Detroit City Wire

Detroit City Football Club (DCFC) is set to face Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire in the Round of 32 of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The match will take place at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, with kickoff scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Fans can watch the game live on Paramount+.

DCFC comes into this fixture following a 2-2 draw against Indy Eleven. Connor Rutz and Darren Smith scored early goals for Detroit, but Indy leveled the score with two goals from Elvis Amoh, despite playing with ten men after the 60th minute.

Detroit City's journey to this stage of the competition was secured with a 3-1 win over Westchester SC from USL League One. Goals from Morey Doner, Jeciel Cedeño, and Darren Smith helped DCFC reach the Round of 32 for the third time in four seasons.

In past encounters against MLS teams in the US Open Cup, Detroit City has faced mixed results. They defeated Columbus Crew in 2022 but lost to Minnesota United FC in 2023. Last year, they achieved a notable victory over Houston Dynamo by winning on penalties.

The Chicago Fire currently sits in 11th place in the MLS Eastern Conference under new head coach Gregg Berhalter. The team has struggled recently, having not won since March 22 when they beat Vancouver Whitecaps FC 3-1.

Chicago enters this match after a goalless draw against Orlando City FC, where they played with ten men following Chris Brady's red card in the first half.

Historically, Chicago Fire has been successful in the U.S. Open Cup, winning titles in 1998, 2000, 2003, and 2006. They hold records for most wins and semifinal appearances by an MLS team and are tied for most Open Cup titles by an MLS club.