Chicago Fire draw 4-4 with Toronto FC as Josh Sargent scores hat-trick and Robert Lewandowski nets sixth goal

First-half lead changes in Toronto

Chicago Fire played to a 4-4 draw against Toronto FC in round 24 of MLS on Saturday night, in a match featuring multiple shifts in momentum. For Polish forward Robert Lewandowski, the fixture marked his first official appearance on Canadian soil. Chicago created the opening opportunity in the seventh minute when Lewandowski collected a loose ball at the edge of the penalty area, shifted to his right foot, and saw his deflected strike saved by Toronto goalkeeper Luka Gavran.

Chicago took the lead in the 13th minute following a corner kick that was cleared outside the penalty box. Swiss midfielder Maren Haile-Selassie struck a shot from distance that deflected off a defender and left Gavran with no chance to react. Toronto threatened an immediate response, but Chicago goalkeeper Chris Brady produced a close-range stop to deny a header from 26-year-old American forward Josh Sargent.

Sargent turnaround and defensive pressure

Toronto leveled the match in the 27th minute through Sargent, who received a lofted pass from Djordje Mihailovic, controlled the ball on his chest past defender Jack Elliott, and finished past Brady. Lewandowski nearly restored Chicago's advantage in the 33rd minute after initiating a move with a backheel pass, but his shot from inside the penalty area struck the post and went wide.

The missed opportunity proved costly before the interval. Lewandowski and Dje D'Avilla failed to clear the ball from inside the Chicago penalty area, allowing Sargent to pounce on the loose possession and score his second goal of the night. Shortly before halftime, Chicago defender Sam Rogers committed a foul on Sargent and avoided a second yellow card from referee Tori Penso. Chicago head coach Gregg Berhalter replaced Rogers at the break to prevent a potential dismissal.

Second-half scoring surge

Chicago equalized shortly after the restart when a cross from Philip Zinckernagel was turned into the Toronto net by defender Walker Zimmerman, who attempted to intercept the ball ahead of Lewandowski. Toronto regained the lead five minutes later when Mihailovic found Sargent once more, allowing the forward to complete a hat-trick with a precise shot into the far corner from outside the box.

Chicago responded by scoring twice within a five-minute span. Zinckernagel delivered a high cross into the area, leading to a collision between Gavran and Lewandowski that enabled Haile-Selassie to roll the ball into an empty net for his second goal. In the 63rd minute, Zinckernagel played a low pass into the penalty box, Haile-Selassie stepped over the ball, and Lewandowski converted from five meters. The goal was Lewandowski's sixth for Chicago Fire across all competitions and his fifth in MLS.

Stoppage-time equalizer and winless run

Toronto secured a point in the 92nd minute when substitute Derrick Etienne Jr. scored in stoppage time to make it 4-4. The draw continued Chicago Fire's winless streak, which now stands at four matches across all competitions.

Chicago had previously assembled a six-match winning streak, the club's longest run in 26 years, which concluded with a 2-1 victory over Orlando City on 20 August. Since that match, Berhalter's side recorded a 1-1 draw against New York Red Bulls, suffered a 1-2 quarter-final elimination against CF Monterrey in the Leagues Cup, and drew 2-2 with Seattle Sounders prior to the eight-goal encounter in Toronto.