MATCH RECAP: Sounders FC falls 1-0 on the road to Chicago Fire FC

Sounders FC (8-10-2, 26 points) concluded its two-match road trip with a 1-0 loss to Chicago Fire FC (6-10-5, 23 points) on Saturday evening at Soldier Field. Rafael Czichos scored for the home side as Seattle dropped its third consecutive match. Sounders FC returns home for a contest against the Colorado Rapids on Saturday, July 23 (7:00 p.m. PT / FOX 13+, Prime Video, 93.3 KJR FM, El Rey 1360 AM).

Czichos put the home side on the board in the 23rd minute, heading a ball past goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland on an assist from Federico Navarro. Saturday’s match marked the first meeting between Seattle and Chicago since the MLS is Back Tournament in 2015, as well as Sounders FC’s first visit to Soldier Field. 

MATCH NOTES

• Sounders FC deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation with four changes from Wednesday’s match at Nashville: Kelyn Rowe, Xavier Arreaga, Danny Leyva and Will Bruin replaced Alex Roldan, Abdoulaye Cissoko, Jimmy Medranda and Fredy Montero.

• Tonight marked Bruin’s 300th career MLS regular season appearance, the 14th active player to hit the milestone. He is one of three active MLS players (Kei Kamara, C.J. Sapong) to have 300 career appearances and 75 goals in regular season play. 

• With his appearance in the starting XI tonight, Nouhou has 100 career MLS starts (including postseason play). 

• Xavier Arreaga made his first start since June 18 vs. LAFC after suffering a left hamstring strain. The Ecuadorian appeared as a substitute on Wednesday at Nashville.

• Tonight marked the first meeting between Seattle and Chicago since the MLS is Back Tournament in 2020, as well as the Rave Green’s first-ever visit to Soldier Field. 

• The Rave Green are now 9-4-4 in the all-time series against Chicago, including a 4-3-2 mark on the road.

• Stefan Frei (Health & Safety Protocols), João Paulo (right ACL tear), Raúl Ruidíaz (right hamstring strain) and Obed Vargas (lower back stress fracture) were all out for tonight’s match. 

• Following last Saturday’s home loss to Portland and this week’s road losses in Nashville and Chicago, Sounders FC is in the midst of its longest losing streak of the 2022 season. 

MATCH SUMMARY

Seattle Sounders FC 0 – Chicago Fire FC 1 
Saturday, July 16, 2022 

Venue: Soldier Field 
Referee: Pierre-Luc Lauziere 
Assistants: Oscar Mitchell-Carvalho, Lyes Arfa 
Fourth Official: Calin Radosav  
VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero 
Attendance: 13,601 
Weather: 70 degrees and cloudy   

SCORING SUMMARY 

CHI – Rafael Czichos (Federico Navarro) 23’ 

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY 

SEA – Kelyn Rowe (caution) 25’ 

LINEUPS & STATS

Seattle Sounders FC – Stefan Cleveland; Kelyn Rowe (Alex Roldan 58’), Yeimar Gómez Andrade, Xavier Arreaga (Jackson Ragen 65’), Nouhou (Dylan Teves 83); Danny Leyva (Fredy Montero 65’), Albert Rusnák, Cristian Roldan, Nico Lodeiro, Jordan Morris; Will Bruin (Léo Chú 58’) 

Substitutes not used: Andrew Thomas, Jimmy Medranda, Josh Atencio, Ethan Dobbelaere 

Total shots: 15 
Shots on goal: 2 
Fouls: 9 
Offside: 3 
Corner-kicks: 10 
Saves: 4 

Chicago Fire FC – Gaga Slonina; Boris Sekulic, Carlos Terán, Rafael Czichos, Jonathan Bornstein; Gastón Giménez (Mauricio Pineda 37’), Federico Navarro, Chris Mueller (Fabian Herbers 60’), Xherdan Shaqiri, Brian Gutierrez (Jairo Torres 60’); Kacper Przybylko (Chinonso Offor 83’) 

Substitutes not used: Miguel Navarro, Jhon Espinoza, Stanislav Ivanov, Spencer Richey, Andre Reynolds 

Total shots: 9 
Shots on goal: 5 
Fouls: 11 
Offside: 1 
Corner-kicks: 6 
Saves: 2