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New York Red Bulls vs Chicago Fire preview: match date, venue & prediction

The next New York Red Bulls match sees them host Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer on 22 August 2026. This Eastern Conference clash is scheduled for a 23:30 UTC kick-off at Sports Illustrated Stadium, Harrison, and could have a big impact on the playoff picture. Fans searching for a New York Red Bulls vs Chicago Fire preview will see two sides currently separated by 10 points in the standings go head to head.

New York Red Bulls come into this Regular Season - 21 fixture sitting in the mid-pack of the Eastern Conference, while Chicago Fire arrive in a stronger position and targeting the upper playoff spots. With Red Bulls trying to protect a play-off qualifying place and Fire aiming to consolidate a higher seeding, this meeting in MLS carries clear stakes for both sides.

Match details: date, kick-off & venue

  • Competition: Major League Soccer, Regular Season - 21
  • Date / Kick-off: 2026-08-22T23:30:00Z
  • Venue: Sports Illustrated Stadium, Harrison
  • Status: Not Started

Standings & form

New York Red Bulls come into this game ranked 8th in the Eastern Conference with 25 points from 20 matches. Their overall record stands at 7 wins, 4 draws and 9 defeats, with a goal difference of -12 (30 scored, 42 conceded). At home, Red Bulls have played 10 times, winning 4, drawing 2 and losing 4, scoring 16 and conceding 19. Their recent form line in the league reads LLWLL, underlining a difficult recent run that they will be desperate to arrest in front of their own supporters.

Chicago Fire travel to Harrison in a much stronger position in the Eastern Conference, currently sitting 3rd with 35 points from 19 matches. Fire have recorded 11 wins, 2 draws and 6 losses, with a positive goal difference of +11 (36 scored, 25 conceded). Away from home they have played 9 times, winning 4, drawing 2 and losing 3, with 16 goals for and 14 against. Their recent MLS form string is WWWLL, showing a strong sequence of victories before a couple of setbacks, but overall a more consistent campaign than their hosts so far.

From the broader season statistics, Red Bulls have kept just 1 clean sheet in 20 league fixtures and have failed to score 5 times, highlighting some inconsistency at both ends. Chicago Fire, by contrast, have managed 6 clean sheets and have failed to score only once, underlining a generally more reliable defensive base and attacking output. Discipline could also be a subplot, with both sides accumulating a notable number of yellow cards across second-half periods.

Head-to-head

  • 2026-05-09: Chicago Fire 1–3 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)
  • 2025-07-27: Chicago Fire 1–0 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)
  • 2025-04-05: New York Red Bulls 2–1 Chicago Fire (Major League Soccer)
  • 2024-09-15: Chicago Fire 2–1 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)
  • 2024-04-13: New York Red Bulls 0–0 Chicago Fire (Major League Soccer)
  • 2024-01-27: Chicago Fire 2–2 New York Red Bulls (Friendlies Clubs)
  • 2023-09-30: New York Red Bulls 0–1 Chicago Fire (Major League Soccer)
  • 2023-04-30: Chicago Fire 1–1 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)
  • 2022-05-18: New York Red Bulls 3–3 Chicago Fire (Major League Soccer)
  • 2022-05-01: Chicago Fire 1–2 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)

The head-to-head record between New York Red Bulls and Chicago Fire has been tight and often high-scoring in recent seasons. Across these ten listed meetings in league and friendly action, both sides have enjoyed victories home and away, with several draws including a 3–3 at Red Bull Arena in 2022 and a 2–2 friendly at IMG Soccer Academy in 2024. The most recent clash in May 2026 saw Red Bulls win 3–1 at Soldier Field, while Chicago have also claimed narrow home wins such as 2–1 in September 2024 and 1–0 in July 2025. The variety of results underlines how finely balanced this fixture has been.

Team news & absences

For New York Red Bulls, goalkeeper A. Marcucci is listed as Missing Fixture due to a Knee Injury. Attacker R. Mosquera is marked as Questionable with a Thigh Injury, so his involvement remains uncertain and will be one of the key late team news points.

Chicago Fire have several confirmed absentees. Defender A. Franco is out as Missing Fixture with a Knee Injury. M. Mbokazi and S. Oregel are both ruled out as Missing Fixture because of Lower-Body Injury. In attack, C. Mueller is also listed as Missing Fixture with the reason given as Inactive. These injuries could test Chicago’s depth across the back line and forward areas.

Key players to watch

  • H. Cuypers (Chicago Fire) — 13 goals in Major League Soccer 2026, making him a major attacking threat for the visitors.
  • J. Hall (New York Red Bulls) — 9 goals and 3 assists, a key figure in Red Bulls’ forward line this season.
  • P. Zinckernagel (Chicago Fire) — 5 goals and 7 assists, providing creativity and end product from midfield.

Prediction

The model for this New York Red Bulls vs Chicago Fire prediction leans towards the visitors avoiding defeat. The prediction percentages give Red Bulls a 10% chance of victory, with the draw at 45% and a Chicago Fire win also at 45%. The advised tip is a “Double chance: draw or Chicago Fire”, reflecting Chicago’s stronger league position, more consistent form and solid clean-sheet record, even though Red Bulls will look to use home advantage and their recent 3–1 win in Chicago as motivation.

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