Minnesota United FC Outlast 10-Man Chicago Fire to Book U.S. Open Cup Semifinal Spot

Minnesota United FC kept their hopes for a first U.S. Open Cup crown alive at Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minn., albeit by a deceptive 3-1 (aet) scoreline in a game that Chicago Fire FC played 95 of 120 minutes down a man. The win means Minnesota will play for the chance to equal their run to the 2019 Final – and United FC will get to do so at home courtesy of their position atop the West bracket’s hosting priority order.

An airtight start finally burst open at the midway point of the opening stanza, when a rare mistake by Omar Gonzalez put the visitors down a man in the 25th minute. The Fire center-back caught Julian Gressel with an elbow flush in the face while jostling for corner-kick position inside the six, resulting in a VAR check by referee Ekaterina Koroleva for violent conduct. Her confirmation resulted in the first straight red card shown to the veteran former USMNT defender in his 539th combined game for club and country, and just the second ejection in Gonzalez’s 15-year professional career.

When Philip Zinckernagel finally took the corner kick he lined up for minutes earlier, he retrieved the second ball and caught Wil Trapp’s follow-through just inside the area, giving the shorthanded men in red an immediate lifeline. Berwyn’s own Brian Gutierrez took advantage, slotting low and left past Dayne St. Clair in the United net to put Chicago up against the flow.

The Loons had a hard time breaking Chicago’s lines through the end of the half, Jefferson Diaz’s header five minutes into stoppage finally forcing Fire goalkeeper Chris Brady into his first save of the night.

Robin Lod and Anthony Markanich were two of the three substitutes who entered for Minnesota at the interval, and they needed less than two minutes to make their sideline boss Eric Ramsay look like a genius. Tani Oluwaseyi’s decisive diagonal set up the play, freeing Markanichinto the left side of the area for a far post service that Lod easily turned in to even the score at 1-1.

Joseph Rosales’ stinger from 22 yards off a drawn-up dead-ball movement nearly pushed United in front in the 52nd minute, and some more set piece savvy by Carlos Harvey to sneak inside the area nearly did the same in the 66th. From there Brady stood and delivered for the Fire, making four saves across the final 20 minutes of regulation. His big left paw thwarted another Lod attempt from close range in the 75th, and his full extension denial of Bongokuhle Hlongwane’s rocket from 23 yards came as the final of three minutes of stoppage time expired.

It took another three-man combination for the Loons to ultimately unlock Chicago for the go-ahead goal five minutes into the first extra frame. Joaquin Pereyra’s chipped ball towards the six was nodded square by Harvey and into the path of Kelvin Yeboah, who kept his volley from nine yards low and out of Brady’s reach. Yeboah nearly struck again in the 102th minute, only to see his shot hot the crossbar and keep the visitors within reach.

The last 15 minutes started with a desperate Chicago side taking charge, but Belgian star Hugo Cuypers sailed a half chance high with 10 minutes remaining and St. Clair gobbled up Jonathan Bomba’s one-hopper shortly after. The Canadian international netminder saved his best for Sergio Oregel’s sizzler from 20 yards in the 113th minute, his top save keeping a lead that eventually got some padding with a Yeboah finish from the spot in the 120th minute.

-U.S. Open Cup Match Report- 

Match: Minnesota United FC vs. Chicago Fire 

Date: July 8, 2025 

Competition: U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals – West Bracket 

Venue: Allianz Field; St. Paul, Minn.

Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. CT (8:00 p.m. ET)

Weather: 81 degrees, sunny

Lineups:

MIN: 97-Dayne St. Clair; 24-Julian Gressel (13-Anthony Markanich, 46), 28-Jefferson Díaz, 67-Carlos Harvey, 23-Morris Duggan (5-Nicolás Romero, 90), 8-Joseph Rosales; 21-Bongokuhle Hlongwane, 30-Owen Gene, 20-Wil Trapp (17-Robin Lod, 46); 7-Jeong Sang-bin (6-Joaquín Pereyra, 46), 14-Tani Oluwaseyi (15-Michael Boxall, 75)

Substitutes not used: 94-Kayne Rizvanovich 

Head coach: Eric Ramsay 

CHI: 1-Chris Brady; 7-Andrew Gutman, 4-Jack Elliott, 3-Omar Gonzalez, 16-Jonathan Dean; 13-Brian Gutiérrez (35-Sergio Oregel, 67), 5-Djé D'Avilla (Jonathan Bamba, 97), 11-Sam Williams (22-Mauricio Pineda, 72); 10-Maren Haile-Selassie (5-Sam Rodgers, 30), 12-Tom Barlow, 18-Philip Zinckernagel (Leonardo Barroso, 72)

Substitutes not used: 25-Jeffery Gal 

Head coach: Gregg Berhalter 

Stats Summary: MIN / CHI 

Shots: 26 / 11

Shots on Goal: 10 / 4

Saves: 4 / 5

Corner Kicks: 9 / 4

Fouls: 15 / 15

Offside: 3 / 0