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New York RB vs Chicago Fire preview

United States flag 2026 Major League Soccer, United States
Sports Illustrated Stadium
Major League Soccer
New York RBNYR
0 – 0
1ST HALF 6
Chicago FireCHI
Live : 1st Half
Regular Season

Match Commentary

1
Update Update
Kick-off! The referee is S. Demianchuk.

Statistics

Possession
NYR
32%
CHI
68%

Top Statistics

3 Dangerous attacks 2
54 Possession 46

Match Overview

1 Throwins 3

Attacking

12 Attacks 2

Possession

1 Passes 1
0 Successful Passes Percentage 100

Defensive

2 Tackles 2
1 Interceptions 3

Lineup

Referee : Sergii Demianchuk

Starting XI ▼

34
Ethan Horvath
Ethan Horvath Goalkeeper
6.71
2
Justin Che
Justin Che Defender
7.02
12
Dylan Nealis
Dylan Nealis Defender
6.66
14
Julián Bazán
Julián Bazán Defender
6.8
56
Matthew Dos Santos
Matthew Dos Santos Defender
6.65
10
Emil Forsberg
Emil Forsberg Midfielder
6.89
15
Adri Mehmeti
Adri Mehmeti Midfielder
6.92
48
Ronald Donkor
Ronald Donkor Midfielder
6.96
7
Cade Cowell
Cade Cowell Attacker
6.86
16
Julian Hall
Julian Hall Attacker
6.98
91
Mijahir Jiménez
Mijahir Jiménez Attacker
6.95
Referee : Sergii Demianchuk

Starting XI ▼

1
Chris Brady
Chris Brady Goalkeeper
2
Leonardo Barroso
Leonardo Barroso Defender
6.73
5
Sam Rogers
Sam Rogers Defender
6.54
14
Viktor Radojević
Viktor Radojević Defender
6.45
16
Joel Waterman
Joel Waterman Defender
6.74
7
Maren Haile-Selassie
Maren Haile-Selassie Midfielder
6.93
22
Mauricio Pineda
Mauricio Pineda Midfielder
6.53
47
Sam Williams
Sam Williams Midfielder
6.88
11
Philip Zinckernagel
Philip Zinckernagel Attacker
17
Robin Lod
Robin Lod Attacker
6.79
19
Jonathan Bamba
Jonathan Bamba Attacker
6.93

CONTEXT

The first half opens at minute zero between New York RB and Chicago Fire. Both sides begin with measured intent and even possession distribution as the contest settles into its initial rhythm. Chicago Fire arrived as the pre-match stronger side yet the live picture shows neutral balance with no meaningful deviation from that baseline. No cards have been issued and expected goals remain unavailable this early. Qualitative control sits level with efficiency holding in line with pre-match signals. The opening exchanges feature probing passes and structured build-up from each team without clear dominance emerging. This even start aligns with the neutral projection alignment and sets a platform for continued tactical development through the remainder of the half.

TL;DR

  • Live state: The match is in the opening moments of the first half with balanced control and no cards shown.
  • Structural vs live: Live developments stay consistent with pre-match signals that positioned Chicago Fire as the stronger side.
  • Projection vs live: Current alignment reflects neutral deviation from pre-match projections.
  • xG trend: Expected goals data remains unavailable at the start of the first half.
  • Possession profile: Both teams share equal possession at fifty percent each in the opening phase.
  • Event impact: No red cards have occurred and efficiency remains in line with pre-match expectations.
  • Second-half outlook: Live efficiency trend is in line with; The remainder should be decided by execution in transitions and set plays.
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

TeamxPts
Home1.8
Away1.2
ℹ️ Methodology: Expected Goals (xG) measures shot quality
S. Demianchuk
S. Demianchuk
Referee • 25 matches
Fouls / Match
Referee 30.32
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
New York RB M. Bradley
M. Bradley
VS
Chicago Fire G. Berhalter
G. Berhalter
1.25
Avg Points / Game (Last 100 Matches)
1.84
1 i
Last 6 Opponents
Nashville SC Rank: 72 L
Atlanta United Rank: 54 L
Orlando City Rank: 69 W
Charlotte Rank: 65 L
Philadelphia Union Rank: 65 L
Sporting KC Rank: 51 W
Avg Points / Game (Last 6 Matches)
2 i
Last 6 Opponents
Orlando City Rank: 65 W
Portland Timbers Rank: 63 W
Charlotte Rank: 67 W
New York City Rank: 66 L
Inter Miami Rank: 75 L
Toronto Rank: 59 W
2
Head to Head (Wins - Draws - Losses)
2 - 1 - 2
2

Team Power Ranking

i
What is Power Ranking?
Power ranking is SportMonks' model-based team strength indicator. Historical input capped to 2 seasons.
59.06
66.56
0 (Weakest) 100 (Strongest)
Metric
New York RB
Chicago Fire
Power Score
59.06
66.56
League Position
8
3
Global Rank
577
342

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.

