Chicago Fire Aims for Playoff Success Against Orlando City

Bridgeview, IL – The Chicago Fire will host Orlando City SC in the Eastern Conference Wild Card match of the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs on Wednesday at 8:30 pm ET at SeatGeek Stadium. This marks the Fire’s return to the postseason for the first time since 2017.

Goalkeeper Brady, 21, reflected on the significance of the moment, saying, “I was there. I was in the stands,” during Chicago’s last playoff run. He added, “That little bit of realization is crazy to me, that now I’m in this position where I can help this team and this club do something incredible. I’m very proud to be a part of it.”

2025 has been a transformative year for Chicago, as they finish eighth in the East with 53 points under new head coach Greg Berhalter. He has implemented a new system and had a roster overhaul, leading the team to end their seven-year playoff drought. “We set a number of club records this year, which is great: away wins (nine), most goals in a season (68), most away goals (43),” Berhalter stated during Monday’s press conference.

Berhalter also emphasized, “I see this club as a sleeping giant. I really believe that. I think we have more to show and there’s more to come.” With the possibility of advancing to the next round against the Supporters’ Shield winners, they will look to All-Star midfielder Philip Zinckernagel for guidance. Acquired from Club Brugge, Zinckernagel has made a significant impact, scoring 15 goals and contributing 15 assists this season.

“There’s a number of awards Phil can win,” Berhalter remarked. “Fifteen (goals) and 15 (assists) is something that doesn’t happen too often in Major League Soccer.”

Orlando City brings their own star power, with their No. 10, who has tallied a career-best 16 goals and 15 assists this season. Despite being a playoff fixture for six consecutive years, a late-season slump relegated them to a Wild Card match after finishing ninth.

Head coach Oscar Pareja said, “It’s probably one more game than we wanted, but we’re good. The boys know about our responsibility to advance to the next phase. We’re very positive.”

Croatian winger Pašalić, who scored 12 goals and assisted five in his debut season, echoed the need for positivity. “We have good quality in the team; we showed it this season,” he said, while also warning against underestimating the Fire. “Don’t think that they’re not good enough.”

Brady believes confidence from previous performances will play a crucial role on Wednesday night. “I think it instills that belief in the rest of the team that this is definitely a game where we can get a result and advance,” he said. “It’s important to have that confidence going into a game like this.”