When the Chicago Fire’s home game against D.C. United was stopped in the second half because of an alleged discriminatory slur, it marked the second time in the team’s past three home games going back to last season that off-pitch fan behavior led to a stoppage of play during the match.
The “reported discriminatory slur” was “directed towards D.C. United #9, Tai Baribo” according to referee Sergii Demianchuk in response to a post-match question, and was later reported by Yahoo Sports’s Steven Goff (and confirmed by MIR97 Media) to be the four-letter anti-gay Spanish-language term used in a chant. The Fire’s final game of 2025 – a 3-0 loss to the Philadelphia Union at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview – was paused because of the use of that chant, causing Gregg Berhalter to walk to the Fire supporters and make a personal appeal for the behavior to stop. Notably, Tai Baribo was a player on the visiting team in both matches, having moved from the Union to D.C. in the offseason.
Unlike the events last fall in Bridgeview, multiple sources familiar with the situation have told MIR97 Media that the spectator involved in the incident was not in the Supporters Section. However, eyewitnesses have told MIR97 Media that prior to the incident, a small number of spectators did engage in the anti-gay chant, including roughly three or four individuals in the Supporters Section as well as several others in the 200 level seats immediately above the Supporters Section at Soldier Field. Per these accounts, one such occurrence was on the D.C. goal kick immediately prior to the incident in question.
It is unknown whether these events are connected, and although MIR97 Media has been told the investigation is ongoing, the spectator involved in the alleged incident has not been identified, and no spectators were removed from the match as a result of the behavior. Eyewitnesses also say that a handful of individuals engaged in the chant during the Fire’s home opener two weeks prior to the incident, although in that case, play was not stopped.
Although the chant had been heard at several Leagues Cup matches in recent years, it had not been a part of the Fire’s home matches in MLS in recent memory. In the offseason, the Fire organization had several meetings with Supporters Groups as both sides worked to craft a plan that would prevent the anti-gay chant from recurring.
Amongst changes from previous years, the Fire have placed signage about appropriate fan behavior outside of the Supporters Section. For key matches, including the home opener against CF Montréal but not the contest against D.C. United, yellow and red cards outlining unacceptable conduct are placed in each cupholder in the Supporters Section ahead of the match.
Red and yellow cards placed in each cup holder for the Fire's season opener outlining acceptable behavior (Courtesy https://x.com/ufcolin)
Sources familiar with the team’s planning have said that data suggested that the cards would be more effective if not presented in every match, and that key games such as the season-opener, postseason games, and high-profile matchups, would be more likely to bring new attendees who were unaware of the expectations for conduct into the Supporters Section, although that plan is being reconsidered in light of Saturday’s incident.
Supporters, meanwhile, working in consultation with the team, decided that the best initial step if the chant or other unacceptable language was overheard by supporters would be, in effect, “self-policing.”
That is what occurred on Saturday, according to eyewitness accounts, when three or four individuals who were not regular attendees in the Supporters Section began the chant. According to those accounts, immediately after, several supporters yelled at the individuals to stop, while several leaders of the section made their way to their location to make expectations clear. According to a report of the incident, those fans apologized and did not engage in the behavior afterwards.
At the same time, organized Supporters Groups began other chants. While this parallels the use of pre-recorded music played over loudspeakers in Leagues Cup matches, which has been ineffective at stopping the chant (or even rending it inaudible in-stadium or on broadcasts), here, it gives fans an opportunity to join, rather than simply trying to render bad behavior inaudible.
In the case of those engaging in the chant in the 200 level, above the Supporters Section, security approached the individuals who were, according to people familiar with the event, apologetic and they did not engage in the behavior again through the course of the match.
Taken together, those events show both the effectiveness of the procedures put in place by supporters and the team at containing the chant and stopping it if it is heard – and their limitations, as the chant was audible (quiet, but audible) in stadium (though not on the broadcast) in both of the Fire’s home matches this year, and the incident that led to the stoppage of play still occurred.
