The Fire and Union traded early looks but neither could put away the opener. First it was Chicago attacking up Philly’s right and looking for CJ Sapong tucking into the center. Sapong barely missed a long ball across the face of goal before Philly responded with Marco Fabian breaking behind the defense but failing to latch onto Kacper Przybylko’s throughball. Przybylko then dispossessed Bastian Schweinsteiger deep in his own end but couldn’t connect a pass to produce the big opening the Union needed.
The match lapsed into a grounding central battle and in the 30th minute Kai Wagner spun in an early cross toward Przybylko that the big striker could not get onto.