Preview: Chicago Fire vs New York Red Bulls - prediction, team news, lineups

An MLS encounter with huge playoff implications will take place on Saturday at Soldier Field as the Chicago Fire play host to the New York Red Bulls.

A 2-0 win at CF Montreal moved the Fire to within a point of the Red Bulls for that final post-season berth in the Eastern Conference after the latter were smashed 5-1 by Inter Miami.

Match preview

With 11 matches remaining in the regular season, Chicago have gotten themselves back into the post-season conversation, as they aim to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

They enter this match with two wins from their previous three domestic affairs, with those four points occurring outside Soldier Field.

Their home form needs to improve if they are to earn a post-season berth, with Gregg Berhalter’s side losing three of their previous four MLS affairs in the Windy City.

Seven of their final 11 matches of the regular season will occur on their home field, and this team have won the joint second-fewest games in the league this year at home (two).

Throughout the 2025 campaign, they have been particularly potent in the attacking third, with the second-most goals in the Eastern Conference (44), though they have netted a goal or fewer in three of their previous four matches at Soldier Field in this competition.

They have come away with at least a point in five of their previous six meetings with the Red Bulls, including a 2-1 triumph the last time they hosted them in 2024.

Another shaky defensive outing last Saturday has the reigning Eastern Conference champions on the verge of ending a lengthy post-season run.

The Red Bulls have the longest MLS post-season run, having made it to that stage in every campaign since 2010, but with 10 games left, they are cutting it close.

One win for Sandro Schwarz’s side, though, could change everything as only two points currently separate them from Charlotte FC in seventh and an automatic place in the opening round of the playoffs.

New York have suffered seven away defeats in the competition this year, while winning the second-fewest road games in the Eastern Conference so far in 2025 (one).

In four of their previous six MLS affairs, the Red Bulls have scored the opening goal, though they have not won any of those encounters, while their last triumph since June occurred when they gave up the opener at home to the New England Revolution (5-3).

On Saturday, the New York Red Bulls have a chance to win consecutive games against the Fire in the same season for the first time since 2015.

Chicago Fire MLS form:

L W L L D W

Chicago Fire form (all competitions):

W L L L D W

New York Red Bulls MLS form:

D D D L W L

Team News

Lower-body injuries kept Carlos Teran, David Poreba, and Christopher Cupps out of the Chicago lineup for their match against Le CFM last week.

Hugo Cuypers and Jack Elliott found the back of the net in Montreal, while Chris Brady stopped the four shots he faced for a clean sheet.

As for the Red Bulls, Serge Ngoma and Lewis Morgan sat out of their previous clash with thigh strains, while Cameron Harper was sidelined with a knee injury.

Alexander Hack netted his first MLS goal last Saturday, only for New York to concede five unanswered goals the rest of the way, firing just two efforts on target in 90 minutes.

Chicago Fire possible starting lineup:

Brady; Barroso, Rogers, Elliott, Gutman; Kouame, Pineda; Haile-Selassie, Gutierrez, Bamba; Cuypers

New York Red Bulls possible starting lineup:

Coronel; Eile, S. Nealis, Hack; Sofo, Stroud, Edelman, Edwards; Forsberg; Choupo-Moting, Hall

We say: Chicago Fire 1-2 New York Red Bulls

While the Red Bulls have been far from exceptional of late, they always seem to rise to the occasion in the latter stages of the regular season, and we expect them to put forth a nice bounce-back effort against a side not used to playing so many meaningful games at this stage of the campaign.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.