Major League Soccer · 26 September 2026
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Chicago Fire claimed a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Charlotte in their Major League Soccer encounter on 26 September 2026. A second-half strike from Luca De La Torre proved decisive as Gregg Berhalter's side took all three points, narrowing Charlotte's lead in their last nine meetings to five wins to four.
The first half was a tense and closely contested affair overseen by referee Christopher Penso. Operating in a 4-3-3 setup, Chicago dominated possession but found chances hard to convert. Charlotte, set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation under Dean Smith, absorbed pressure while picking up cautions for Djibril Diani and Allan Saint-Maximin, alongside a yellow card for Chicago's Sergio Oregel.
The breakthrough arrived in the 58th minute when De La Torre struck to put Chicago ahead. Charlotte attempted to respond swiftly, but their momentum was halted shortly after following a VAR review involving Tyger Smalls that kept the visitors in the lead.
Discipline remained an issue for the home side as the match entered its closing stages. Charlotte saw Pep Biel, Ashley Westwood, and Tim Ream booked, while David Poreba received a caution for Chicago. Multiple substitutions from both managers failed to alter the scoreline as Chicago expertly managed the final minutes.
Chicago Fire finished the contest with 60% possession and registered eight shots on goal from 18 total attempts. Charlotte created 11 shots in response but only managed to hit the target twice, leaving them unable to avoid a narrow home defeat.
Charlotte take on Chicago Fire in the Major League Soccer on Saturday, 26 September 2026. Below is our data-driven preview for this fixture, based on head-to-head history, recent form and league position.
Going into the game, Charlotte sit 5th in the Major League Soccer on 54 points from 34 games, while Chicago Fire are 4th on 55 points.
Final result: Charlotte 0–1 Chicago Fire. Chicago Fire won the match.
Charlotte come into this fixture having won 2, drawn 2 and lost 1 of their last 5 games (DLWWD), scoring in every game.
Chicago Fire come into this fixture having won 2, drawn 1 and lost 2 of their last 5 games (LWDWL), scoring in 4 of them.
In their last 10 meetings, Charlotte have won 5, drawn 0 and lost 4 against Chicago Fire. These fixtures have averaged 3.6 goals per game, with both teams scoring in 70% of them.
Defensively, Charlotte kept 2 clean sheets and Chicago Fire kept 0 across those meetings, giving a useful guide to how tight this matchup tends to be.
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Comp. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Sept 2026 | Charlotte | – | Chicago Fire | Major League Soccer |
| 02 Aug 2026 | Chicago Fire | 2–1 | Charlotte | Major League Soccer |
| 29 Jun 2025 | Chicago Fire | 3–2 | Charlotte | Major League Soccer |
| 17 May 2025 | Charlotte | 1–4 | Chicago Fire | Major League Soccer |
| 02 Oct 2024 | Charlotte | 4–3 | Chicago Fire | Major League Soccer |
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Charlotte | 34 | 15 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 54 |
| 4 | Chicago Fire | 34 | 16 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 55 |
