The Chicago Fire mounted the first-half lead they were seeking and rode their advantage to a comfortable 4-0 win over USL side Louisville City FC Wednesday night at Toyota Park, advancing to the semifinals of the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in the process. Check out a few news, notes and milestones from the win:
Familiar Territory
First and foremost, the Fire clinched a return to the U.S. Open Cup's semifinal round after a year away in 2017, extending their Open Cup record for most all-time semifinal appearances with 13. The four-time champion Fire have now advanced to the semifinals in six of the last eight years, and will be seeking their seventh all-time appearance in the tournament final when they take on the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday, August 8.