Chicago Fire FC came from behind to secure a 3-1 victory over Santos Laguna on Sunday at SeatGeek Stadium, maintaining their unbeaten record in the 2026 Leagues Cup.

Match Overview

Santos Laguna opened the scoring in the 20th minute when Ezequiel Bullaude found the net with a low shot from the right side of the box, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead. Chicago Fire had several opportunities to equalize before halftime, with Jonathan Bamba forcing a save from goalkeeper Carlos Acevedo in the 34th minute. Robert Lewandowski also had two attempts that went over the crossbar.

At halftime, Chicago made three substitutions, introducing Sergio Oregel Jr., Philip Zinckernagel, and Andrew Gutman. The changes paid off as Zinckernagel scored the equalizer in the 72nd minute, finishing with his left foot from inside the box to level the match at 1-1.

Decisive Moments

Chicago took the lead for the first time in the 90th minute when Robin Lod scored from the center of the box, assisted by Anton Salétros. Just three minutes later, Lewandowski added a third goal for Chicago, following up on a saved shot from Zinckernagel to secure a 3-1 comeback victory. This marked Lewandowski's third goal in three matches for the Fire, having scored twice against Charlotte FC prior to this match.

The defeat eliminated Santos Laguna from the tournament, and they will conclude their campaign against the Philadelphia Union on Thursday. Chicago Fire improved to 2-0 in the 2026 Leagues Cup, putting them in a strong position to advance to the quarterfinals.

Coach's Comments

Chicago Fire Head Coach Gregg Berhalter expressed disappointment with his team's first-half performance, noting the lack of energy. He remarked, “We needed to get more structure in our attack... and then it's easy to defend.” He also praised Lewandowski, stating, “He’s still in preseason mode but didn't want to come off the field... happy for his effort and happy he was able to last all 97 minutes.”

With this win, Chicago has now scored two or more goals in seven of their last eight matches, while Santos has struggled, scoring only three goals and conceding 12 in their last five outings.