The Chicago Fire’s 17-year winless run on MLS opening day was extended once more as they fell to the Houston Dynamo away, 2-1. Gregg Berhalter’s team saw a first half lead collapse resulting in the worst possible outcome to kick off their 2026 campaign.
The Fire were forced into several changes from their preferred lineup; preseason injuries to Jonathan Bamba and Andrew Gutman kept them off the plane to Houston, while Jack Elliott and Jonathan Dean were also unable to feature. That prompted Berhalter to roll out a 5-2-3 shape with Maren Haile-Selassie at left wing back and Sam Rogers at right center back.
While the changes in personnel and system did alter the way the Fire looked, they were clearly the better team from the opening whistle. Haile-Selassie looked like a dominant presence on the left side of the back five, playing in a very advanced wingback role. He came close to scoring the first goal of the game in the 18th minute, but Jonathan Bond made a good save.
The left side was further strengthened by the debut of South African defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi at left center back. The Bafana Bafana star, featuring for the first time in MLS, looked energetic and eager to be involved, stepping into the midfield and the space vacated by Haile-Selassie on the left. Joel Waterman, lining up in the middle of the back line, was the most involved and generally reliable with the ball.
Hugo Cuypers, the Fire’s top scorer in 2024 and 2025, had the breakthrough. The Belgian #9 pounced on a loose ball in midfield, marching forward toward a reeling Dynamo back line. His finish was excellent, blasting it in with his left foot to give the Fire a 31st-minute advantage on the scoreboard.
Nonetheless, Houston started the second half better than they looked in the first, with Jack McGlynn beginning to get more involved. The U.S. international midfielder ripped a dangerous shot in the 53rd minute from outside the box, but Chris Brady reacted well for a simple save. Mateusz Bogusz also looked dangerous and was a presence in the Fire’s penalty box, but could not challenge the goal.
The Fire’s lack of a response quickly proved problematic. In the 66th minute, Sam Rogers was caught flat-footed in his own half, allowing McGlynn to play through Guilerme to run through on goal and level the score. Rogers came off injured and was replaced by Christopher Cupps. A few minutes later, Guilerme scored again, completing the comeback.
The game wound down and there was no response. The Fire shifted to attack mode, moving Mbokazi to left back and pushed Haile-Selassie further up. A few minutes later, Puso Dithejane replaced Mbokazi to make his own MLS debut, playing opposite fellow second half substitute Chris Mueller on the wing. The changes didn’t do much.
One final chance came for the Fire in the 90th minute. Cupps created a chance with an excellent through ball that eventually made its way to Dithejane, but the opportunity fizzled out. Houston held on to claim a 2-1 win on opening day.
For the third successive season, the Fire have taken the lead on the road on opening day and failed to win. They will return home next week to face CF Montréal in their home opener.
