New York Red Bulls vs Chicago Fire preview: key match details and prediction

The next New York Red Bulls match sees them host Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer action at Sports Illustrated Stadium, Harrison. The Eastern Conference clash is scheduled for 22 August 2026, with kick-off at 23:30 UTC, and comes in the Regular Season - 21 round. For fans wondering when New York Red Bulls play next, this home date against a high-flying Chicago side is a key fixture in their push to climb the conference standings.

This New York Red Bulls vs Chicago Fire preview focuses on two teams heading in different directions in the table. Red Bulls are currently 8th in the Eastern Conference and looking to stabilise after a difficult run of results, while Chicago Fire arrive in Harrison sitting 3rd and pushing for a stronger MLS Playoffs position. With Chicago given a strong chance in the prediction models, Red Bulls will need to make home advantage count to close the gap on one of the conference’s better-performing sides.

Match details: date, kick-off & venue

• Competition: Major League Soccer, Regular Season - 21
• Date / Kick-off: 2026-08-22, 23:30 UTC
• Venue: Sports Illustrated Stadium, Harrison
• Status: Not Started (Fixture has not started yet)

Standings & form

New York Red Bulls come into this game 8th in the Eastern Conference with 25 points from 20 matches (7 wins, 4 draws, 9 defeats). They have scored 30 goals and conceded 42, giving them a goal difference of -12. At home, Red Bulls have played 10 times, winning 4, drawing 2 and losing 4, with 16 goals for and 19 against. Their recent league form is listed as LLWLL, underlining the need for a response in front of their own supporters.

Chicago Fire travel to Harrison in a much stronger position, sitting 3rd in the Eastern Conference on 35 points after 19 matches. Their record stands at 11 wins, 2 draws and 6 losses, with 36 goals scored and 25 conceded for a positive goal difference of +11. Away from home, Chicago have played 9 league games, winning 4, drawing 2 and losing 3, while scoring 16 and conceding 14. Their form line of WWWLL shows three straight wins followed by two defeats, suggesting some recent inconsistency despite a strong overall campaign.

Looking at broader season statistics, Red Bulls have managed just 1 clean sheet in 20 league matches and have failed to score 5 times. Chicago Fire, by contrast, have kept 6 clean sheets and failed to score only once, underlining their more reliable defensive base and attacking threat. Discipline could be monitored closely too, with both sides showing notable yellow-card totals across various time ranges this season.

Head-to-head

• 2026-05-09: Chicago Fire 1–3 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)
• 2025-07-27: Chicago Fire 1–0 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)
• 2025-04-05: New York Red Bulls 2–1 Chicago Fire (Major League Soccer)
• 2024-09-15: Chicago Fire 2–1 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)
• 2024-04-13: New York Red Bulls 0–0 Chicago Fire (Major League Soccer)
• 2024-01-27: Chicago Fire 2–2 New York Red Bulls (Friendlies Clubs)
• 2023-09-30: New York Red Bulls 0–1 Chicago Fire (Major League Soccer)
• 2023-04-30: Chicago Fire 1–1 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)
• 2022-05-18: New York Red Bulls 3–3 Chicago Fire (Major League Soccer)
• 2022-05-01: Chicago Fire 1–2 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)

The head-to-head history between New York Red Bulls and Chicago Fire is notably tight, with both sides enjoying wins home and away across the listed meetings. Red Bulls’ most recent success was a 3–1 victory at Soldier Field in May 2026, while Chicago’s latest league win in the series came at home in September 2024 (2–1). There have also been several high-scoring draws, including 3–3 at Red Bull Arena in 2022 and 2–2 in a 2024 friendly, suggesting this fixture often produces goals and competitive encounters.

Team news & absences

For New York Red Bulls, goalkeeper A. Marcucci is listed as a Missing Fixture due to a Knee Injury. Attacker R. Mosquera is marked as Questionable with a Thigh Injury, leaving some uncertainty over his involvement.

Chicago Fire have several confirmed absentees. Defender A. Franco is ruled out as a Missing Fixture with a Knee Injury. M. Mbokazi is also a Missing Fixture because of a Lower-Body Injury, while winger C. Mueller is unavailable and listed as Inactive. Defender S. Oregel is another Missing Fixture through a Lower-Body Injury. These absences could test Chicago’s depth, particularly in defensive and wide areas.

Key players to watch

• H. Cuypers (Chicago Fire) — A major attacking threat with 13 goals so far this MLS season, leading Chicago’s scoring charts.
• J. Hall (New York Red Bulls) — The standout forward for Red Bulls, contributing 9 goals and 3 assists across 20 appearances.
• P. Zinckernagel (Chicago Fire) — A creative force in midfield with 5 goals and 7 assists, providing both end product and chance creation.

Prediction

The data-driven New York Red Bulls vs Chicago Fire prediction leans towards the visitors avoiding defeat. The model assigns Red Bulls a 10% chance of victory, with both the draw and a Chicago win rated at 45% each. The stated advice is: “Double chance : draw or Chicago Fire”, reflecting Chicago’s stronger league position, better clean-sheet record and more consistent overall form. For Red Bulls to upset those probabilities, they will likely need a strong home performance and a big display from key attacker Julian Hall.