Maren Haile-Selassie drives Chicago Fire comeback as late winner sinks NYCFC

Wolf’s finish gave NYCFC the first edge

New York City FC made the cleaner start on the scoresheet when Hannes Wolf struck in the 19th minute. Agustín Ojeda supplied the assist with a cross, and Wolf finished with his right foot from the centre of the box into the top-right corner. That goal gave the visitors the early control that the raw possession numbers only slightly suggested.

NYCFC finished with 52.6 per cent of the ball and completed 336 passes, both modest advantages rather than signs of a runaway performance. The visitors also put five shots on target to Chicago’s four. Even so, the match stayed balanced enough to leave room for a home response: Chicago actually edged total attempts 14-13 and matched NYCFC’s four corner kicks.

That balance is worth stressing, because the game never became a statistical mismatch. Chris Brady was required to make four saves for Chicago, while Matt Freese made two for NYCFC. Both teams reached double figures in shot-assist totals as well, with Chicago at 11 and NYCFC at 10, a useful clue that chances were arriving at both ends even before the comeback fully took shape.

Salétros answered, then Haile-Selassie finished the turn

Chicago’s equalizer arrived from a clear, repeatable source: service into a dangerous central area. In the 55th minute, Maren Haile-Selassie delivered the cross and Anton Salétros met it with a header from the centre of the box, sending the ball into the top-right corner. It was a direct response after halftime and a reminder that Chicago could hurt NYCFC without needing a long spell of possession first.

The winner came late and belonged to Haile-Selassie himself. In the 87th minute, he scored with a right-footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom-left corner, completing a decisive personal night with one goal and one assist. Salétros also finished with a strong line, scoring once and placing two of his three shots on target.

Chicago’s win did not come with a perfectly clean stat sheet. The Fire committed 18 fouls, received two yellow cards and had one player sent off, a combination that normally narrows the margin for error. What carried them through was the timing of their finishing. On a night when the teams were close in attempts, corners and general attacking volume, Chicago’s two defining moments came after the break and both were converted.

Our take

The encouraging part for Chicago is that this was not a comeback built on hope alone. The Fire stayed in the game by generating nearly the same amount of attacking volume as NYCFC, then got premium production from two of the players most involved in the final action. Haile-Selassie directly created both home goals, and Salétros turned one of Chicago’s key deliveries into the equalizer. When those contributions line up, Chicago looks far more efficient than a possession split might suggest.

The caution for Chicago is just as obvious. Eighteen fouls, two yellow cards and a red card are too much extra stress to carry through a full match. Even in a win, that profile asks a team to survive too many avoidable defensive moments. If there is one practical improvement to take from this result, it is not about creating more chances so much as protecting the gains already earned once the game swings in Chicago’s favour.

For NYCFC, the frustration is that the platform was there. The visitors had slightly more of the ball, more accurate passes and one more shot on target, yet still left with nothing. Chicago’s equalizer came from a cross into the middle, and the winner came from the centre of the box, so the defensive review starts there. This was not a match decided by overwhelming separation. It was decided by which side did more with its biggest second-half chances, and that side was Chicago.

Scoring moments

1. Period 1 · 19'

   Hannes Wolf scored for New York City FC in minute 19. The assist went to Agustín Ojeda.

2. Period 2 · 55'

   Anton Salétros scored for Chicago Fire FC in minute 55. The assist went to Maren Haile-Selassie.

3. Period 2 · 87'

   Maren Haile-Selassie scored for Chicago Fire FC in minute 87.