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New York Red Bulls vs Chicago Fire preview: match details & prediction

The next New York Red Bulls match sees them host Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer Regular Season - 21 at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison. The fixture is scheduled for 2026-08-22T23:30:00Z, with the status currently listed as Not Started. Fans searching for when New York Red Bulls play next will have this home clash circled as they try to revive their Eastern Conference campaign.

This New York Red Bulls vs Chicago Fire preview comes at a time when the two clubs sit in very different positions in the Eastern Conference standings. Red Bulls are pushing to stay in the playoff picture, while Chicago arrive in Harrison from a stronger league position and with better recent form. Add in a busy injury list on the visitors’ side and recent head-to-head battles, and this becomes a key storyline match-up in the MLS season.

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 (Fixture has not started yet)

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, they have played 10 times, winning 4, drawing 2 and losing 4, scoring 16 and conceding 19. Their recent league form is shown as LLWLL, underlining a difficult run that has put pressure on their playoff ambitions.

Chicago Fire travel to Harrison in a stronger position, sitting 3rd in the Eastern Conference with 35 points from 19 matches. They have recorded 11 wins, 2 draws and 6 losses, with a positive goal difference of +11 (36 for, 25 against). Away from home, Chicago have played 9 times, winning 4, drawing 2 and losing 3, scoring 16 and conceding 14. Their form line of WWWLL shows a recent three-game winning streak followed by back-to-back defeats, suggesting some inconsistency but a generally strong season so far.

From the broader season statistics, New York Red Bulls have managed just 1 clean sheet in 20 league fixtures and have failed to score 5 times, indicating defensive fragility and occasional attacking struggles. Chicago Fire, by contrast, have kept 6 clean sheets and failed to score only once, underlining a more balanced side. Discipline could be significant too, with both teams showing notable yellow card totals across matches, while each has had players sent off in the 46-60 minute range this season.

Head-to-head

  • 2026-05-09T18:30:00Z: Chicago Fire 1–3 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)
  • 2025-07-27T00:30:00Z: Chicago Fire 1–0 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)
  • 2025-04-05T23:30:00Z: New York Red Bulls 2–1 Chicago Fire (Major League Soccer)
  • 2024-09-15T00:30:00Z: Chicago Fire 2–1 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)
  • 2024-04-13T23:30:00Z: New York Red Bulls 0–0 Chicago Fire (Major League Soccer)
  • 2024-01-27T00:00:00Z: Chicago Fire 2–2 New York Red Bulls (Friendlies Clubs)
  • 2023-09-30T23:30:00Z: New York Red Bulls 0–1 Chicago Fire (Major League Soccer)
  • 2023-04-30T00:30:00Z: Chicago Fire 1–1 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)
  • 2022-05-18T23:30:00Z: New York Red Bulls 3–3 Chicago Fire (Major League Soccer)
  • 2022-05-01T00:00:00Z: Chicago Fire 1–2 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)

The head-to-head record between New York Red Bulls and Chicago Fire over these ten listed meetings is finely balanced, with both teams recording wins home and away and several draws. Recent MLS clashes include a notable 3–1 away win for Red Bulls at Soldier Field in May 2026 and a tight sequence of one-goal victories on both sides. The mix of high-scoring draws, such as 3–3 at Red Bull Arena in 2022, and low-scoring encounters, like the 0–0 in April 2024, suggests this rivalry can swing between open and cagey contests.

Team news & absences

For New York Red Bulls, goalkeeper A. Marcucci is listed as Missing Fixture with a Knee Injury, ruling him out of this clash. Attacker R. Mosquera is marked as Questionable due to a Thigh Injury, leaving his involvement uncertain ahead of kick-off.

Chicago Fire have several confirmed absentees. Defender A. Franco is Missing Fixture with a Knee Injury, while M. Mbokazi and S. Oregel are both out with Lower-Body Injury issues. Winger C. Mueller is also listed as Missing Fixture and described as Inactive. These absences could test Chicago’s depth, particularly in defensive and wide areas.

Key players to watch

  • H. Cuypers (Chicago Fire) — 13 goals, 0 assists in MLS 2026, making him one of the division’s most prolific forwards this season.
  • J. Hall (New York Red Bulls) — 9 goals and 3 assists, a key attacking outlet for Red Bulls and central to their hopes of breaking down Chicago’s defence.
  • P. Zinckernagel (Chicago Fire) — 5 goals and 7 assists, providing creativity and end product from midfield for the visitors.

Prediction

The model’s 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 both the draw and a Chicago Fire win rated at 45% each. The advice is a “Double chance: draw or Chicago Fire”, reflecting Chicago’s stronger league position, better clean-sheet record and more consistent form, even though they are away from home.

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