Chicago hosts Orlando with fourth place on the line and Griezmann on a scoring streak
The Fire head home after a comeback win in Atlanta with a playoff berth already secured. Orlando surrendered a victory to New York City deep in stoppage time; the Soldier Field meeting pits two productive attacks against the defensive problems each showed at the weekend.
Chicago Fire and Orlando City meet again two months after Gregg Berhalter's side won 2–1 in Florida. This time Chicago are at home, and both clubs have three regular-season games remaining. The Fire were fourth in the East with 51 points after Saturday's play and are trying to hold their position before the playoffs. Orlando, on 42 points, need a response after letting two points slip away. The gap in the standings does not settle the question both sides face: which will defend better after losing possession high up the field?
- Competition: MLS, 2026 regular season.
- Match: Orlando City SC at Chicago Fire FC.
- Venue: Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois.
- Kickoff: Wednesday, October 28, 7:30 p.m. CDT in Chicago; 8:30 p.m. EDT in the eastern United States; Thursday, October 29, 00:30 UTC.
Three scorers carry Chicago's comeback
The Fire recovered from an early 1–0 deficit to win 3–2 in Atlanta on Saturday. Anton Salétros equalised in the 30th minute, Anzor Mekvabishvili put them ahead in the 51st and Philip Zinckernagel added a third in the 60th. Atlanta pulled one back eight minutes later, but Chicago held on. Their record became 15 wins, 10 losses and six draws. The club said the result kept them fourth in the Eastern Conference and gave them a second straight season with at least 15 victories.
How the goals came says more than the final total. Salétros collected a loose ball after a corner, Mekvabishvili punished an Atlanta pass out of defence, and Zinckernagel finished an indirect free kick inside the area. Chicago threatened from a set play and by pressing the opposition's buildup. Robert Lewandowski and Maren Haile-Selassie started, although three other players scored. If Orlando try to play short from the back, the Fire's pressure could turn a loss of possession near goal into an immediate chance. If Orlando break that first line, there will be space behind the players who stepped forward.
Berhalter's team won the first meeting this season. They scored in the fourth minute in Orlando, conceded an equaliser to David Brekalo from a corner and won through a Lewandowski penalty. August's result is a useful point of reference, not a forecast for Wednesday: both clubs' positions and available squads have changed.
Orlando create chances but could not protect a late lead
Orlando drew 2–2 at home to New York City FC. Antoine Griezmann headed in Martín Ojeda's cross to answer the visitors' opening goal, and Ojeda made it 2–1 early in the second half. Jonathan Shore equalised for New York City in the 10th minute of added time. The draw left interim coach Martín Perelman's side with 12 wins, 13 losses, six draws and 42 points, with three games to play.
According to the club, Griezmann has now contributed to a goal in 11 consecutive MLS appearances. Ojeda reached 50 Orlando goals across all competitions, while his cross for the Frenchman was his 47th assist for the team. Iván Angulo also helped create Orlando's second goal. Saturday's draw should therefore not be mistaken for a failure to attack: Orlando built a lead and lost it because they could not see out the final moments.
Afterward, Perelman acknowledged that conceding with the last action hurt his team and said it had to focus on the next match. That is the coach's reaction, not evidence of a planned change of formation. Chicago's tactical problem is clear: Griezmann can arrive to finish when Ojeda finds room to cross, and Ojeda is also a finisher. The home defence must judge when to track them inside and when to cover the wide route used by Angulo.
Team availability may change the matchups
The MLS player availability report available on Monday still covered Matchday 32, before this fixture. It listed André Franco, Robin Lod and Sam Rogers out for Chicago with lower-body issues. The Fire's account of the Atlanta match says Jack Elliott was suspended for that game; it does not establish his eligibility for Wednesday. Chicago had not released a match-specific availability update for Orlando.
For Orlando, the earlier league report listed Griffin Dorsey, Robin Jansson and Tyrese Spicer out, with Vinícius Nogueira and Bernardo Rhein questionable. Nogueira did play against New York City and helped create the second goal, which shows why that older list cannot simply be carried over to Wednesday. Tiago missed Saturday's match through illness, while Luís Otávio served a suspension that day. Updated club and league information will determine their status at Soldier Field.
How to watch Chicago Fire vs Orlando City
The times below are scheduled kickoffs, not the start of any pregame programme. Both clubs list Apple TV for this match, and an event page is available on Apple in the United States. An event-specific listing for the other English-language territories below had not been verified at this stage.
- United States: Wednesday, October 28, 8:30 p.m. EDT / 7:30 p.m. CDT; Apple TV online. A linear television channel for this particular match has not been announced.
- Australia: Thursday, October 29, 11:30 a.m. AEDT in Sydney and Melbourne; broadcast not yet announced for this territory.
- United Kingdom: Thursday, October 29, 12:30 a.m. GMT; broadcast not yet announced for this territory.
Both teams arrive after scoring at least twice and conceding twice in their previous matches. Wednesday will show whether Chicago can sustain its pressure without giving Ojeda and Griezmann a route out, and whether Orlando can protect a lead to the final whistle if it takes one.