–
vs
New York RB — Opponent-weighted form score
Chicago Fire — Opponent-weighted form score
Win (3 pts) Draw (1 pt) Loss (0 pts) New York RB Chicago Fire

Heatmaps Ball coordinates

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

–
vs

New York RB

Left / Center / Right —
Opposition half density —
vs season average —

Chicago Fire

Left / Center / Right —
Opposition half density —
vs season average —
Possession Efficiency data not available for this match.

Set Pieces Efficiency Attack & Defence

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

New York RB ⚠ Proxy
vs
⚠ Proxy Chicago Fire
Created Set-piece attacking threat
New York RB Chicago Fire
Set-piece xG Share Share of total expected goals generated from set pieces. Higher = more set-piece reliant in attack.
—
—
Goals per Match Average set-piece goals scored per match.
0.00 0.00
vs Expected (xG) Goals scored minus set-piece xG. Positive = overperforming; Negative = underperforming expectations.
— vs —
Conceded Set-piece defensive exposure
New York RB Chicago Fire
Set-piece xGA Share Share of total expected goals conceded from set pieces. Higher = more exposed to set pieces defensively.
—
—
Conceded per Match Average set-piece goals conceded per match.
0.00 0.00
vs Expected (xGA) Goals conceded minus set-piece xGA. Positive = conceding more than expected (bad); Negative = conceding less than expected (good).
— vs —
xG set-piece data unavailable for both teams. Values estimated using proxy metrics (shots, dangerous attacks). Confidence: Medium.
New York RB
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 RB
vs
Chicago Fire
Attack After Winning Possession transition → offence
New York RB Chicago Fire
Goals per Match Average goals scored within 15s of winning the ball per match. ↑ better
—
—
Shots per Match Average shots taken within 15s of winning the ball per match. ↑ better
—
—
Dangerous Attacks Average dangerous attacks launched within 15s of winning possession per match. ↑ better
—
—
Transition Efficiency Index Composite score (0–1) of how efficiently this team attacks within 15s of winning the ball. Higher = more dangerous on transition. Higher = stronger on the counter
New York RB 0.00
Chicago Fire 0.00
Defence After Losing Possession loss → defensive exposure
New York RB Chicago Fire
Goals Conceded Average goals conceded within 15s of losing the ball per match. ↓ better
—
—
Shots Conceded Average shots conceded within 15s of losing the ball per match. ↓ better
—
—
Dangerous Attacks Conceded Average dangerous attacks allowed within 15s of losing possession per match. ↓ better
—
—
Vulnerability Index Composite score (0–1) of how exposed this team is within 15s of losing the ball. Lower = better at preventing transition attacks. Lower = better transition defence
New York RB 0.00
Chicago Fire 0.00
New York RB
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 5'.
  • CHI started the game with stronger pressure.
  • Both teams' pressure dropped after the 30th minute.
NYR Pressure CHI Pressure
⚡
Pressure Index: CHI reached the top pressure at 5' (18.86).

Team Head to Head Last 6 Seasons

Summary of 5 matches between these sides — filtered by competition and venue context.

New York RB NYR Home
5 matches
Chicago Fire CHI Away
Match Record
2
Wins
2
1
Draws
1
2
Losses
2
Goals
6
Goals Scored
5
5
Goals Conceded
6
+1
Goal Difference
-1
Expected Goals
0
xG
0
0
xGA
0

Data last updated: 2026-08-22T21:30:37+00:00

PLAYERS CURRENTLY PLAYING

Match Formation 4-3-3
Match Formation 4-3-3
Pitch
E. Horvath
United States
34 E. Horvath
D. Nealis
United States
12 D. Nealis
J. Che
United States
2 J. Che
J. Bazán Medina
Colombia
14 J. Bazán Medina
M. Dos Santos
Brazil
56 M. Dos Santos
R. Donkor
Mali
48 R. Donkor
A. Mehmeti
Albania
15 A. Mehmeti
E. Forsberg
Sweden
10 E. Forsberg
C. Cowell
United States
7 C. Cowell
M. Jiménez Murillo
91 M. Jiménez Murillo
J. Hall
United States
16 J. Hall

General Information

Date & Time
Competition
2026 Major League Soccer, United States · Regular Season
Stadium
Sports Illustrated Stadium
Capacity
25000
Pitch Surface
Grass
Weather
☀️ 12°C, Fair
Referees
Sergii Demianchuk

CONCLUSION

At this live stage, the run of play and underlying metrics suggest a in line path versus pre-match expectations. Projection alignment is neutral, while efficiency indicators are in line with. The remainder should be decided by execution in transitions and set plays.