Highland Heights, Ky. (March 30, 2025) – Chicago Fire FC II don show strong performance as dem come back for road win 2-1 against FC Cincinnati 2 for NKU Soccer Stadium. Dis win make dem get 6 points from 4 matches, dem fit boast of two wins and one loss.
Claudio Cassano be the star of the show as e open im scoring account with one goal for 10th minute. The mid-fielder also get assist for the Cincinnati own goal wey you go make Fire lead. E dey happen well well as Fire dey try climb table for dis MLS NEXT Pro season.
Di match kick off as Cincinnati show sharpness. Four minutes into di game, Kenji Mboma Dem don ginger dem with one corner kick. E block him own kick, run to far side where Andrei Chirilă dey wait. Chirilă jump high and header am into upper 90, giving Cincinnati di first goal of di season.
But just six minutes later, Cassano don spoil dia party. E pounce on a mistake wey Chirilă and goalkeeper Paul Walters make, round Walters and put di ball for empty net, equalizing for Chicago. No be small achievement for im as dis na im first goal for di league.
For di second half, na Cassano again wey create more problem for Cincinnati defense. Five minutes after return from halftime, him dodge one defender and send dangerous ball into box. Na so another Cincinnati defender go mistakenly tip am into im own goal, giving Chicago di lead.
Cincinnati no wan gree give up, but dem face serious challenge to equalize. In the 65th minute, Stefan Chirilă nearly sneak one goal past Chicago goalkeeper Patrick Los, but defender Jean-Alpha Diouf slide in to clear di ball just before e enter di net, maintaining Chicago’s lead.
Dis victory na Chicago Fire FC II first three road points for di new season. Dem dey look forward to di next match where dem go face New York Red Bulls II for MSU Soccer Park in Montclair, N.J. Di kick-off time na 4 p.m. CT, and you fit watch di match live on MLS Season Pass for Apple TV.
Speaking to di press after di match, Coach of Chicago Fire FC II express im pleasure with di team performance and hope say dem go continue dis winning style. ‘We dey build on dis momentum,’ im talk. ‘Each player don contribute to di success of di team and we dey look forward to more wins.’
Cincinnati coach no too happy with di defeat. E lament say dem need to work on dia finishing and defensive lapses. ‘We get everything wey we need to win, but we just dey miss chances wey suppose turn di game around,’ e talk.
Di final statistics show say Cincinnati get 12 shots compared to Chicago’s 11, but Chicago get 4 shots on goal while Cincinnati only manage 3. With dis victory, Fire don prove say dem ready to contend for top positions this season.
