And just like that, MLS is back (for a longer spell this time), and the Fire are back at Soldier Field as they host the Portland Timbers.
With the Fire's trio of wins in the Leagues Cup helping the team to their second four-game winning streak of the year across all competitions – the first time since 2017 that the team has won four in a row more than once in a single year – the in-form Fire are trying for their first five game winning streak across all competitions since 2000. That streak that started with a 4-0 win over the Dallas Burn in the regular season and ended with a 2-1 victory over the New England Revolution in the playoffs.
The contest – the Fire's final home game in league play before a September 9th meetup against Inter Miami – will test the Fire's streak across all competitions with the Timbers' four game undefeated run in league play, with the Portland's last loss having come before the World Cup break.
Portland Timbers
This will be Portland coach Martí Cifuentes's first league game in the dugout for the Timbers. Earlier this season, the Timbers showed the door to Phil Neville, who had become one of the longest-tenured coaches in the league.
Under Neville, the team struggled to develop a coherent tactical identity and while the squad was sometimes able to achieve outsize results, they were never able to develop consistent-enough form to feel like they were building towards anything significant. With the team out of the postseason spots heading into the World Cup break, Neville – who developed a genuine love for his adopted city – was amicably shown the door.
In late July, the Timbers named Cifuentes as the permanent replacement. The 44-year-old Spanish manager has a long history of coaching in Europe, most recently managing Leicester City in the EFL Championship. Amongst other clubs, Cifuentes also managed Queens Park Rangers, Hamarby and teams in Denmark, Norway and Spain.
He was brought in to do the things that Neville could not: A smart, analytical coach, he represents a stark departure from the Englishman's vibes-oriented approach to the game.
Under interim manager Jack Cassidy, the Timbers found the form that eluded them before the World Cup. In their first game back, they handed their archrival Seattle Sounders a 5-1 defeat in Seattle, with a 2-1 victory over the Sounder at home capping off their 4-game undefeated streak ahead of the Leagues Cup.
The Timbers only defeat since May was a 3-1 away loss to Club América, but the team followed it up with a 3-1 victory over Tijuana in Cifuentes's first game in charge.
That game was Thursday, kicking off just as action concluded at SeatGeek in the Fire's 2-1 win over Cruz Azul.
Chicago Fire
The Fire, meanwhile, found form in the Leagues Cup break. After committing to a 4-4-2 that never was able to convincingly generate wins – at least against high-end opponents, Fire Head Coach Gregg Berhalter switched to a 4-2-3-1 against Charlotte that morphed into a 4-3-3 in the Leagues Cup group stage.
That switch has seen the team see four wins in a row, and has made much of the squad shine: Joel Waterman, who had been relegated to the bench behind Mbekezeli Mbokazi, had arguably his best performance for the Fire against Cruz Azul.
The switch to a three-man midfield also enabled the Fire's talent in the position group to shine: After struggling in the 4-4-2, Djé D'Avilla looks finally ready to resume the steadily-improving form that the Fire saw from him in 2025. Anton Salétros's ability on the ball gave him some of his most memorable performances in a Fire jersey (and he was robbed of his first goal for the Fire after a small – and unintentional – deflection from Lod against Santos Laguna. Sergio Oregel Jr., after not making it off the bench for the vast majority of 2026, showed why he was a frequent starter in 2025.
Up the pitch, the Fire continue to integrate Robert Lewandowski into the squad. The team's new starting striker had good chances but only one goal in the Fire's Leagues Cup group stage.
I wouldn't be worried: As long as he's finding chances, the goals will come in Chicago as they have everywhere lese the Polish international has played.
Puso Dithejane, however, was the standout player in the attack: With a brace against Cruz Azul in a game where the Fire needed a result, he's emerged as a dynamic option on the left wing that complicates calculations for defenses, both when he's on the pitch and when he's not.
The Fire are in form – is that enough to power them to their first five-game winning streak in a quarter century?
Lineup and Match Information
