Chicago Fire 2-1 Charlotte: Match Report, Goals, Stats and Ratings
MLS · Sunday 2 August 2026 · Soldier Field, Chicago · referee J. Freemon · full time
Full time: Chicago Fire 2-1 Charlotte
Chicago Fire beat Charlotte 2-1 in MLS on Sunday 2 August 2026 at Soldier Field. The goals: Pep Biel 18', Robert Lewandowski 20', Robert Lewandowski 68'.
How Chicago Fire won it
Charlotte struck first through Pep Biel in the 18th minute, set up by Idan Toklomati. Chicago Fire levelled at 1-1 in the 20th minute through Robert Lewandowski, set up by Philip Zinckernagel. Chicago Fire turned it round: Robert Lewandowski made it 2-1 in the 68th minute, set up by Robin Lod.
It was 1-1 at half-time, and the second half changed the result.
Robert Lewandowski scored twice.
The lead changed hands once.
The referee, J. Freemon, showed 3 yellow cards: 3 to Chicago Fire and 0 to Charlotte.
Chicago Fire: G. Berhalter, 4-4-2 · Charlotte: D. Smith, 4-3-3.
Moneyball's prediction against the result
Moneyball did not publish a pre-match estimate for this match, so there is nothing to mark it against.
Why it went this way
On the day the expected goals were 1.36 for Chicago Fire and 1.30 for Charlotte.
Chicago Fire had 5 shots on target, Charlotte 1.
Charlotte had 54% of the ball, but Chicago Fire took the points.
Where the two sides stood before this match
Chicago Fire came into it with 31 MLS matches played, scoring 1.8 and conceding 1.5 a match, with 1.80 expected goals for and 1.48 against, and had won 48% of their matches.
Charlotte came into it with 31 MLS matches played, scoring 1.8 and conceding 1.6 a match, with 1.56 expected goals for and 2.11 against, and had won 42% of their matches.
Chicago Fire vs Charlotte: the match in numbers
| Chicago Fire | Match statistics | Charlotte |
|---|---|---|
| 46% | Ball possession | 54% |
| 1.36 | Expected goals (xG) | 1.30 |
| 14 | Total shots | 14 |
| 5 | Shots on target | 1 |
| 1 | Big chances | 0 |
| 462 | Total passes | 531 |
| 88% | Pass accuracy | 91% |
| 8 | Corners | 6 |
| 8 | Fouls | 7 |
| 3 | Offsides | 3 |
| 18 | Tackles | 8 |
| 0 | Saves | 3 |
| 3 | Yellow cards | 0 |
Team statistics from Sportmonks.
Player ratings and man of the match
Man of the match: Robert Lewandowski (Chicago Fire), rated 8.9 by Sportmonks, with 2 goals.
Chicago Fire
- Robert Lewandowski 8.9 2 goals
- Philip Zinckernagel 8.7 1 assist
- Robin Lod 7.2 1 assist
- Anton Salétros 7.0
- Djé D'Avilla 7.0
Charlotte
- Pep Biel 8.0 1 goal
- Idan Toklomati 7.2 1 assist
- Luca de la Torre 7.1
- Agyemang Morrison 7.0
- Ashley Westwood 6.9
The lowest-rated starter was Liel Abada at 6.3. Ratings run from 0 to 10; around 7.0 is a solid match.
What comes next
- Chicago Fire: Chicago Fire vs Orlando City Thursday 29 October 2026 · MLS
- Charlotte: Charlotte vs CF Montréal Wednesday 28 October 2026 · MLS
Each preview has Moneyball's estimate for the next match, published before kick-off and marked against the result afterwards, as this one is.
Questions about Chicago Fire vs Charlotte
What was the score in Chicago Fire vs Charlotte?
Chicago Fire 2-1 Charlotte (half-time 1-1), MLS, Sunday 2 August 2026.
Who scored in Chicago Fire vs Charlotte?
Pep Biel 18', Robert Lewandowski 20', Robert Lewandowski 68'.
Did Moneyball predict Chicago Fire vs Charlotte correctly?
Moneyball did not publish a pre-match estimate for this match, so there is nothing to mark it against.
Who was man of the match in Chicago Fire vs Charlotte?
Robert Lewandowski, rated 8.9 by Sportmonks.
Who refereed Chicago Fire vs Charlotte?
J. Freemon.
Every match, before and after
Moneyball Odds writes a preview with its estimate before every match of Europe's top five leagues and the European cups, then marks it against the result, hits and misses alike.
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