Chicago Fire Beats New York City FC After Red Card

Chicago Fire overcame a first-half deficit and a dismissal to defeat New York City FC 2-1 in Major League Soccer, with Maren Haile-Selassie scoring the winner late in the game. Robert Lewandowski started for the Chicago side and helped create the move that produced the equalizer, although the Polish striker left without scoring.

According to match reports from SportoweFakty, Sport.pl, and Przegląd Sportowy, New York City FC took the lead through Hannes Wolf in the 19th minute. Chicago's task became more difficult when Dje D'Avilla received a second yellow card in the 43rd minute, leaving the hosts with 10 players for the remainder of the match.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, Chicago equalized in the 55th minute. Lewandowski helped initiate the attack by moving the ball toward Haile-Selassie on the right, and the Swiss player delivered a cross that Anton Saletros headed past goalkeeper Matthew Freese.

The equalizer brought Chicago back into contention, and the hosts continued to press despite playing a man down. Lewandowski was substituted in the 71st minute, with Johan Gomez replacing him as the home team pursued a winner.

Haile-Selassie ultimately decided the contest in the 87th minute, capitalizing on a costly mistake by Freese. The New York goalkeeper played the ball directly into the Swiss attacker's path, allowing him to score and complete Chicago's comeback.

The result gave Haile-Selassie both a goal and an assist, while Lewandowski contributed to the build-up for the equalizer. Chicago's victory was particularly notable because the team recovered from a 1-0 deficit despite losing a player before halftime.

According to Przegląd Sportowy, Chicago moved into second place in the Eastern Conference following the win, trailing Nashville SC by 12 points. The same report stated that six regular-season rounds remained before the playoffs.

Before this match, Chicago had beaten Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1, with Lewandowski recording an assist after entering as a late substitute. He subsequently returned to the starting lineup against New York City FC. Polsat Sport reported that the Polish forward had recorded seven goals and three assists in 16 appearances for Chicago before the match.

New York City FC entered the contest in ninth place with 33 points, while Chicago occupied fourth place with 45 points, according to Polsat Sport's pregame report. The teams had previously met in July, when New York City won 3-1.

Chicago's next scheduled match is against Philadelphia Union at Soldier Field. New York City FC is set to face Inter Miami in its next fixture.