Charlotte FC vs Chicago Fire FC, MLS 2026 REGULAR SEASON
Overview
Match Preview
Charlotte FC vs Chicago Fire FC — MLS at Bank of America Stadium.
- Charlotte FC 29 games · 46 pts (2026/26)
- Chicago Fire FC 29 games · 48 pts (2026/26)
Match Details
- Referee Chris Penso
- Assistant 1 Justin Howard (USA)
8 games this season
🟨 3.6/game
⚽ 10.9 goals/game
🟥 1 total
Standings
| # | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nashville SC | 29 | 66 |
| 2 | Internacional CF Miami | 29 | 52 |
| 3 | New England Revolution | 29 | 49 |
| 4 | Chicago Fire FC | 29 | 48 |
| 5 | Charlotte FC | 29 | 46 |
| 6 | Philadelphia Union | 29 | 45 |
| 7 | Orlando City SC | 29 | 38 |
| 8 | FC Cincinnati | 28 | 36 |
| 9 | New York Red Bulls | 29 | 36 |
| 10 | New York City FC | 29 | 33 |
| 11 | Toronto FC | 29 | 33 |
| 12 | D.C. United SC | 28 | 33 |
| 13 | Columbus Crew SC | 29 | 32 |
| 14 | Atlanta United FC | 29 | 30 |
| 15 | Montreal Impact FC | 29 | 24 |
| 16 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 29 | 52 |
| 17 | St. Louis City | 29 | 51 |
| 18 | FC Dallas | 29 | 50 |
| 19 | San Jose Earthquakes | 29 | 47 |
| 20 | Houston Dynamo | 29 | 46 |
| 21 | Los Angeles FC | 30 | 45 |
| 22 | Seattle Sounders FC | 29 | 41 |
| 23 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 30 | 39 |
| 24 | Colorado Rapids SC | 29 | 38 |
| 25 | San Diego FC | 29 | 33 |
| 26 | Portland Timbers | 29 | 33 |
| 27 | Real Salt Lake | 29 | 33 |
| 28 | Minnesota United FC | 29 | 31 |
| 29 | Austin FC | 29 | 31 |
| 30 | Sporting Kansas City | 29 | 22 |
Head-to-Head
Recent Form
| Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Sep | Chicago Fire FC | H | 0–1 | L |
| 19 Sep | D.C. United SC | A | 2–1 | W |
| 12 Sep | FC Cincinnati | A | 3–3 | D |
| 09 Sep | Montreal Impact FC | A | 2–1 | W |
| 05 Sep | Houston Dynamo | H | 0–0 | D |
| 29 Aug | Atlanta United FC | A | 2–0 | W |
| Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Sep | Charlotte FC | A | 1–0 | W |
| 20 Sep | Nashville SC | A | 0–3 | L |
| 13 Sep | New England Revolution | H | 1–2 | L |
| 10 Sep | Internacional CF Miami | H | 1–1 | D |
| 05 Sep | Toronto FC | A | 4–4 | D |
| 29 Aug | Seattle Sounders FC | A | 2–2 | D |
Season Stats
| Charlotte FC | Chicago Fire FC | |
|---|---|---|
| #5 | Position | #4 |
| 46 | Points | 48 |
| 29 | Played | 29 |
| 13 / 7 / 9 | W / D / L | 14 / 6 / 9 |
| 51 | Scored | 52 |
| 43 | Conceded | 43 |
| +8 | GD | +9 |
| 1.59 | PPG | 1.66 |
| 45% | Win % | 48% |
Key Stats
70%
Both Teams to Score
H2H (10 games)
H2H (10 games)
70%
Over 2.5 Goals
H2H history
H2H history
24%
Clean Sheets
Charlotte FC this season
Charlotte FC this season
28%
Clean Sheets
Chicago Fire FC this season
Chicago Fire FC this season
Charlotte FC are 5th (46 pts). Chicago Fire FC are 4th (48 pts).
