Evander's Hat Trick Lifts FC Cincinnati Past Chicago Fire in Dramatic 3-2 Victory

Key facts

• Evander scored his first career hat trick for FC Cincinnati, including a penalty in the 90'+7 minute.
• Hugo Cuypers scored twice for Chicago Fire, in the 16th and 28th minutes.
• FC Cincinnati goalkeeper Roman Celentano set a career high with eight saves, including a penalty save against Cuypers.
• Cincinnati played a man down from the 56th minute after Kyle Smith received a red card.
• The match drew an attendance of 18,639 at Soldier Field.
• Evander has five goals this MLS season and six multi-goal performances for Cincinnati since 2025.

Late Drama at Soldier Field

FC Cincinnati snatched a 3-2 victory over Chicago Fire FC on Saturday night at Soldier Field, with Brazilian midfielder Evander converting a stoppage-time penalty to complete his first career hat trick. The win lifts Cincinnati to 4-4-3 (15 points) while handing Chicago a bitter defeat after a match they dominated statistically. The visitors played the final 34 minutes with ten men after defender Kyle Smith was sent off in the 56th minute, yet still found a way to win. It marked only the second time in club history that Cincinnati won a match after going down a man while tied or trailing.

First-Half Fireworks

The match exploded into life early as both teams traded goals in a frenetic opening half. Chicago's Hugo Cuypers opened the scoring in the 16th minute, but Evander equalized in the 24th. Cuypers struck again in the 28th minute, only for Evander to respond three minutes later, sending the teams into halftime tied 2-2. Cuypers' brace came from assists by Philip Zinckernagel and Anton Salétros, while Evander's first two goals were set up by Kenji Mboma Dem and Gerardo Valenzuela. Mboma Dem's assist was his first in MLS.

Celentano's Heroics and a Red Card

Chicago dominated the second half, outshooting Cincinnati 32-11 overall and 10-4 on target, but goalkeeper Roman Celentano stood firm. He made a career-high eight saves, the most crucial coming in the first minute of second-half stoppage time when he denied Cuypers from the penalty spot. Cincinnati's task became harder when Kyle Smith was shown a red card in the 56th minute, forcing the visitors to defend deep. Despite the numerical disadvantage, they held on until Evander's late penalty.

Milestones and Returns

The match featured several notable individual achievements. Pavel Bucha made his 100th appearance for FC Cincinnati across all competitions, becoming the 11th player in club history to reach that mark; 96 of those appearances have been starts. Defenders Nick Hagglund and Matt Miazga returned from injury as second-half substitutes, with Hagglund playing for the first time since April 18 and Miazga since April 11. Evander's hat trick was his sixth multi-goal performance for Cincinnati since joining the club in 2025. He has now scored in three of the team's last four matches and has five goals this MLS season.

Statistical Disparity

Chicago dominated the statistical sheet, recording 32 shots to Cincinnati's 11, 10 corner kicks to one, and 52.4% possession. However, the Fire managed only one save from goalkeeper Chris Brady, while Celentano's eight saves proved decisive. The match also saw five yellow cards and one red, with Cincinnati's Kévin Denkey and Ayoub Lajhar booked alongside Chicago's Dje D'Avila and Cincinnati's Andrei Chirila in stoppage time. The result leaves Chicago with a mixed feeling after a strong recent run, while Cincinnati gains valuable road points as they sit ninth in the Eastern Conference.

What's Next

FC Cincinnati remain on the road for their next MLS match, facing Charlotte FC on Saturday, May 9 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and will air globally on Apple TV. Chicago Fire will look to rebound from the defeat as they continue their season. Cincinnati's ability to win while a man down and on the road could prove a turning point for a team that has struggled to hold leads this season.

The bottom line

• Evander's stoppage-time penalty completed his first career hat trick and secured a 3-2 win for FC Cincinnati.
• Roman Celentano's eight saves, including a penalty stop, set a career high and kept Cincinnati in the match.
• Cincinnati played a man down for 34 minutes after Kyle Smith's red card but still won, only the second such win in club history.
• Hugo Cuypers scored twice for Chicago, but the Fire failed to convert their statistical dominance into a win.
• Pavel Bucha made his 100th appearance for FC Cincinnati, becoming the 11th player to reach that milestone.