New England secures road victory

New England Revolution defeated Chicago Fire 2-1 at Soldier Field on Sunday night, ending the hosts seven-match unbeaten run in Major League Soccer. The visiting side took the lead in the 39th minute when forward Dor Turgeman seized on a defensive error to score his seventh goal of the season in a one-on-one against Chris Brady. Two minutes after halftime, Peyton Miller extended New England lead to 2-0 in the 47th minute after receiving an assist from Turgeman. Chicago Fire manager Gregg Berhalter introduced Maren Haile-Selassie, Robin Lod, and Jonathan Bamba in a 55th-minute triple substitution. Haile-Selassie pulled a goal back for Chicago in the 62nd minute, but the hosts failed to equalize.

Lewandowski contained by Revolution defense

Robert Lewandowski played all 95 minutes as Chicago center-forward but failed to score for the first time in four matches. The 38-year-old striker faced tight marking, dropping into midfield to receive the ball and having an early shot blocked after a penalty area scramble. Lewandowski completed 13 of 15 passes, registered 24 touches with four inside the opposition box, and recorded three shots with one on target. During the closing stages, goalkeeper Matt Turner saved a close-range header from Lewandowski, who later missed the target on another header from 11 meters. Polish commentator Mateusz Borek noted the forward frustration with teammate passing choices.

“Robert has tired arms because he is waving at his teammates so much today. In many plays they make bad or late choices.”

Minutes played95

Ball touches24

Touches in opponent box4

Passes attempted15

Passes completed13

Shots3

Shots on target1

Goals0

Minutes played

95 count

Ball touches

24 count

Touches in opponent box

4 count

Passes attempted

15 count

Passes completed

13 count

Shots

3 count

Shots on target

1 count

Goals

0 count

Data from the article text

Tactical challenges and team integration

The result marked Chicago first home loss since Lewandowski joined the club in July 2026 after leaving Barcelona in May. Before Sunday, the Polish forward had recorded six goals and two assists across ten MLS matches, scoring in three consecutive games. Sport.pl journalist Dominik Stachowiak reported that Lewandowski spent long stretches disputing calls with referee staff following an offside decision. Soccer analyst Alex Campbell noted that Chicago Fire had functioned better earlier in the campaign when Belgian striker Hugo Cuypers led the line, arguing that the club had not adjusted tactically to Lewandowski presence.

“If you have a chance to sign Robert Lewandowski, of course you do it. But then the responsibility is on you to make additional lineup changes or tactical adjustments to integrate him and make the team work. Fire totally failed at this. Fire with Hugo Cuypers were simply a better team.”

Eastern Conference standings and next fixture

The loss leaves Chicago Fire in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings with 39 points from 24 matches, their seventh defeat of the season. New England Revolution moved into third place in the conference, holding a direct points advantage over Chicago. The top seven teams from each conference qualify directly for the MLS playoffs, while the eighth and ninth seeds enter a single-elimination play-in round. Chicago Fire still holds a game in hand against Vancouver Whitecaps as the regular season enters its final stretch. The team travels to face Nashville SC in their next league fixture on 20 September at 3:30.