Match Information
Chicago Fire FC (11-6-4, 37 points) at Toronto FC (5-7-10, 25 points)
Saturday, September 5, 2026
6:30 p.m. CT
BMO Field – Toronto
How to Watch: Apple TV
English: Mike Watts & Jalil Anibaba
Spanish: Jesús Acosta
How to Listen: wlsam.com // TUDN Chicago 106.7-HD2
English: Max Anderson & Joe Chatz
Spanish: Omar Ramos & Teresa Limon
Match Preview
Chicago Fire FC wraps up a four-game league road trip in Canada, facing Toronto FC on Saturday, Sept. 5 at BMO Field.
Chicago resumed league play on Saturday in the Pacific Northwest against Seattle Sounders FC. The hosts took a quick lead via Dejan Joveljić in his first match with the squad. Before the half came to an end, forward Robert Lewandowski displayed his iconic hold-up play in the box before laying off to Maren Haile-Selassie, who leveled with a low shot. Joveljić regained the lead for Seattle, but Chicago pulled even in the 82nd as Haile-Selassie played a ball up the right side for Puso Dithejane, who sent the ball to the far post. Lewandowski timed his run to head the equalizer in with half his body out of the box, giving the Fire their fifth-straight match without a loss.
Chicago will face a similarly hot Toronto side that also has not lost in five games. After stunning defending champions Inter Miami CF in Miami on Aug. 22, the Reds returned to Toronto last Saturday to open a three-game homestand against New York City FC. Although the visitors took a 1-0 lead in the first half, Toronto held on to equalize the match in the 70th minute thanks to leading scorer Dániel Sallói. They now hope to avenge a 2-1 loss in their first meeting this year on May 23 at Soldier Field and end an eight-game winless streak against the Fire.
All-Time Major League Soccer Record vs. TOR: (14-14-14)
Last Match vs. TOR: May 23, 2026 (2-1 W) – Soldier Field – Chicago (Match Recap)
Last Match at TOR: March 15, 2025 (2-1 W) – BMO Field – Toronto (Match Recap)
Hyundai Keys to the Match:
- Back to Back: Robert Lewandowski showed off in Seattle, using his iconic hold-up play to assist the Fire’s opening goal before making it look easy on a game-tying header. Can he make it back-to-back games with a goal contribution?
- Runnin' Through the 6: Anton Salétros has been a key cog in the midfield this season. Since recording two assists in Leagues Cup, Chicago’s No. 6 has been in the middle of a five-game unbeaten streak in league play.
- Just Hold On... We're going home! The Fire wrap up their four-game league road trip in Toronto before hosting two in a row at Soldier Field next week. Three points in Canada would set the stage for a busy week on the lakefront.
Match Notes
- Chicago’s 2-2 draw at Seattle was the fifth consecutive match without a loss in league play, the Club’s best mark since a similar streak from March 21 to April 25 this season. A win or a draw in Toronto would give the Fire six regular season games in a row without a loss, the best mark since an 11-game unbeaten streak in 2017.
- The Men in Red are unbeaten against the Reds in eight consecutive matches dating back to 2022, currently their longest such streak against any MLS opponent. That mark is the fifth longest such streak against any opponent in Club history. The record is four games longer: 12 in a row from 2010 to 2015, also against Toronto.
- Andrew Gutman and Jack Elliott lead all current Fire players in goals scored against Toronto FC with two. Gutman has had more recent success of the two, tallying the game-winner in the May 23 win at Soldier Field and scoring from distance last time in Toronto on March 15, 2025. But Elliott had the better individual performance, scoring both goals in a 2-2 draw against the Reds on Oct. 4, 2025.
- Chris Brady seeks his 12th win of the season on Saturday, a mark that would match last year’s career high. The Homegrown goalkeeper has yet to lose in seven matches against Toronto FC, recording four wins and two draws. Brady has only one shutout against Toronto, and could have possibly had another on May 31, 2023, when he was forced to leave the field with a cut on his forehead in the 30th minute of a 0-0 draw against the Reds.
- Brady has enjoyed much success against Canadian sides. The U.S. Men's National Team goalkeeper has a regular season record of 10-2-4 against CF Montréal, Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Toronto. His four victories against the Reds are second-most against any team in MLS to the five posted against Montréal.
Starting XI
Chicago Fire FC Director of Football and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter has tasked the following Starting XI with extending an unbeaten streak of eight matches against Toronto FC:
- Only one change has been made to the Starting XI that came back twice to earn a 2-2 draw against the Seattle Sounders last week at Lumen Field.
- One week after recording the final game-tying assist off the bench in Seattle, winger Puso Dithejane will make his third start of the regular season for Chicago. The assist was his second goal contribution in three matches after scoring against Orlando City SC on Aug. 19.
- On the end of Dithejane’s cross last Saturday was Robert Lewandowski, who will look to make it two in a row with a goal in his first match in Canada. The forward also tallied his first assist of the season in Seattle; he seeks his third match with two goal contributions tonight in Toronto.
- Joining Dithejane and Lewandowski in the attack is the Fire’s newest Designated Player: winger Philip Zinckernagel. The two-time MLS All-Star has yet to score against the Reds, but has three assists in his last two matches, including his record-setting 15th of 2025.
- The red-hot Maren Haile-Selassie will start in the midfield tonight for the Fire. The “Swiss army knife,” as Berhalter called him, has four goal contributions in his last three starts, including a goal and an assist in last week’s match. One more goal or assist will give him 47 goal contributions in four seasons with Chicago, tying Josh Wolff and Brian Gutiérrez for 10th most all-time in Club history.
- Haile-Selassie will be joined by Djé D’Avilla and Anton Salétros together in the midfield for the third consecutive start across all competitions. The match will be D’Avilla’s 21st of the regular season, matching the mark set in his 2025 debut season.
- Fresh off a sterling performance last weekend in his hometown of Seattle, center back Sam Rogers returns for his fourth start in the last five league matches. He will be joined by captain Jack Elliott in the heart of the backline, and Jonathan Dean and Andrew Gutman out on the flanks.
- One match after becoming only the second Fire Homegrown player to reach the 10,000-minute mark in Major League Soccer, goalkeeper Chris Brady is back in his 114th regular season start. His four wins against Toronto are the second-most against any team in Major League Soccer; one more would tie his personal best of five wins versus Toronto’s rival, CF Montréal.
- Newcomers Johan Gómez and Noah Allen will be available off the bench in Toronto, alongside goalkeeper Josh Cohen, defender Leonardo Barroso, midfielders Mauricio Pineda, David Poreba, Sergio Oregel Jr. and Sam Williams, and forward Robin Lod.
- Winger Jonathan Bamba (Lower Body) is unavailable for selection tonight. Defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi (Lower Body) and midfielder André Franco (Lower Body) remain on the Injured List.
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