Chicago Fire FC vs Columbus Crew SC, MLS 2021 REGULAR SEASON
Overview
Match Preview
Chicago Fire FC vs Columbus Crew SC — MLS at Soldier Field.
- Chicago Fire FC 17 games · 29 pts (2026/26)
- Columbus Crew SC 18 games · 20 pts (2026/26)
Standings
| # | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nashville SC | 18 | 40 |
| 2 | Internacional CF Miami | 18 | 38 |
| 3 | New England Revolution | 18 | 30 |
| 4 | Chicago Fire FC | 17 | 29 |
| 5 | New York City FC | 18 | 26 |
| 6 | FC Cincinnati | 18 | 26 |
| 7 | Charlotte FC | 18 | 25 |
| 8 | New York Red Bulls | 18 | 25 |
| 9 | D.C. United SC | 18 | 23 |
| 10 | Columbus Crew SC | 18 | 20 |
| 11 | Orlando City SC | 18 | 20 |
| 12 | Toronto FC | 18 | 17 |
| 13 | Philadelphia Union | 18 | 16 |
| 14 | Montreal Impact FC | 18 | 16 |
| 15 | Atlanta United FC | 18 | 12 |
| 16 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 17 | 34 |
| 17 | Los Angeles FC | 19 | 34 |
| 18 | San Jose Earthquakes | 18 | 33 |
| 19 | Houston Dynamo | 18 | 32 |
| 20 | FC Dallas | 18 | 27 |
| 21 | Real Salt Lake | 17 | 27 |
| 22 | St. Louis City | 18 | 26 |
| 23 | Portland Timbers | 18 | 24 |
| 24 | Seattle Sounders FC | 17 | 24 |
| 25 | Minnesota United FC | 18 | 24 |
| 26 | Colorado Rapids SC | 18 | 22 |
| 27 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 19 | 22 |
| 28 | San Diego FC | 18 | 21 |
| 29 | Austin FC | 18 | 17 |
| 30 | Sporting Kansas City | 18 | 14 |
Head-to-Head
Recent Form
| Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Aug | Columbus Crew SC | H | 1–0 | W |
| 08 Aug | New York Red Bulls | H | 2–1 | W |
| 05 Aug | New York City FC | H | 0–0 | D |
| 01 Aug | Philadelphia Union | A | 1–1 | D |
| 25 Jul | Toronto FC | H | 1–2 | L |
| 22 Jul | D.C. United SC | H | 2–2 | D |
| Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Aug | Chicago Fire FC | A | 0–1 | L |
| 07 Aug | Atlanta United FC | H | 2–3 | L |
| 04 Aug | D.C. United SC | H | 2–4 | L |
| 30 Jul | New York City FC | A | 1–4 | L |
| 24 Jul | Atlanta United FC | A | 1–0 | W |
| 21 Jul | Nashville SC | H | 0–0 | D |
Season Stats
| Chicago Fire FC | Columbus Crew SC | |
|---|---|---|
| #4 | Position | #10 |
| 29 | Points | 20 |
| 17 | Played | 18 |
| 9 / 2 / 6 | W / D / L | 5 / 5 / 8 |
| 32 | Scored | 26 |
| 23 | Conceded | 28 |
| +9 | GD | -2 |
| 1.71 | PPG | 1.11 |
| 53% | Win % | 28% |
Key Stats
47%
Both Teams to Score
H2H (19 games)
H2H (19 games)
53%
Over 2.5 Goals
H2H history
H2H history
41%
Clean Sheets
Chicago Fire FC this season
Chicago Fire FC this season
21%
Clean Sheets
Columbus Crew SC this season
Columbus Crew SC this season
Chicago Fire FC are 4th (29 pts). Columbus Crew SC are 10th (20 pts).
Goal Timing (This Season)
Chicago Fire FC
0-15
3/1
16-30
7/4
31-45
1/5
46-60
2/2
61-75
6/–
76+
2/4
■ Scored ■ Conceded
Columbus Crew SC
0-15
2/6
16-30
2/2
31-45
6/2
46-60
3/2
61-75
1/4
76+
2/2
■ Scored ■ Conceded
Top Scorers (This Season)
Chicago Fire FC
| Hugo Cuypers | 11 G | |
| Philip Zinckernagel | 5 G | 4 A |
Columbus Crew SC
| Diego Rossi | 6 G | 1 A |
| Wessam Abou Ali | 5 G | 1 A |
Events
Match Events
- 0' The match kicks off with home fans waiting with anticipation for Chicago Fire FC to score. At the same time, Columbus Crew SC does not seem to pull back! Let’s get it on!
- 5' Nnamdi Chinonso Offor has certainly something to prove this evening. He made 17 appearances with only 0 goals this season.
- 10' A moment of individual brilliance could settle this. Both teams are waiting for that decisive action.
- 15' The travelling Columbus Crew SC supporters hardly appreciate their team being pressed down to the backline.
- 20' We are waiting for someone to take the initiative. Who will be the first to commit to attack?
- 25' Columbus Crew SC looks like a favorite considering 0 games won in last 1 matches with its main striker scoring 0 goals.
- 27' That looks like a foul for a Yellow card for Derrick Etienne.
- 32' A quiet spell here at Soldier Field. Chicago Fire FC seem content sitting deep and soaking up pressure.
- 37' Elliot Collier has been one of the livelier players on the pitch with 0 goals to his name this season.
- 42' Chicago Fire FC currently sit in the Array table. A result here could be decisive in the race for the top positions.
- 47' The 32-year-old Luka Stojanovic has been sensational this season — 0 goals and 0 assists is a remarkable return.