Goal Timing (This Season)
Charlotte FC
0-15
5/3
16-30
8/7
31-45
5/2
46-60
3/7
61-75
7/7
76+
7/5
■ Scored ■ Conceded
Chicago Fire FC
0-15
8/2
16-30
7/6
31-45
4/8
46-60
6/8
61-75
8/2
76+
5/9
■ Scored ■ Conceded
Top Scorers (This Season)
Charlotte FC
| Pep Biel | 12 G | 8 A |
| Idan Gorno | 9 G | 2 A |
Chicago Fire FC
| Maren Haile-Selassie | 11 G | 4 A |
| Hugo Cuypers | 11 G | |
| Philip Zinckernagel | 5 G | 4 A |
Events
Match Events
- 0' Temperatures are rising at Bank of America Stadium as Charlotte FC face off against Chicago Fire FC in what promises to be a fascinating contest.
- 5' Liel Abada is a natural and has been asked to do a very specific job for Chicago Fire FC tonight.
- 10' Chicago Fire FC has dominated the recent head-to-head record, winning 2 of the last 2 meetings.
- 15' The referee is likely to let players tackle, as he already missed some meaty challenges during opening seconds. He is still to establish what should not be done by the players and what is acceptable on the pitch. It’s going to be a tough game for Djibril Diani suffering a number of foals already.
- 20' named a 4-3-3 earlier, and opted for a 4-3-3 in response. A fascinating tactical duel is developing.
- 23' It’s a booking for Chicago Fire FC player. Sergio Oregel gets a card.
- 28' Neither side is committing men forward. This has all the hallmarks of a tense, tactical contest.
- 33' Players seem to put ease on their energy level Spectators hardly appreciate such approach. Teams need to speed up the tempo.
- 34' The referee has no hesitation. Djibril Diani is booked for Charlotte FC — card on 34.
- 39' It’s a booking for Charlotte FC player. Allan Saint-Maximin gets a card.
- 44' It is a cagey affair so far. Charlotte FC in their 4-3-3 trying to find a way past Chicago Fire FC's compact 4-3-3.
- 49' A tactical swap from Charlotte FC — Tyger Smalls on, Archie Goodwin off on 49 minutes.
- 54' Allan Saint-Maximin has been relatively quiet despite scoring 24 goals in his last 447 appearances.
- 58' GOAL! Johan Gomez fires home to make it 0-1!
- 63' Tim Ream has been disciplined this evening — perhaps mindful of those 0 cards already picked up this season.
- 68' It looks surprising Chicago Fire FC does not make any changes. Kristijan Kahlina has some obvious troubles when approaching to the goal.
- 70' David Schnegg gets the nod from Charlotte FC. He replaces Djibril Diani and will look to change the dynamic.
- 74' The referee shows Charlotte FC player a card on 74.
- 75' Chicago Fire FC ring the changes. Sergio Oregel has done his job and it is now time for Mauricio Pineda to step up.
- 80' The supporters are chanting for David Poreba. He replaces Jonathan Bamba on 80 minute.
- 81' A moment of madness from David Poreba on 81 minutes earns him a card. Chicago Fire FC will be frustrated.
- 82' Ashley Westwood has been a danger all night but risks an early exit having now seen a card on 82.
- 82' Charlotte FC manager makes another effort to make the tables turned. Nathan Byrne is hanging Will Cleary on the field on 82 minute.
- 87' The home supporters are growing impatient. Charlotte FC must find a spark to ignite this game.
- 90' Tim Ream picks up a card and will need to be extremely careful for the remainder of this match.
- Game over. The scoreline of 0-1 tells the full story of an entertaining encounter.
