Late Goal by Harper Keeps Red Bulls Afloat in 1-1 Clash with Chicago Fire
- E Lopez
- Aug 22
- 3 min read
August 22, 2026 Sports Illustrated Stadium, Harrison, NJ
The New York Red Bulls rallied late to secure a 1-1 draw at home against the Chicago Fire. With the draw, the Red Bulls put an end to their two-match losing streak while halting the Fire's six-game winning streak across all competitions.
The New York Red Bulls, desperate for points to keep them in the playoff race, faced a red-hot Chicago Fire looking to continue their winning ways. The match also marked the first appearance for Polish legend Robert Lewandowski at Red Bull Arena. The packed crowd of 25,219 spectators would be treated to an evenly contested match. Lewandowski would start the match on the bench for Chicago, and the Red Bulls would feature a familiar lineup to start the contest. After a feeling-out phase, the visitors would strike first in the 38th minute. Viktor Radojevic and Jonathan Bamba would set up Maren Haile-Selassie to give Chicago a 1-0 lead. Haile-Selassie's goal would be characterized by the sharp attacking combinations that the team has been noted for during the season. The match would go into the break with Chicago holding the 1-0 lead.
Michael Bradley's side made three halftime substitutions in hopes of getting back into the match. Cowell, Jimenez, and Dos Santos were replaced by Marshall-Rutty, Ruvalcaba, and Sofo. The match was played similarly to the first half, with both sides alternating control of the ball but generating little danger. The Red Bulls brought in Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting in the 57th minute in hopes he could create some chances. Lewandowski entered the match in the 65th minute as Polish fans gave him a nice ovation. With the match nearing its end, Cameron Harper entered the match in place of an ineffective Julian Hall. When it appeared the Red Bulls would suffer another loss, defender Omar Valencia played a ball to the top of the box to Choupo-Moting, who dribbled past three defenders and crossed the ball into the six-yard box, and the ball was headed into the top left corner by Harper. The goal leveled the match at one. After a few flurries by Chicago that did not pose much danger, the match would end in a 1-1 draw.
With the one point gained at home, the Red Bulls remain in a tenuous position, hoping to maintain a playoff position. With 26 points out of 21 matches, Bradley's side remains eighth in the East, two points ahead of Toronto and DC United, who are currently out of a playoff position. If the Red Bulls want to improve in the standings, Bradley should consider replacing Julian Hall in the lineup and inserting Choupo-Moting. Every time that Choupo-Moting is inserted into a match, he makes things happen, meanwhile, Hall continues to struggle to make things happen. The Red Bulls should look at putting the best team possible instead of just looking to develop young players.
Red Bull New York 1, Chicago Fire FC 1
Red Bull New York: Ethan Horvath; Matthew Dos Santos (Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, HT), Julian Bazan, Justin Che, Dylan Nealis (Omar Valencia 56’), Adri Mehmeti, Ronald Donkor, Emil Forsberg © (Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, 57’) Julian Hall, Cade Cowell (Mohammed Sofo, HT), Mijahir Jiménez (Jorge Ruvalcaba, HT)
Unused Subs: John McCarthy, Nehuen Benedetti, Cameron Harper, Tim Parker
Chicago Fire FC: Chris Brady; Leonardo Barroso, Sam Rogers, Viktor Radojević (Johnny Dean, 77’), Joel Waterman, Maren Haile-Selassie, Mauricio Pineda (Dje D’Avilla, 87’), Sam Williams (Anton Saletros, 65’), Robin Lod (Jack Elliott, 86’), Jonathan Bamba (Puso Dithejane, 86’), Philip Zinckernagel © (Robert Lewandowski, 65’)
Unused Subs: Andrew Gutman, David Poreba, Josh Cohen
Scoring Summary:
CHI – Maren Haile-Selassie 4 (Radojević, Bamba) 38’
NY – Cameron Harper 1 (Choupo-Moting, Valencia) 86’
Misconduct Summary:
CHI –Leonardo Barroso (caution, foul) 17’
CHI – Joel Waterman (caution, foul) 65’
NY – Mohammed Sofo (caution, foul) 66’
Match Statistics:
Possession: NYRB 48% - 52% CHI
Total Shots: NYRB 11 - 10 CHI
Shots on Goal: NYRB 6 - 5 CHI
Fouls: NYRB 10 - 10 CHI
Corners: NYRB 3 - 2 CHI
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