Chicago Fire v Orlando City: Brady relishing postseason debut

Chicago Fireplace goalkeeper Chris Brady is relishing the chance to play within the first postseason recreation of his profession on Wednesday.

The Fireplace host Orlando Metropolis within the Japanese Convention Wild Card recreation after ending eighth following a Resolution Day draw towards the New England Revolution.

This might be Chicago’s first postseason look for the reason that 2017 marketing campaign, once they had been knocked out within the opening spherical.

Twenty-one-year-old Brady, who got here via the Chicago academy, revealed his delight in with the ability to characterize the Fireplace in a playoff recreation.

“Once I mirror on it myself, I believe lots concerning the final recreation we performed within the postseason,” mentioned Brady.

“I used to be there. I used to be within the stands. We went as a crew within the academy; I believe I used to be 13 or 14. It’s loopy to suppose that might have been the final time we would seem [in the postseason] till now.

“And that little little bit of realisation has been loopy to me, that now I’m on this place to assist the crew and assist this membership do one thing unbelievable.

“The truth that we’re right here, I’m very proud to be part of it.”

Our Playoff Historical past, a #cf97 pic.twitter.com/WD92KgY7Up

— X – Chicago Fireplace FC (@ChicagoFire) October 20, 2025

Orlando may have averted the Wild Card recreation altogether and even completed as excessive as fifth within the East, however they misplaced 4-2 towards Toronto FC on Resolution Day.

They’ve gained simply as soon as of their final six video games, together with back-to-back defeats to finish the regular-season.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Chicago Fireplace – Philip Zinckernagel

Philip Zinckernagel recorded 15 targets and 15 assists for the Fireplace this season, along with his 30 objective contributions essentially the most in a season in membership historical past.

Zinckernagel is one in all eight gamers in MLS historical past to document 15 targets and 15 assists in a season, together with one in all three (Anders Dreyer, Lionel Messi) to take action this season.

Orlando Metropolis – Martin Ojeda

Martín Ojeda set an Orlando membership document with 30 objective contributions this season.

His 14 assists had been additionally a membership document for a single season, whereas his 16 targets had been one shy of the perfect mark in crew historical past (17 by Cyle Larin in 2015).

MATCH PREDICTION – CHICAGO FIRE WIN

The Fireplace have reached the playoffs for simply the third time since 2010 (2012, 2017). Chicago haven’t superior a spherical within the postseason since defeating New England within the 2009 Convention Semifinals, over 5 years earlier than Orlando performed their first MLS match.

However, after lacking the playoffs in every of their first 5 MLS seasons, Orlando have reached the postseason in six straight years, the longest lively streak in MLS. And regardless of ending ninth within the East, Orlando’s 53 factors this season was their second-most in a single marketing campaign in crew historical past (63 in 2023).

That is the primary playoff assembly between Chicago and Orlando. The Fireplace posted a 3-1 win within the final assembly between the edges, on Might 31, after Orlando had gone unbeaten within the earlier eight encounters courting again to August 2021 (W5 D3).

Of their final six league matches, Chicago have gained three, drawn two and misplaced one. Orlando, in the meantime, have gained one, drawn three and misplaced two of their final six.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Chicago Fireplace – 43.1%

Draw – 26.7%

Orlando Metropolis – 30.2%