CF Monterrey defeats Chicago Fire 2-1 to advance to Leagues Cup semi-finals
CF Monterrey advanced to the Leagues Cup semi-finals with a 2-1 victory over Chicago Fire in Bridgeview, ending the MLS club's three-match winning run in the competition.
Match action in Bridgeview
CF Monterrey secured a 2-1 victory over Chicago Fire at the stadium in Bridgeview near Chicago to reach the semi-finals of the Leagues Cup. The Mexican club broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time when Victor Guzman headed home from a free-kick cross. Chicago Fire responded in the 59th minute, with Philip Zinckernagel converting a low cross delivered by Andrew Gutman to level the score. The decisive goal arrived in the 83rd minute after an intercepted pass in Monterrey territory triggered a counter-attack, which Orbelin Pineda finished with a strike from the edge of the penalty box.
- Victor Guzman scores header from free-kick cross to give Monterrey 1-0 lead
- Philip Zinckernagel equalizes for Chicago Fire from an Andrew Gutman pass
- Orbelin Pineda scores winner from edge of penalty area on counter-attack
Tactical breakdown and Berhalter's reaction
Chicago Fire entered the knockout round as the only MLS club to complete the group phase with a perfect record of three wins. Head coach Gregg Berhalter expressed deep frustration after the final whistle, noting that his team struggled with ball delivery into the final third and hesitated when crossing into the penalty area. Berhalter stressed that defensive mistakes and poor execution prevented the team from challenging Monterrey effectively.
I think their way of defending always makes it difficult to play. But still, I think we will look back and regret our play in this match. We had too many players on the pitch who played below expectations. You cannot beat a team like Monterrey when that happens.
Lewandowski's performance and squad changes
Robert Lewandowski played the full 90 minutes for Chicago Fire but was unable to register a shot on target throughout the contest. The Polish striker recorded 33 touches on the ball, none of which occurred inside Monterrey's penalty box, and completed 65% of his passes while frequently drifting to the left wing. The entire Chicago squad completed three accurate crosses during the match. The encounter also featured Belgian striker Hugo Cuypers, who departed Chicago for Monterrey following Lewandowski's signing and entered the match with three tournament goals to his name.
- Total touches
- 33 count
- Touches in penalty box
- 0 count
- Shots on goal
- 0 count
Tournament context and next fixtures
The Leagues Cup, first held in 2019, featured 36 clubs divided equally with 18 teams from MLS and 18 from Liga MX. Each participant played three matches in a league stage, with the top four sides from each country qualifying for the quarter-finals. Chicago Fire had advanced after defeating Necaxa, Santos Laguna, and Cruz Azul in group play, but their elimination ends their international cup campaign. Following the final whistle, Cuypers reflected on facing his former teammates.
What we achieved today was very important. We knew we were facing a difficult evening, but we did our job and I am very happy. It was special for me when I saw that we would play against Chicago. I have great memories from here and many good friends, but I am glad that we won. I wish them all the best in the rest of the season.
Chicago Fire will resume domestic league play on Saturday, 29 August 2026, traveling to face the Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field in Washington state.
