CHICAGO — In a thrilling encounter at Soldier Field, Jacob Murrell’s dramatic bicycle kick deep into stoppage time secured a 2-2 draw for D.C. United against the Chicago Fire on Saturday night. This last-minute goal overshadowed a noteworthy performance from Chicago’s Hugo Cuypers, who managed to net twice in the match.
The pulsating match saw its pivotal moment when Aaron Herrera swung in a corner kick which was initially cleared by the Fire’s defense. However, D.C. United persisted in their attack with Matti Peltola feeding the ball back to Herrera on the wing. Herrera cleverly lobbed in a cross towards Murrell, whose acrobatic effort astonishingly found its way past Chicago goalkeeper Chris Brady, slipping just beneath the crossbar.
D.C. United gained an early advantage just four minutes into the game. Christian Benteke, who emerged as the 2024 MLS Golden Boot winner with 23 goals, managed a smart finish off a neat assist from Gabriel Pirani, putting the visitors 1-0 up.
Chicago retaliated to level the score in the 30th minute. A well-delivered corner from Philip Zinckernagel reached Jack Elliott at the near post, who then flicked it across for Cuypers to smash in from close range. Cuypers wasn’t done yet; in the 71st minute, another corner from Zinckernagel saw Elliott once again flick a header, allowing Cuypers to precisely place a one-touch shot into the net, granting Chicago a 2-1 lead.
Providing defensive stability, D.C. United’s Kim Joon-Hong recorded two crucial saves during the encounter. On the other side, Chris Brady of Chicago pulled off four saves.
Throughout the match, D.C. United showcased commendable play, controlling 57% of possession and leading the shot count 19-11, with 6 efforts directly on target as opposed to Chicago’s 4.
