CHICAGO — In a thrilling match at Soldier Field, the Chicago Fire netted their first home win of the season with a 2-1 victory over Atlanta United on Saturday. Hugo Cuypers put the Fire on the scoreboard with an early penalty kick in the 14th minute, following a foul by Atlanta’s Alexey Miranchuk. The game saw its pivotal moment late in the second half when Rominigue Kouamé scored the decisive goal in the 86th minute, just five minutes after substituting for Sergio Oregel. This marked Kouamé’s second career goal in his six appearances.
The Fire had struggled at home with a 0-4-1 record in their first five matches, but managed to turn their fortunes around against their resilient opponents. Despite not scoring themselves, Atlanta United managed to level the score at 1-1 due to a Chicago own goal by defender Sam Rogers in the 80th minute.
Jeff Gal, making his first start for the Fire, recorded two significant saves, having stepped up since Chris Brady’s suspension in a previous match against Orlando City. On the opposing side, Brad Guzan of Atlanta United was kept busy, blocking six shots throughout the match. Guzan had a particularly active first half with two key saves, complementing Gal’s own efforts to maintain the Fire’s defensive stance.
Historically, Atlanta United has had the edge over Chicago with an 8-5-3 lead in the all-time series; however, success at Soldier Field has eluded them. The team currently holds a minus-9 goal differential and is still searching for its first road win of the season.
Adding to the night’s excitement, Maren Haile-Selassie entered the game alongside Omari Glasgow in the 81st minute. Though Haile-Selassie had been the only active Chicago player to find the net against Atlanta in previous encounters, he enhanced his contribution with a crucial assist for the winning goal, marking his second this season. Meanwhile, Omari Glasgow celebrated his first assist in his 13th career appearance.
Next on the schedule for Atlanta United is a home encounter with the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Chicago Fire will aim to build on their newfound momentum as they head to Charlotte FC for an away match on Saturday.