The storyline writes itself. From this point on, the Chicago Fire’s season ends one of two ways: In defeat, or lifting MLS Cup. Their next test is Saturday afternoon, at home at SeatGeek Stadium, in what will be the team’s final home game of the year, unless they find themselves in the final against a lower-ranked team from the west.

Last Sunday, the team felt like they won a moral victory – scoring two goals late to push the game to penalty kicks – but from here on out, only the real kind of win will matter for the Fire.

Asked about the game, Fire Head Coach Gregg Berhalter didn’t mince words. “Well, our back is against the wall. This is an elimination game, so it's a good type of pressure, and we've earned the right to have this pressure,” before quoting tennis legend Billie Jean King, “Pressure is a privilege.”

By any objective measure, the Fire’s 2025 season has been a success, regardless of the outcome on Saturday: The team improved its regular-season record by 23 points, making the postseason game for the first time in eight years, winning a postseason game for the first time since 2009. All that while setting record attendance, opening a new state-of-the-art training facility, and announcing – and getting approval for – a new, $750 million stadium in a prime South Loop location.

None of that will matter when the Fire take to pitch at SeatGeek. Whatever the team has accomplished to this point, neither the players, the coaches or the fans will be satisfied if it all ends Saturday night.

Fool Me Once

In Game 1, Gregg Berhalter flipped the script, inviting the Philadelphia Union to be the protagonists, play with the ball and try to break the Fire down. Playing out of a back five, with three center backs on the pitch, it worked.

Talking about the team’s tactics, Berhalter said “I think our first half was outstanding. We're really happy with the first half of the game. I felt like we took the crowd out of it. We held Philly to very low xG (expected goals). What was their xG at halftime, zero or something? It was very low. And so, we were really happy with that.”

Listen: That’s true, as far as it goes, but it’s also true that in that same opening half, the Fire managed just two shots on goal and had an xG that (according to Opta’s data) was 0.33, roughly equal with the Union’s 0.32.

After the Fire went down by a goal, Berhalter said “Necessity forced us to change, and when we did, we opened up a little bit and Philly scored a goal on a counterattack.”

Also true – but all of it is a little academic: The FIre doubtless surprised the Union by giving them so much possession – willing, imploring the Union to try to be creative with the ball the way the Fire have been.

That works.Once. Union Head Coach Bradley Carnell has doubtless spent some time over the past week working with his squad on what to do if the situation comes up again – but it likely won’t.

In this game, the Fire need a win. They are playing at home, in front of their home crowd. They need to be on the front foot.

Zinckernagel Availability, Gutiérrez’s Roles A Question

One thing that’d help the Fire get that win: Philip Zinckernagel, the team’s leading scorer through the regular season. Zinckernagel was a late scratch last Sunday with an oblique injury.

Will he be available Saturday?

“It's hard to tell right now,” Berhalter told reporters on Thursday. “You know, he did warm up with the group today and wasn't able to continue. But we'll see as the game goes. We think that we still have 48 hours to game time, so we'll go down to the wire.”

Zinckernagel’s presence would help buoy the Fire’s offense, and would free Maren Haile-Selassie, who played well in his first MLS postseason start, to be a dynamic option off the bench.

Another player who could help the Fire offensively? Brian Gutiérrez, who wasn’t subbed on until after the Union opened the scoring in the 70th minute on Sunday.

Berhalter was complimentary of Gutiérrez on Thursday, saying that he “because he knows that he has the ability to impact the team, whether he's starting or whether he's coming off the bench.”

“Some games,” Berhalter continued, “we choose a different formation and we have a plan, and it means that we're going to have to leave some starters out, and it's been Guti sometimes.”

That was the aforementioned 3-4-3 against the Union in the first game of the series. In this game, with a home crowd, needing a win? The smart bet is that Berhalter starts with four in the back, alongside Romingiue Kouamé, the Fire’s most versatile midfielder.

Projected Starting XI

Match Information and How to Watch

Date and Time: Saturday, November 1, 2025, 4:30 PM CTForecast: Temperatures around 50°F at kickoff with chance of light rainLocation: SeatGeek Stadium, Bridgeview, Ill. TV: Apple TV (no Season Pass subscription required)Radio: wlsam.com (English), Que Buena Fire via the Uforia App (Spanish).