Union still searching for their first MLS win following narrow loss to the Chicago Fire
The club has now lost five straight games to open the MLS season and are winless in their last five matches across all competitions.
The Union’s season-opening losing streak extended to five games on Saturday, with the Chicago Fire dealing the Union a 2-1 defeat at Subaru Park.
Jonathan Bamba scored the match’s deciding goal in the 58th minute, giving Chicago the go-ahead lead it would hold onto for the Fire’s first away win of their season.
The Union (0-5-0, 0 points) have now lost five straight games to open the MLS season and are winless in their last five matches across all competitions, including a 1-1 draw to Club América that eliminated the team from the Concacaf Champions Cup on Wednesday.
“If this was not the MLS, if this was Europe, this is a relegation-type feel,” Union manager Bradley Carnell said. “Five games in, only. And then you flip over to the MLS, and you’ve just got to get over that line and make the playoffs. That’s what this quest is now, to re-shift the focus and to be really humble. If we don’t work for anything, or if we’re not willing to work harder than the opponent, then unfortunately the results won’t go our way.”
The Union and Chicago (2-2-1, 7 points) traded stoppage-time goals in the first half. Hugo Cuypers scored a header in the third minute of first-half extra time to open the scoring for Chicago, but Milan Iloski was able to pull the Union level with a header of his own in the seventh minute of stoppage time.
Saturday’s match was the Union’s first at home since Major League Soccer suspended Ernst Tanner, the club’s sporting director, for alleged discriminatory behavior.
The league announced it was suspending Tanner until June 1 on Monday, and the Union refrained from imposing any further discipline.
Some of the supporters’ groups expressed discontent with the club’s handling of Tanner through statements. There was no obvious display against Tanner in the River End during Saturday’s match, but the Union’s largest supporters’ group, the Sons of Ben, carried a banner that read “Sunlight is the best disinfectant” during their entrance into Subaru Park.
As the Apple broadcast showed, the Sons of Ben carried a banner during their pregame march to the stadium that said "SUNSHINE IS THE BEST DISINFECTANT." Though the group has not directly called for Ernst Tanner's firing, there is clearly some discontent in the ranks.
— Jonathan Tannenwald (@jtannenwald.bsky.social) March 21, 2026 at 4:45 PM
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A spokesperson for the Union told the Inquirer on Friday that the team is “actively engaged in meaningful and ongoing conversations with Sons of Ben leadership,” and that the Union “appreciate the passion and commitment that the Sons of Ben bring to our club and our community.”
Saturday’s game was a physical contest. The Union and Chicago combined for 23 fouls and four yellow cards, three of which came in the first half.
The first half also featured two stoppages for injuries after collisions.
Trainers came on to check on Danley Jean Jacques after the midfielder was brought down by Robin Lod in the eighth minute. Lod was shown yellow for the tackle, but Jean Jacques was able to continue.
Play was stopped again in the 26th minute after Phillip Zinckernagel and Jesús Bueno made head-to-head contact in midfield. Bueno remained on the field when play resumed in the 31st minute, but Maren Haile-Selassie replaced Zinckernagel in Chicago’s attack.
Cuypers’ goal arrived after Andrew Gutman made a run down the wing from his spot at left back and delivered a cross into the box. Cuypers ran in unmarked and smashed a header past a diving Andre Blake.
Iloski pulled the Union level four minutes later, scoring his first goal of the MLS season just before the halftime whistle.
Frankie Westfield initiated the play with a long throw-in from the right sideline. Alejandro Bedoya headed Westfield’s throw on to Iloski, who lofted a header over the arms of Chicago goalkeeper Chris Brady to draw the Union level.
Both managers made a change to their lineup out of the locker room. Bradley Carnell brought on Jovan Lukić for Bueno in midfield, while Gregg Berhalter replaced Gutman with Viktor Radojević at left back.
Bamba put the Fire back in front with a volley in the 58th minute. After making a run down the right wing, Lod played a cross to the left side of the 18-yard box. Bamba connected with the pass, launching a right-footed shot past an outstretched Blake.
Carnell made more changes to his lineup shortly after the Union conceded. Carnell brought on Indiana Vassilev and Malik Jakupovic to replace Bedoya and Cavan Sullivan in the 62nd.
Sullivan made his first start of the MLS season on Saturday after playing in the team’s Champions Cup draw with América on Wednesday.
Carnell made two more changes before the full time whistle, bringing on Jeremy Rafanello for Jean Jacques in the 66th minute and Ben Bender for Philippe Ndinga in the 76th.
Radojević was shown the third yellow of the game for Chicago in the 87th minute after a sliding tackle on Westfield. The Union were awarded a free kick on the right edge of the 18-yard box, but nothing came of the set piece.
Saturday’s loss completes a winless March for the Union. The club’s most recent victory was on Feb. 26, when it beat Trinidad and Tobago’s Defence Force FC in the opening round of the Concacaf Champions Cup at Subaru Park.
“It’s just simply not good enough,” Bedoya said of the Union’s fifth-straight loss. “It’s simply not good enough from guys that we expect to be better. The quality has to be better. Everybody’s got to take a hard look in the mirror. Not just players, I think it’s from top down. Top down.”
Up next...
As a result of the upcoming FIFA international window, the Union will get nearly two weeks off before their next match. The team will return to play on April 4 against Charlotte FC at Bank of America Stadium (7:30 p.m., Apple TV).