D.C. United and Chicago Fire Halt Losing Streaks with 1-1 Draw

D.C. United and the visiting Chicago Fire played to a 1-1 draw on Saturday night, each team halting their respective losing streaks in an evenly matched contest.

D.C. United's Christopher McVey opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a rare goal – only the third of his professional career. This early strike came as McVey skillfully poked the ball past Chicago's goalkeeper Chris Brady following a well-executed free-kick routine, giving D.C. a 1-0 lead.

However, Kellyn Acosta equalized for Chicago Fire in the 53rd minute. Acosta capitalized on a deflection from his own through-ball attempt, driving it past D.C. goalkeeper Alex Bono to level the match. This goal allowed Chicago to snap their four-match losing streak, although their winless streak extended to eight games.

The game saw few opportunities in the first half, with neither team recording a shot on goal until the 19th minute when Christian Benteke’s header forced a diving save from Brady. Despite their early lead, D.C. United struggled to maintain their advantage, allowing Chicago to press for the remainder of the game.

Chicago's Andrew Gutman nearly put his team ahead with a dangerous cross in the second half, but it narrowly missed connecting with a teammate. Meanwhile, D.C. United's Steve Birnbaum attempted a no-look header in the 90th minute, but it went out of play.

In stoppage time, Chicago came close to a winner as Maren Haile-Selassie’s shot was deflected by Birnbaum, preserving the draw. With this result, D.C. United (4-5-6, 18 points) ended their two-match losing streak but have now gone three games without a win. Chicago Fire (2-8-5, 11 points) managed to avoid a fifth consecutive loss, showcasing their resilience despite missing key player Xherdan Shaqiri, who was away on international duty.