Andrew Gutman's Header Lifts Chicago Fire Past Toronto FC 2-1 as Hugo Cuypers' 10-Game Scoring Streak Ends

On a night when Hugo Cuypers finally ran out of goals, Chicago Fire FC found one from the least likely place on the team sheet. Left back Andrew Gutman rose at the top of the six-yard box in the 65th minute and flicked home a Philip Zinckernagel cross after a corner, and that header gave the Fire a 2-1 win over Toronto FC at Soldier Field on Saturday night.

It was Gutman's first goal of the season, for his hometown club no less, and it sent Chicago into the World Cup break on a three-game winning streak. Robin Lod had opened the scoring in the 22nd minute before Josh Sargent equalized for Toronto 12 minutes later.

Lod Opens, Sargent Answers

Toronto actually started the brighter side. Sargent forced Chris Brady into a save in the fifth minute off a Malik Henry cross, then had a shot blocked four minutes later, and Dániel Sallói fired wide after the ensuing corner.

Chicago settled and began to push through Zinckernagel, who had a free kick sail just over in the 15th minute and sent another effort high and wide four minutes later. The opener came from a quick combination in the 22nd minute. Per the Fire, Cuypers chased down a long ball and played it back to Maren Haile-Selassie, who laid it off for a charging Lod, and Lod slipped a right-footed finish past Luka Gavran into the bottom right corner.

Chicago nearly doubled the lead in a chaotic 27th minute, with Mauricio Pineda blocked, Anton Salétros denied by Gavran at the top right corner, and Zinckernagel missing from the middle of the box. That would come back to bite them.

In the 34th minute Toronto won the ball in midfield and broke. Alonso Coello, who according to the Fire started the move himself by recovering possession, slipped a through ball to Sargent on the right side of the box, and the forward smashed it into the top right corner. 1-1 at the half.

Toronto came out of the break with Zane Monlouis on for Nickseon Gomis and pushed for the lead. Derrick Etienne Jr. narrowly missed to the right from the left side of the box in the 49th minute, and two minutes later Sargent headed a Coello corner delivery wide. Chicago weathered it, and the game drifted toward the hour mark with neither side in control.

Star Turn: Gutman and Zinckernagel

Gutman's only shot of the night was the one that mattered. The Fire said it was his first goal since Sept. 27, 2025, when he also scored a game-winner in a 2-0 win over the Columbus Crew. He also picked up a 60th-minute yellow card, so it was a complete defender's evening: one booking, one header, three points.

Zinckernagel was the engine. He took three shots, committed four fouls and delivered the assist, which the club called the fifth game-winning assist of his career with Chicago. The Fire added that he now has a goal contribution in three consecutive matches, with seven assists and five goals this season.

Lod, making what the club said was his 150th regular season start in MLS, scored for the second time in three games. Haile-Selassie had the assist on the opener and two shots on target.

For Toronto, Sargent was the most dangerous player on the field before coming off in the 61st minute: five shots, two on target, one goal. Coello's vision created the equalizer, and Gavran made four saves.

The Cuypers Footnote

The other storyline was the goal that did not come. Cuypers entered the night looking to score in an 11th consecutive game, and Toronto shut him out. The Fire noted he remains only the third player to score in 10 consecutive regular season appearances in MLS, behind Carlos Vela (11) and Josef Martínez (15). He took two shots, one blocked and one wide in the 73rd minute, and was booked in the 40th.

ESPN credits only Haile-Selassie with the assist on Lod's goal, though the Fire's own box score also lists Cuypers for his part in the buildup.

The Turning Point

The winner came out of sustained pressure. In the 64th minute, Haile-Selassie's shot from a tight angle on the right was pushed away by Gavran for a corner, and from that corner Zinckernagel curled in the cross that Gutman met at the top of the six-yard box and steered into the bottom left corner. Gregg Berhalter had made two changes a few minutes earlier, sending on Djé D'Avilla and Joel Waterman.

Toronto threw everything forward late, including the goalkeeper. In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Gavran went up for a Toronto corner and got his head to a Coello cross, sending it wide to the right. Imagine the goalkeeper heading in an equalizer at Soldier Field. It nearly happened.

Stats That Matter

• Shots: Chicago 15, Toronto 11.
• Shots on target: Chicago 6, Toronto 4.
• Saves: Gavran 4, Brady 3.
• Possession: Chicago 53.1 percent.
• Yellow cards: Four apiece, including three in a 90+1 flurry for Theo Corbeanu, Jonathan Osorio and Brady.

What It Means

Chicago move to 8-2-4 with 26 points and head into the break on a three-game winning run, following wins at D.C. United and CF Montréal. They return July 16 at Soldier Field against the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Toronto fall to 3-5-6 with 14 points. Robin Fraser's side have now lost three straight and are winless in eight league matches, with four draws and four losses in that stretch. There were positives in Sargent's finish and Coello's passing, and Derrick Etienne Jr. looked lively before he was replaced in the 74th minute, which ESPN's feed listed as because of an injury. But the break comes at a useful time for a team searching for a result.

Closing Take

Every great heist movie has a guy nobody suspects. Chicago's star striker drew the attention, the wingers did the creating, and the left back walked out with the bag. Cuypers' streak ended; the Fire's winning one did not.

Stats from ESPN's match data. Additional details from chicagofirefc.com.