Columbus Crew SC vs Chicago Fire FC, MLS 2026 REGULAR SEASON
Overview
Match Preview
Columbus Crew SC vs Chicago Fire FC — MLS at MAPFRE Stadium.
- Columbus Crew SC 18 games · 20 pts (2026/26)
- Chicago Fire FC 17 games · 29 pts (2026/26)
Match Details
- Referee Sorin Stoica
- Referee Guido Gonzalez
- Referee Cory Richardson
- Referee
- Referee
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Aug | Chicago Fire FC | H | 3–0 | W |
| 29 Jul | Minnesota United FC | H | 1–1 | D |
| 22 Jul | Atlanta United FC | A | 1–0 | W |
| 17 Jul | New York Red Bulls | H | 2–0 | W |
| 12 Jul | FC Cincinnati | A | 4–0 | W |
| 08 Mar | Seattle Sounders FC | A | 1–1 | D |
| Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Aug | Columbus Crew SC | A | 0–3 | L |
| 23 Jul | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | H | 0–2 | L |
| 20 Jul | San Jose Earthquakes | H | 0–2 | L |
| 14 Jul | Seattle Sounders FC | H | 2–1 | W |
| 07 Mar | New England Revolution | A | 1–1 | D |
| 01 Mar | Seattle Sounders FC | A | 1–2 | L |
Season Stats
| Columbus Crew SC | Chicago Fire FC | |
|---|---|---|
| #10 | Position | #4 |
| 20 | Points | 29 |
| 18 | Played | 17 |
| 5 / 5 / 8 | W / D / L | 9 / 2 / 6 |
| 26 | Scored | 32 |
| 28 | Conceded | 23 |
| -2 | GD | +9 |
| 1.11 | PPG | 1.71 |
| 28% | Win % | 53% |
Key Stats
47%
Both Teams to Score
H2H (19 games)
H2H (19 games)
53%
Over 2.5 Goals
H2H history
H2H history
21%
Clean Sheets
Columbus Crew SC this season
Columbus Crew SC this season
41%
Clean Sheets
Chicago Fire FC this season
Chicago Fire FC this season
Columbus Crew SC are 10th (20 pts). Chicago Fire FC are 4th (29 pts).
Goal Timing (This Season)
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
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
Top Scorers (This Season)
Columbus Crew SC
| Diego Rossi | 6 G | 1 A |
| Wessam Abou Ali | 5 G | 1 A |
Chicago Fire FC
| Hugo Cuypers | 11 G | |
| Philip Zinckernagel | 5 G | 4 A |
Events
Match Events
- 0' Packed stands, loud atmosphere — Columbus Crew SC and Chicago Fire FC get this one started.
- 5' Columbus Crew SC are keeping things exceptionally tight at the back. It will take something special to break them down.
- 10' A tactical chess match is unfolding here. The question is which manager blinks first.
- 15' Spectators do not have much to choose from both teams. The sides had several scoring chances but they still need a bit more than just a sight of a goal.
- 20' Derrick Etienne is having a superb {COMPETITION} campaign — that is 1 goals this season for the .
- 25' Not even hints on scoring a goal over the last 25 minutes.
- 29' A meaty challenge results in booking for Mauricio Pineda on 29.
- 34' Columbus Crew SC are deployed in a today, looking to exploit space against Chicago Fire FC's shape.
- 39' Columbus Crew SC are enjoying more possession but struggling to find a way through a disciplined Chicago Fire FC backline.
- 44' Alvaro Medran has certainly something to prove this evening. He made 0 appearances with only 0 goals this season.
- 48' Chicago Fire FC player sees a Yellow card in front of him.
- 53' Columbus Crew SC are happy to let the opposition have the ball in their own half. The trap is set.
- 58' A moment of individual brilliance could settle this. Both teams are waiting for that decisive action.
- 61' Chicago Fire FC manager makes another effort to make the tables turned. Elliot Collier is hanging Djordje Mihailovic on the field on 61 minute.
- 66' It is a substitution in Columbus Crew SC team. Luis Diaz is replaced by Sebastian Berhalter on 66 minute.
- 68' Milton Valenzuela was booked on 68.
- 73' Gaston Gimenez, a Paraguay , has 0 bookings this season and will need to keep his discipline tonight.
- 74' Ema Boateng is replacing Derrick Etienne for the Columbus Crew SC side.
- 79' Darlington Nagbe has been disciplined this evening — perhaps mindful of those 18 cards already picked up this season.
- 81' Magnificent from Darlington Nagbe! That is 12 goals in 287 appearances — and it could not have come at a better time.
- 82' Chicago Fire FC manager makes another effort to make the tables turned. Brian Gutierrez is hanging Mauricio Pineda on the field on 82 minute.
- 87' The referee has had an easy afternoon — neither side has been overly physical in the tackle.
- 88' What a moment for Gyasi Zardes! That strike on 88 puts his side firmly in control.
- 89' A change in the Chicago Fire FC ranks — Alvaro Medran exits the field as Brandt Bronico enters on 89.
