yellowcard

71'

Puso Dithejane →

5th Substitution

71'

Andrew Gutman →

6th Substitution

Bénie Traoré →

4th Substitution

69'

63'

Mauricio Pineda →

3rd Substitution

Nicolás Fernández Mercau

Foul / 2nd Yellowcard

62'

51'

Djé D'Avilla

Foul / 1st Yellowcard

46'

Jonathan Dean →

1st Substitution

46'

Robert Lewandowski →

2nd Substitution

1ST-HALF

Malachi Jones

Right foot shot / 4th Goal

41'

Agustín Ojeda

Right foot shot / 3rd Goal

29'

21'

Joel Waterman

Left foot shot / 2nd Goal

Nicolás Fernández Mercau

Left foot shot / 1st Goal

10'

Match Commentary

Attempt

Shot - Hannes Wolf Right Footed Shot Missed

Update

On Mitja Ilenic，Off Agustin Ojeda

Attempt

Shot - Puso Dithejane Right Footed Shot Saved

Update

On Arnau Farnos，Off Jonathan Shore

Update

On Hannes Wolf，Off Talles Magno

Attempt

Shot - Mauricio Pineda Left Footed Shot Saved

Attempt

Shot - Philip Zinckernagel Right Footed Shot Blocked

Attempt

Shot - Mauricio Pineda Left Footed Shot Saved

Attempt

Shot - Robert Lewandowski Head Shot Blocked

Yellow Card Important

Yellow Card - Puso Dithejane

Yellow Card Important

Yellow Card

Attempt

Shot - Andrew Gutman Head Shot Saved

Corner

Update

On Puso Dithejane，Off Robin Lod

Update

On Andrew Gutman，Off Viktor Radojevic

Update

Offside

Update

On Benie Adama Traore，Off Malachi Jones

Yellow Card Important

Yellow Card

Attempt

Shot - James Sands Right Footed Shot Blocked

Corner

Attempt

Shot - Malachi Jones Right Footed Shot Missed

Yellow Card Important

Yellow Card

Update

Offside

Attempt

Shot - Robert Lewandowski Right Footed Shot Missed

Update

On Jonathan Dean，Off Leonardo Barroso

Update

On Jonathan Dean，Off Leonardo Barroso

Update

On Robert Lewandowski，Off Maren Haile-Selassie

Attempt

Shot - Talles Magno Right Footed Shot Missed

Attempt

Shot - Tayvon Gray Right Footed Shot Missed

Attempt

Shot - Maren Haile-Selassie Right Footed Shot Blocked

GOAL! Important

Shot - Malachi Jones Right Footed Shot Goal

GOAL! Important

Goal - Malachi Jones 3-1，Assist：Agustin Ojeda

Attempt

Shot - Anton Saletros Left Footed Shot Missed

Attempt

Shot - Malachi Jones Right Footed Shot Blocked

Corner

GOAL! Important

Shot - Agustin Ojeda Right Footed Shot Goal

GOAL! Important

Goal - Agustin Ojeda 2-1

GOAL! Important

Shot - Joel Waterman Left Footed Shot Goal

GOAL! Important

Goal 1-1

Update

Offside

GOAL! Important

Goal - Nicolas Ezequiel Fernandez Mercau 1-0

GOAL! Important

Goal - Nicolas Ezequiel Fernandez Mercau 1-0

Update

Offside

Attempt

Shot - Anton Saletros Left Footed Shot Saved

Update

Offside

Update

Kick-off! Referee：Ricardo Montero

CONCLUSION

New York City secured a 3-1 victory over Chicago Fire with all goals arriving in the first half to set an unassailable lead. The narrow xG split of 1.48 to 1.47 underscored how closely the teams performed in chance creation despite the final margin. Possession tilted slightly toward Chicago Fire yet failed to translate into meaningful second half pressure or comebacks. Efficiency remained balanced across both sides with no red cards introducing unexpected variables. The significant deviation benefited the home team in line with their status as the stronger side. Overall the match highlighted how early scoring can dictate proceedings even when underlying numbers stay tight throughout the ninety minutes.

STANDINGS

CONTEXT

TL;DR

Quality vs Volume

Open Play vs Set Play

Expected Points

Team Power Ranking

Form Analysis Opponent-Weighted

Heatmaps Ball coordinates

New York City

Chicago Fire

Possession Efficiency Possession-Adjusted

Set Pieces Efficiency Attack & Defence

Counter / Transition Attack & Defence

PRESSURE INDEX

Team Head to Head Last 6 Seasons

STARTING XI

General Information

Next Match

Statistics

Top Statistics

Match Overview

Attacking

Possession

Defensive

Build-up

Discipline

Lineup

Manager ▼

Starting XI ▼

Substitutes ▼

Manager ▼

Starting XI ▼

Substitutes ▼

Events

Match Commentary

CONCLUSION

New York City vs Chicago Fire preview

STANDINGS

CONTEXT

TL;DR

Quality vs Volume

Open Play vs Set Play

Expected Points

Team Power Ranking

Form Analysis Opponent-Weighted

Heatmaps Ball coordinates

New York City

Chicago Fire

Possession Efficiency Possession-Adjusted

Set Pieces Efficiency Attack & Defence

Counter / Transition Attack & Defence

PRESSURE INDEX

Team Head to Head Last 6 Seasons

STARTING XI

General Information

Next Match

Statistics

Top Statistics

Match Overview

Attacking

Possession

Defensive

Build-up

Discipline

Lineup

Manager ▼

Starting XI ▼

Substitutes ▼

Manager ▼

Starting XI ▼

Substitutes ▼

Events

Match Commentary

CONCLUSION