Substitute Robert Lewandowski entered in the 63rd minute, scored his seventh goal of the campaign, and subsequently assisted Puso Dithejane’s 88th-minute strike to seal a 4-2 victory against the Colorado Rapids.
That seventh away win of the season pushes Chicago Fire FC into the final fixture of the 2026 Major League Soccer regular season standing at 16-10-7 with 55 points. The club now prepares to host the Columbus Crew at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. CT.
Colorado Comeback Sets Up Season Finale
After Colorado struck first in the 22nd minute, Jonathan Bamba leveled the score with his second goal in as many games before briefly putting the Fire ahead.
The Rapids pulled level again, but Lewandowski’s late heroics broke the deadlock. Philip Zinckernagel contributed two assists during the match, bringing his career regular-season total with Chicago to 49 goal contributions.
Columbus Arrives on a Late-Season Surge
Meanwhile, the Columbus Crew arrive in Bridgeview carrying momentum.
Sitting in last place in the Eastern Conference with only a dozen matches remaining in September, the Crew went off to win six of their last seven matches entering a crucial match against D.C. United. Their run culminated in a 3-0 shutout against D.C. United, a result that eliminated D.C. from postseason contention and secured Columbus a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
History and Milestones on the Line
Historically, the regular-season series between Chicago and Columbus sits at 28-28-24.
Their last encounter in Chicago took place on September 27, 2025, ending in a 2-0 victory for the Fire at Soldier Field, while their lone meeting in Ohio earlier this year on March 7, 2026, finished in a scoreless 0-0 draw at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field.
Individual Fire Standouts
Individual milestones define several player storylines heading into the afternoon kickoff.
Maren Haile-Selassie closes out the year with at least 12 goals, seven scored at home, having found the net in each of his last five appearances at SeatGeek Stadium. A goal against Columbus would mark his sixth home game in a row, the longest streak since 2018. André Franco made his long-awaited season debut against Colorado, winning possession to spark a scoring sequence, and looks to link up with Robert Lewandowski on Decision Day. Zinckernagel sits one shy of reaching 50 combined goals and assists in his Chicago regular-season career.
Broadcast Details
Global broadcast coverage for the match is scheduled through Apple TV, featuring English-language commentary from Max Bretos and Brian Dunseth alongside Spanish-language coverage by Sergio Ruíz and Walter Roque.
Local audio options include wlsam.com and TUDN Chicago 106.7-HD2, with Max Anderson and Joe Chatz calling the match in English, and Omar Ramos alongside Teresa Limón broadcasting on the Uforia platform in Spanish.
