WASHINGTON — Delivering an outstanding performance, Tom Barlow celebrated his first career hat trick, scoring twice in the first half and once in the second, as Chicago’s offensive lineup overpowered D.C. United with a commanding 7-1 triumph on Saturday night.
The Fire struck early when Maren Haile-Selassie netted his first goal within the opening eight minutes in his debut start for the season. This early advantage was doubled in the 24th minute when Jonathan Bamba, who joined the league this season, found the net for the third time.
Barlow showcased his prowess by marking his first goal of the season in the 30th minute, followed by a second just before the end of the first half at the 44th minute, leading the Fire to a dominant 4-0 at the break. He sealed his memorable hat trick in the 65th minute. Historically, Barlow had not surpassed four goals in any season before this match.
Both Haile-Selassie and Bamba contributed assists to Barlow’s barrage of goals. This was Haile-Selassie’s third assist of the year, following a career-high eight assists in 2024. Bamba recorded his seventh assist in his 16 career appearances, all of which have been starts.
Assists for Haile-Selassie’s goal came from Jonathan Dean and Rominigue Kouamé, with Philip Zinckernagel providing the assist on Bamba’s score. Kouamé’s assistance marked his first in his ten career games. Meanwhile, Dean’s assistance was his third this season, and Zinckernagel added his seventh assist in his inaugural league season.
In the second half, Zinckernagel continued to shine, scoring his seventh goal of the season in just 15 appearances in the 56th minute. Brian Gutiérrez, coming off the bench, added to the tally in injury time with a goal matching his career-high from last season, marking his sixth goal this season.
For D.C. United, Dominique Badji managed to score his first goal of the season in the 60th minute after entering the game in the second half.
Jeffrey Gal safeguarded Chicago’s net with two saves during the match, highlighting his second career start and third appearance. Down for DC United, Luis Barraza completed the game with four saves, following their recent away victory against FC Cincinnati.
Chicago Fire’s winning streak prominently showcases their prowess on the road, with six of their seven victories occurring from a total of ten away matches. They hold a 1-1-4 record at their home ground.
Looking ahead, the Fire will return to their home turf to face Nashville SC on Saturday, while D.C. United will be on the road to meet Real Salt Lake on the same day.