In-form Chicago routs lowly Kansas City with 2nd-half barrage

Philip Zinckernagel and Hugo Cuypers each scored a pair of second-half goals for the Chicago Fire, who romped past visiting Sporting Kansas City 5-0 on Saturday evening.

Maren Haile-Selassie also scored as Chicago extended its unbeaten streak to five matches (4-0-1) in MLS play. The Fire (5-2-2, 17 points) also kept their fifth clean sheet of the season.

Sporting KC (1-7-1, 4 points) dropped their fifth straight league match and was shut out for the third consecutive match across all competitions.

Zinckernagel opened the scoring in the 51st minute during a chaotic sequence.

After the Fire were awarded a penalty thanks to an SKC handball inside the box, Cuypers' kick from the spot was denied by SKC goalkeeper John Pulskamp. The resulting rebound eventually deflected off a Kansas City player during a scramble in front of the goal and was touched over the line by Zinckernagel to give Chicago a 1-0 lead.

Zinckernagel completed his brace in the 65th minute, taking a pass from Haile-Selassie, creating space for himself and launching the ball past a lunging Pulskamp to double the Fire's advantage. He now has four goals this season.

Cuypers continued his blistering run of form with two second-half goals of his own, running his team-high total to eight and extending his scoring streak to six matches. In the 73rd minute, he scored off a feed from Zinckernagel to make it 3-0 before completing the scoring in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time.

Haile-Selassie scored Chicago's other goal, his second of the season, in the 79th minute.

Chicago held Kansas City to one shot on goal on the evening. Pulskamp faced seven Fire shots but stopped just two of them.

The Fire scored their most goals in a match since a 5-3 win at Inter Miami on September 30, 2025.

Sporting Kansas City has been outscored 21-3 in their last six matches across all competitions.

--Field Level Media