- 90' Gyasi Zardes makes way for Fanendo Adi at the 90 minute mark. A tactical switch from Columbus Crew SC.
- The referee blows the final whistle. Sensational lose for Chicago Fire FC.
Lineups
Columbus Crew SC Lineups
Starting XI
- 13
-
22
Derrick Etienne ↓ Ema Boateng 74'
- 19
- 4
- 25
-
11
Gyasi Zardes ↓ Fanendo Adi 90'
- 7
- 8
- 3
- 6
-
12
Luis Diaz ↓ Sebastian Berhalter 66'
Bench
-
20
Ema Boateng ↑ 74'
-
2
Christopher Cadden ↑ 90'
- 14
- 16
- 28
- 26
-
9
Fanendo Adi ↑ 90'
- 30
-
18
Sebastian Berhalter ↑ 66'
Coach
Caleb Porter
Chicago Fire FC Lineups
Starting XI
- 27
-
10
Alvaro Medran ↓ Brandt Bronico 89'
- 11
- 5
- 14
- 1
- 7
- 30
- 2
- 6
- 22
Bench
- 24
- 21
-
13
Brandt Bronico ↑ 89'
- 16
- 20
-
28
Elliot Collier ↑ 61'
- 36
- 3
-
40
Brian Gutierrez ↑ 82'
Coach
Raphaël Wicky
H2H
H2H Top Scorers
| Player | Goals |
|---|---|
| Gyasi Zardes | 8 |
| Diego Rossi | 3 |
| Cucho Hernandez | 3 |
| Derrick Etienne | 3 |
| Jacen Russell-Rowe | 3 |
| Gyasi Zardes | 2 |
| Luka Stojanovic | 2 |
| Lucas Zelarayan | 2 |
Head to Head
Columbus Crew SC Form
2020-08-20
Columbus Crew SC
3–0
Chicago Fire FC
W
2020-07-29
Columbus Crew SC
1–1
Minnesota United FC
D
2020-07-22
Atlanta United FC
0–1
Columbus Crew SC
W
2020-07-17
Columbus Crew SC
2–0
New York Red Bulls
W
2020-07-12
FC Cincinnati
0–4
Columbus Crew SC
W
2020-03-08
Seattle Sounders FC
1–1
Columbus Crew SC
D
Chicago Fire FC Form
2020-08-20
Columbus Crew SC
3–0
Chicago Fire FC
L
2020-07-23
Chicago Fire FC
0–2
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
L
2020-07-20
Chicago Fire FC
0–2
San Jose Earthquakes
L
2020-07-14
Chicago Fire FC
2–1
Seattle Sounders FC
W
2020-03-07
New England Revolution
1–1
Chicago Fire FC
D
2020-03-01
Seattle Sounders FC
2–1
Chicago Fire FC
L
Predictions
Prediction accuracy
2 / 4
1.78
Columbus Crew SC xG
Expected Goals
Dixon-Coles · Bivariate Poisson · Neg. Binomial · Elo
1.17
Chicago Fire FC xG
I would bet for:
Both teams to score 58% + Over 2.5 goals 56%
Match Result
✓ CorrectActual: Columbus Crew SC win
Both Teams to Score
✗ Wrong
Avg goals/match: 2.95
Actual: No — clean sheet
Over / Under Goals
✓ O/U 2.5| Line | Over | Under | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ± 0.5 | 93% |
|
7% |
| ± 1.5 | 79% |
|
21% |
| ± 2.5 | 56% |
|
44% |
| ± 3.5 | 34% |
|
66% |
| ± 4.5 | 18% |
|
82% |
Double Chance
Columbus Crew SC or Draw
79%
Draw or Chicago Fire FC
45%
Columbus Crew SC or Chicago Fire FC
76%
Half-Time Result
✗ WrongActual: Columbus Crew SC win at HT
Correct Score
✓ In top 12
1 – 1
11.8%
2 – 1
9.3%
1 – 0
8.5%
2 – 0
8.2%
0 – 0
7%
1 – 2
6.1%
3 – 1
5.6%
2 – 2
5.5%
0 – 1
5.3%
3 – 0
Actual
0 – 2
3.5%
3 – 2
3.3%
Asian Handicap — Columbus Crew SC
| Handicap | Columbus Crew SC covers | Push | Chicago Fire FC covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| -2.5 | 13% | — | 87% |
| -2 | 13% | 16% | 72% |
| -1.5 | 28% | — | 72% |
| -1 | 28% | 22% | 50% |
| -0.5 | 50% | — | 50% |
| +0.5 | 76% | — | 24% |
| +1 | 76% | 14% | 10% |
| +1.5 | 90% | — | 10% |
| +2 | 90% | 7% | 3% |
| +2.5 | 97% | — | 3% |
Clean Sheet
Columbus Crew SC keeps clean sheet
32%
✗
Chicago Fire FC keeps clean sheet
18%
✓
Predictions are statistical estimates based on season form, H2H history, and a Poisson model. Not financial advice.