The Chicago Fire spoiled FC Cincinnati’s playoff party with a chaotic 3-2 win in front of a record crowd at TQL Stadium, and a pair starlets born in 2003 – Jhon Durán and Brian Gutiérrez – led the charge.
The Fire entered the match with nothing to play for, having been already eliminated from the playoffs two weeks prior with a loss to Charlotte FC. Despite the low-stakes environment, head coach Ezra Hendrickson opted to roll out what he perceived as the best lineup to win the game. There were only a few wrinkles in that; Stanislav Ivanov made a surprising start to the eleven, coming in on the wing as Xherdan Shaqiri was not a part of the squad.