New York Red Bulls Rally for 1-1 Draw Against Chicago Fire in Harrison

Harper delivers late equalizer after entering in the 85th minute

HARRISON, New Jersey — The New York Red Bulls salvaged a 1-1 draw against the Chicago Fire on Saturday night when substitute Cameron Harper scored in the 86th minute, canceling out Maren Haile-Selassie’s first-half opener at Red Bull Arena.

Harper had been on the field for barely a minute after replacing Julian Hall in the 85th when he finished a move created by Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Omar Valencia. The goal was Harper’s first in four appearances this season and gave New York a needed response after Chicago had controlled the scoreline for much of the match.

The result ended a two-match losing streak for the Red Bulls, who moved to 7-9-5. Chicago, now 11-6-3, saw its three-game league winning run come to an end, although the Fire extended their recent run against New York to 2-2-2 over their past six meetings.

Chicago leads at halftime through Haile-Selassie

Chicago took the lead in the 38th minute through Haile-Selassie, who scored his fourth goal of the season. Defender Viktor Radojević and Jonathan Bamba provided the assists on the play as the Fire broke through before halftime.

The assist was a notable milestone for Radojević, marking the first of his career in his third start and 10th appearance. Chicago held that one-goal advantage through the interval and appeared positioned to continue an impressive stretch of form across league and cup competition.

Before Saturday’s draw, the Fire had won three consecutive Major League Soccer matches and six straight games in all competitions. According to the match report, it was the club’s first six-match winning streak in all competitions since its inaugural 1998 season, underlining the significance of the run that ended in Harrison.

New York goalkeeper Ethan Horvath made four saves to keep the Red Bulls within reach, while Chicago’s Chris Brady stopped five shots. Both goalkeepers were tested as the match tightened in the closing stages, with New York ultimately finding the late breakthrough it needed.

Point offers relief for Red Bulls, while Fire remain in strong form

The draw gives New York a point after consecutive defeats and prevents Chicago from taking all three points on the road. For the Fire, the outcome halted their league winning streak but preserved a positive recent record in meetings with the Red Bulls.

The clubs will continue their respective Major League Soccer campaigns following the result, with New York seeking to build on its late comeback and Chicago aiming to restart the momentum that produced six consecutive victories in all competitions. No injuries or disciplinary outcomes were reported in the match summary.