Red Bull New York can breathe a sigh of relief as the club ends their five-game winless streak with a 3-1 win over Chicago Fire FC at Soldier Field on Saturday afternoon. The home team was expected to win the day as Gregg Berhalter’s men have seen early success with four wins in their last six games. Most notably, Cade Cowell scored his first goal for Red Bull, putting a stamp on a strong performance.
Chicago started the game strong, controlling possession and looking like the more likely club to score. They pushed the Red Bull defense to be accurate with their clearances and decisive in their choices playing out of the back. The Fire tried to play over the top of the defense, sending long balls into the box with dangerous accuracy.
As the first half neared an end, it was New York who struck first. A pass inside the box from captain Emil Forsberg found Jorge Ruvalcaba who dribbled to open up the defense and then bury an effort past the Chicago keeper. The momentum shifted from there as Red Bull started the second half with better pressure on the home team. That’s when Cowell showed his form as he received a through-ball from Ronald Donkor, opening up the Fire defense. From there Cowell beat the keeper to double the lead.
Rotation substitutes were also rewarding head coach Michael Bradley as striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting scored a penalty kick in the 81st minute to put the game out of reach. Hugo Cuypers gave the home team some life with a goal in the 87th minute but the damage was already done.
The win is New York’s first since April 4th and only their second road win of 2026. More importantly, the defense appeared far more structured, allowing the Red Bull offense to grow into the game. The three points have to be seen as an upset since Chicago stood as one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. Now New sees themselves back in the playoff picture as they travel back home on Wednesday to play Columbus Crew SC.
STARTING XI:
Red Bull New York: Horvath; Nealis, Parker, Voloder (80′ Che), Dos Santos (73′ Valencia), Donkor, Mehmeti, Forsberg (60′ Berggren), Cowell (73′ Mosquera), Hall (46′ Choupo-Moting), Ruvalcaba
Chicago Fire FC: Brady; Dean (80′ Shokalook), Waterman, Eilliott, Gutman, Saletros (80′ Oregel), D’Avilla (80′ Pineda), Haile-Selassie, Zinckernagel, Cuypers, Bamba (61′ Dithejane)
SCORING SUMMARY:
45′ (Red Bull New York) Jorge Ruvalcaba (4) assisted by Emil Forsberg & Adri Mehmeti
49′ (Red Bull New York) Cade Cowell (1) assisted by Ronald Donkor & Robert Voloder
81′ (Red Bull New York) Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (2) – PK
87′ (Chicago Fire FC) Hugo Cuypers (11) unassisted
DISCIPLINE:
18′ (Red Bull New York) Robert Voloder – YELLOW CARD
81′ (Red Bull New York) Jorge Ruvalcaba – YELLOW CARD
81′ (Chicago Fire FC) Marin Haile-Selassie – YELLOW CARD
90′ (Chicago Fire FC) Omar Valencia – YELLOW CARD
photo by Matt Kremkau