- 52' Spectators are craving for more action. Both teams play very cautiously. They need to put some more energy.
- 57' Pedro Santos has been relatively quiet despite scoring 30 goals in his last 287 appearances.
- 58' Robert Beric has so much to prove this time. He replaces Nnamdi Chinonso Offor on 58 minute.
- 59' Another change for Chicago Fire FC made on 59 minute. Elliot Collier leaves to be changed by Brian Gutierrez.
- 64' A tactical chess match is unfolding here. The question is which manager blinks first.
- 69' The Columbus Crew SC bench stirs into life. Derrick Etienne is withdrawn and Kevin Molino gets his opportunity.
- 74' It looks surprising Chicago Fire FC does not make any changes. Francisco Calvo has some obvious troubles when approaching to the goal.
- 77' GOAL! Luka Stojanovic fires home to make it 1-0!
- 78' Luka Stojanovic does the damage! The net is bulging and Chicago Fire FC surge ahead!
- 79' Chicago Fire FC ring the changes. Jonathan Bornstein has done his job and it is now time for Jhon Espinoza to step up.
- 83' A tactical swap from Chicago Fire FC — Wyatt Omsberg on, Carlos Teran off on 83 minutes.
- 84' Another change for Chicago Fire FC made on 84 minute. Luka Stojanovic leaves to be changed by Stanislav Ivanov.
- 88' Time for substitution for Columbus Crew SC. Liam Fraser is replaced by Bradley Wright-Phillips.
- Another three points for Chicago Fire FC.
Lineups
Chicago Fire FC Lineups
Starting XI
- 21
- 5
- 1
- 2
- 28
- 8
- 3
- 22
-
23
Carlos Teran ↓ Wyatt Omsberg 79'
- 30
- 9
Bench
-
27
Robert Beric ↑ 58'
- 4
-
20
Wyatt Omsberg ↑ 79'
-
99
Stanislav Ivanov ↑ 84'
-
14
Jhon Espinoza ↑ 79'
- 32
-
40
Brian Gutierrez ↑ 59'
- 38
- 34
Coach
Raphaël Wicky
Columbus Crew SC Lineups
Starting XI
- 1
-
22
Derrick Etienne ↓ Kevin Molino 69'
- 18
- 14
- 4
- 11
- 7
- 6
- 30
- 10
- 26
Bench
-
20
Alexandru Matan ↑ 84'
-
99
Bradley Wright-Phillips ↑ 88'
- 24
- 25
-
9
Kevin Molino ↑ 69'
- 33
- 5
- 27
- 16
Coach
Caleb Porter
H2H
H2H Top Scorers
| Player | Goals |
|---|---|
| Gyasi Zardes | 8 |
| Cucho Hernandez | 3 |
| Derrick Etienne | 3 |
| Jacen Russell-Rowe | 3 |
| Diego Rossi | 3 |
| Miguel Berry | 2 |
| Carlos Teran | 2 |
| Brian Gutierrez | 2 |
Head to Head
Chicago Fire FC Form
Columbus Crew SC Form
2021-08-15
Chicago Fire FC
1–0
Columbus Crew SC
L
2021-08-07
Columbus Crew SC
2–3
Atlanta United FC
L
2021-08-04
Columbus Crew SC
2–4
D.C. United SC
L
2021-07-30
New York City FC
4–1
Columbus Crew SC
L
2021-07-24
Atlanta United FC
0–1
Columbus Crew SC
W
2021-07-21
Columbus Crew SC
0–0
Nashville SC
D
Predictions
Prediction accuracy
2 / 4
1.65
Chicago Fire FC xG
Expected Goals
Dixon-Coles · Bivariate Poisson · Neg. Binomial · Elo
1.12
Columbus Crew SC xG
I would bet for:
Markets are evenly balanced — no clear value pick.
Match Result
✓ CorrectActual: Chicago Fire FC win
Both Teams to Score
✗ Wrong
Avg goals/match: 2.77
Actual: No — clean sheet
Over / Under Goals
✗ O/U 2.5| Line | Over | Under | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ± 0.5 | 92% |
|
8% |
| ± 1.5 | 76% |
|
24% |
| ± 2.5 | 52% |
|
48% |
| ± 3.5 | 30% |
|
70% |
| ± 4.5 | 15% |
|
85% |
Double Chance
Chicago Fire FC or Draw
76%
Draw or Columbus Crew SC
50%
Chicago Fire FC or Columbus Crew SC
74%
Half-Time Result
✓ CorrectActual: Draw at HT
Correct Score
✓ In top 12
1 – 1
12.5%
1 – 0
Actual
2 – 1
9.2%
2 – 0
8.4%
0 – 0
8.1%
1 – 2
6.2%
0 – 1
6%
2 – 2
5.2%
3 – 1
5.1%
3 – 0
4.5%
0 – 2
3.8%
3 – 2
2.9%
Asian Handicap — Chicago Fire FC
| Handicap | Chicago Fire FC covers | Push | Columbus Crew SC covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| -2.5 | 11% | — | 89% |
| -2 | 11% | 15% | 74% |
| -1.5 | 26% | — | 74% |
| -1 | 26% | 22% | 52% |
| -0.5 | 48% | — | 52% |
| +0.5 | 76% | — | 24% |
| +1 | 76% | 15% | 10% |
| +1.5 | 90% | — | 10% |
| +2 | 90% | 7% | 3% |
| +2.5 | 97% | — | 3% |
Clean Sheet
Chicago Fire FC keeps clean sheet
33%
✗
Columbus Crew SC keeps clean sheet
20%
✓
Predictions are statistical estimates based on season form, H2H history, and a Poisson model. Not financial advice.