FC Cincinnati head to Chicago on Saturday looking for their first road win of the season when they meet Chicago Fire FC in a rematch of the teams’ April 18 draw. It is the sixth road match of the year for Cincinnati, and it comes after a wire-to-wire home win over Red Bull New York last Saturday that kept the team on a four-match unbeaten run despite injuries to several experienced contributors.
Coach Pat Noonan said winning can change the mood around the group, but he stressed the bigger issue is how the team performs and whether it keeps getting results. He also pointed to the benefit of the first meeting, when Cincinnati came from behind to earn a draw, saying both sides now know what to expect. The rematch will show whether that familiarity helps Cincinnati solve a Chicago side that sits third in the Eastern Conference and has won four of its last five league matches.
Cincinnati have not lost to Chicago since 2024 and have not lost at Soldier Field since 2020, going 4-0-1 in their five matches there since then. That record gives them real reason to believe the trip can produce more than another point, but Noonan said the challenge is just as much about limiting Chicago’s attack as it is about carrying over Cincinnati’s own momentum. Chicago also played a midweek U.S. Open Cup match, which adds another layer to a game both teams will approach with a clear read on each other.
The stretch after this weekend is just as demanding. FC Cincinnati will play three of their next four matches on the road before returning home to close the first half of the season on May 23. The match will air on Apple TV in English and Spanish, and the club will also post updates across its X/Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts.
For Cincinnati, this is the kind of test that can turn a steady run into a real one. A result at Soldier Field would not just extend the unbeaten streak; it would finally answer the season’s biggest early question on the road.