Lineups
Charlotte FC Lineups
4-3-3Starting XI
- 8
- 3
- 17
-
15
Harry Toffolo ↓ Nathan Richmond 81'
- 10
- 22
-
28
Djibril Diani ↓ David Schnegg 70'
-
7
Archie Goodwin ↓ Tyger Smalls 49'
- 1
- 16
-
35
Will Cleary ↓ Nathan Byrne 81'
Bench
-
14
Nathan Byrne ↑ 81'
- 21
-
13
Brandt Bronico ↑ 70'
-
23
David Schnegg ↑ 70'
- 4
-
25
Tyger Smalls ↑ 49'
- 20
- 44
-
71
Nathan Richmond ↑ 81'
Coach
Dean Smith
Chicago Fire FC Lineups
4-3-3Starting XI
-
19
Jonathan Bamba ↓ David Poreba 80'
- 3
- 7
- 44
- 11
-
35
Sergio Oregel ↓ Mauricio Pineda 75'
- 24
- 18
- 2
- 42
-
4
Mbekezeli Mbokazi ↓ Sam Rogers 80'
Bench
-
15
Andrew Gutman ↑ 75'
-
22
Mauricio Pineda ↑ 75'
- 25
-
5
Sam Rogers ↑ 80'
-
29
David Poreba ↑ 80'
- 28
Coach
Gregg Berhalter
H2H
H2H Top Scorers
| Player | Goals |
|---|---|
| Karol Swiderski | 7 |
| Kacper Przybylko | 3 |
| Brian Gutierrez | 3 |
| Robert Lewandowski | 2 |
| Philip Zinckernagel | 2 |
| Pep Biel | 2 |
| Ashley Westwood | 2 |
| Brandon Cambridge | 2 |
Head to Head
Charlotte FC Form
Chicago Fire FC Form
2026-09-26
Charlotte FC
0–1
Chicago Fire FC
W
2026-09-20
Nashville SC
3–0
Chicago Fire FC
L
2026-09-13
Chicago Fire FC
1–2
New England Revolution
L
2026-09-10
Chicago Fire FC
1–1
Internacional CF Miami
D
2026-09-05
Toronto FC
4–4
Chicago Fire FC
D
2026-08-29
Seattle Sounders FC
2–2
Chicago Fire FC
D
Predictions
Prediction accuracy
2 / 4
1.56
Charlotte FC xG
Expected Goals
Dixon-Coles · Bivariate Poisson · Neg. Binomial · Elo
1.64
Chicago Fire FC xG
I would bet for:
Charlotte FC or Chicago Fire FC 73% + Both teams to score 64%
Match Result
✓ CorrectActual: Chicago Fire FC win
Both Teams to Score
✗ Wrong
Avg goals/match: 3.2
Actual: No — clean sheet
Over / Under Goals
✗ O/U 2.5| Line | Over | Under | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ± 0.5 | 94% |
|
6% |
| ± 1.5 | 83% |
|
17% |
| ± 2.5 | 61% |
|
39% |
| ± 3.5 | 39% |
|
61% |
| ± 4.5 | 22% |
|
78% |
Double Chance
Charlotte FC or Draw
63%
Draw or Chicago Fire FC
64%
Charlotte FC or Chicago Fire FC
73%
Half-Time Result
✓ CorrectActual: Draw at HT
Correct Score
✓ In top 12
1 – 1
11.3%
1 – 2
8.2%
2 – 1
7.8%
2 – 2
6.4%
0 – 1
Actual
0 – 0
5.7%
1 – 0
5.6%
0 – 2
5.5%
2 – 0
5%
1 – 3
4.5%
3 – 1
4.1%
2 – 3
3.5%
Asian Handicap — Charlotte FC
| Handicap | Charlotte FC covers | Push | Chicago Fire FC covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| -2.5 | 7% | — | 93% |
| -2 | 7% | 11% | 82% |
| -1.5 | 18% | — | 82% |
| -1 | 18% | 18% | 64% |
| -0.5 | 36% | — | 64% |
| +0.5 | 61% | — | 39% |
| +1 | 61% | 19% | 20% |
| +1.5 | 80% | — | 20% |
| +2 | 80% | 12% | 8% |
| +2.5 | 92% | — | 8% |
Clean Sheet
Charlotte FC keeps clean sheet
20%
✓
Chicago Fire FC keeps clean sheet
22%
✗
Predictions are statistical estimates based on season form, H2H history, and a Poisson model. Not financial advice.

