Chicago Fire FC returns to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Wednesday night, when it faces USL Championship side Detroit City FC in the competition’s Round of 32. Chicago will then return to Major League Soccer regular season play on Saturday afternoon, when it faces Eastern Conference foe Atlanta United FC on Matchday 12.
Chicago will hope to continue its defensive form after a 0-0 draw on Saturday night against one of the best attacking teams in the league in Orlando City SC. Defender Christopher Cupps made Club history, becoming the youngest player to ever start a regular season match for the Fire at 16 years and 342 days of age. Goalkeeper Jeff Gal also made his MLS debut on Saturday, coming into the match in place of a sent off Chris Brady in the 40th minute. Both players helped the Fire earn their second clean sheet of the year. Orlando goalkeeper Pedro Gallese also tallied his fifth consecutive clean sheet, thus making it a 0-0 draw despite a combined 39 shots between both sides.
The Fire will face Detroit City FC for the first time in an official match after the Michigan side defeated USL League One’s Westchester FC 3-1 on April 16 in the third round of the Open Cup. In its ninth appearance all-time in the iconic competition, Detroit City will hope to reach the Round of 16 for only the second time after doing so in last year’s edition. Le Rouge are led by forward Darren Smith, who scored his league-leading seventh goal of the season in their last match, a 2-2 draw against Indy Eleven, on Saturday night.
Meanwhile, Atlanta comes north to the Windy City after breaking a lengthy goalless streak in a 1-1 home draw against Nashville SC on Saturday. Club legend Miguel Almiron surpassed Thiago Almada as second on Atlanta’s all-time goals list with his 24th goal, which came thanks to Brooks Lennon’s club-leading 40th assist for the 5-Stripes. They enjoy an 8-4-3 mark all-time against the Fire but have never defeated the Men in Red at Soldier Field.
Kickoff in the historic Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is slated for 7 p.m. CT on Wednesday, May 3, at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview. The match will be transmitted on Paramount+. Chicago’s match against Atlanta is scheduled to kick off at 1:30 p.m. CT and the match will be broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, and transmitted locally on wlsam.com (English), and Que Buena 105.1 via the Uforia app (Spanish).
Game Information
CHICAGO FIRE FC (3-4-4, 13 points) vs. Atlanta United FC (2-5-4, 10 points)
Saturday, May 10, 2025
Soldier Field – Chicago, Illinois
All-Time MLS Regular Season Record vs. ATL: (4-8-3)
Last Game vs. ATL: April 27, 2024 (0-0 D) – Soldier Field – Chicago (Match Recap)
Last Game at ATL: March 31, 2024 (0-3 L) – Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta (Match Recap)
by the numbers
4 – Chicago Fire FC is tied with Seattle Sounders FC and Sporting Kansas City as the only MLS teams with four Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup titles. Wednesday’s match against Detroit City represents the Fire’s first step toward an elusive fifth Open Cup. The Fire also hold the record for the most semifinal appearances by an MLS team in the annual competition.
7 – In a match full of firsts, the Fire saw a Club-high seven Illinois natives take the field on Saturday. Six of them – Chris Brady, Christopher Cupps, Andrew Gutman, Mauricio Pineda, Sergio Oregel, Jr., and Brian Gutiérrez – made history from the onset, breaking a previous record of Academy graduates sharing the pitch and matching a record of Illinois natives on the field set in 2015. But when Bartlett native Jeff Gal unexpectedly entered the pitch in the 40th minute in his MLS debut, the Fire reached the magic number.
20 – SeatGeek Stadium has been a fortress for Chicago Fire FC in Open Cup play. The Men in Red have enjoyed 20 victories in the competition since they began play in Bridgeview in 2006, none more important than their 3-1 victory over LA Galaxy in the 2006 final. Impressively, the Fire have only lost twice in regulation, and once in penalty kicks, in matches held there.
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