Post-match Recap: D.C. United Draws Chicago Fire FC 2-2 after a 95th minute equalizer from Forward Jacob Murrell
In the first road game of the 2025 MLS campaign, D.C. United traveled to Illinois to take on Chicago Fire FC on Saturday, March 1 at Soldier Field.
On a frigid and windy night in Chicago, the Black-and-Red returned to Soldier Field for the first time since Sept. 7, 2024, when D.C. United walked away with three points on the back of goals from Christian Benteke and Gabriel Pirani. The match also served as the debut for D.C. United’s new 2025 Soul Kit that was unveiled on Feb. 13.
D.C. United saw the return of midfielder Jared Stroud to the starting lineup who replaced Jacob Murrell. After making 33 appearances last season, Stroud sustained an ankle injury in preseason that forced him to miss the opening match last week. New acquisition Fidel Barajas, on loan from Chivas Guadalajara in Mexico on Feb. 26, made the bench as an unused substitute.
The Black-and-Red started the match on the front foot and 2024 MLS Golden Boot winner Christian Benteke opened the scoring in the 4th minute. Pirani found himself in space on the left flank after a ball from David Schnegg and the Brazilian found Benteke’s feet on the edge of the six-yard-box who slotted it past the goalkeeper for his second goal of the season.
Chicago came close to an equalizer in the 28th minute when Hugo Cuypers met a cross with his head, but his effort came rattling off the crossbar. Only two minutes later, Cuypers had a second bite of the apple and found the equalizer. Goalkeeper Kim Joon Hong was able to get his body behind the close-range header but couldn't do enough to keep the ball from crossing the goal line.
Before the break, Benteke came closest to breaking the deadlock. Stroud played in a cross, but Benteke was unable to make clean contact, and his looping header came off the cross bar. The teams went into the locker room at halftime tied 1-1.
In the second half, the game started to open up with both teams creating a handful of half-chances through the first 20 minutes. Chicago found the go-ahead goal in the 70th minute when Chicago defender Jack Elliot’s flicked header from a corner found an unmarked Cuypers at the back post to give Chicago the 2-1 lead.
D.C. United continued to fight on and created a handful of golden opportunities to find the equalizer. A powerful header from Benteke forced a notable save from Homegrown Chicago goalkeeper Chris Brady. The Black-and-Red thought they had found their equalizer when Chicago defender Sam Rogers was judged to have handled the ball in the box and a penalty was awarded in the 89th minute. Benteke stepped up to the penalty spot, but his effort soared over the bar to maintain Chicago’s 2-1 lead.
The Black-and-Red continued to push, and their determination was eventually awarded with a miraculous goal in the dying embers of the match. After piling on the pressure, an Aaron Herrera cross in the 96th minute found 20-year-old forward Jacob Murrell. The Forest Hill, Md. Native instinctively stuck out a foot and his overhead kick looped into the far-right corner to find an unlikely equalizer on the road for D.C. United. The emotions were palpable, and the players and staff celebrated the goal in front of a shellshocked Chicago fanbase.
D.C. United returns to Washington, D.C. after an important point on the road. The team will now set its sights on a return to Audi Field to play against Sporting Kansas City on Saturday, March 8. Tickets for the match can be purchased at dcunited.com/tickets.
Chicago Fire FC Lineup: Christopher Brady, Jack Elliott, Sam Rogers, Andrew Gutman, Jonathan Dean, Philip Zinckernagel (Omari Glasgow 72'), Jonathan Bamba, Kellyn Acosta (Harold Osorio 90'+2'), Sergio Oregel (Omar Gonzalez 84'), Samuel Williams (Mauricio Pineda 84'), Hugo Cuypers (Thomas Barlow 72')
Unused Substitutes: Jeffrey Gal, Justin Reynolds, Christopher Cupps
Head Coach: Gregg Berhalter
D.C. United Lineup: Kim Joon Hong, Lucas Bartlett, Kye Rowles, Aaron Herrera, David Schnegg, Boris Enow (Dominique Badji 75'), Gabriel Pirani, Jared Stroud (Jacob Murrell 61'), Brandon Servania (Matti Peltola 61'), Hosei Kijima (Rida Zouhir 85'), Christian Benteke
Unused Substitutes: Luis Barraza, Lukas MacNaughton, Garrison Tubbs, Derek Dodson, Fidel Barajas
Head Coach: Troy Lesesne
