Chicago Fire vs Inter Miami

After a 2-1 loss to the New York Red Bulls, the Fire slipped to seventh in the Eastern Conference, earning 11 points so far—three points behind Miami, who sit in second place following a 1-1 tie with Toronto.

Gregg Berhalter’s tenure as Chicago’s head coach has gotten off to a solid start, with the team currently occupying the last first-round playoff position in the East.

With the former U.S. national team coach at the helm, Chicago has embraced a bold, attack-minded style, though it leaves them vulnerable on counterattacks.

After seven games, the Fire rank third in the league for goals scored (14) but have also conceded the fourth-highest total (12).

At home, they’ve only lost once in their last five MLS matches but are still searching for their first win at Soldier Field this year, having settled for draws against DC United (2-2) and CF Montreal (1-1).

This season, Chicago have struggled to close out games, squandering seven points in three matches where they scored first, including their recent defeat in New Jersey.

Last year, the Fire couldn’t secure a victory against Florida teams in MLS, managing just a single point at home against Orlando City (1-1) in May 2024.

While Chicago have let opportunities slip, Inter Miami have shown resilience, a hallmark of their 2024 Supporters’ Shield-winning campaign, by earning points from losing positions.

Last week, they salvaged a draw after falling behind early and have now picked up four points in games where they conceded first, including a comeback to tie New York City FC 2-2 in their opening match despite trailing in the second half.

Javier Mascherano’s squad enters this matchup riding high after an emotional comeback in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, where they overturned a deficit to score three unanswered goals and defeat Los Angeles FC 3-1 on Wednesday, progressing to the semi-finals with a 3-2 aggregate win.

In the 2025 campaign, Inter Miami has maintained an impressive form in this competition, averaging 2.33 points per game—an improvement over last season’s record-setting 2.18 average. Despite this, they currently trail the Columbus Crew by one point for the top spot in the Eastern Conference and sit two points behind the Vancouver Whitecaps in the race for the Supporters’ Shield.

On the road, Miami has been dominant in regular-season action, claiming victory in their last four away fixtures. That includes this season’s wins against the Houston Dynamo (4-1) and Atlanta United (2-1).

They also enjoyed success against the Chicago Fire last year, winning both encounters—most notably a 4-1 victory at Soldier Field in September, marking their first-ever win in Chicago.