Chicago Fire, Portland Timbers advance with MLS Cup wild card wins

VIDEO SHOWS: HIGHLIGHTS OF MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER WILDCARD MATCHES BETWEEN CHICAGO FIRE V ORLANDO CITY AND PORTLAND TIMBERS V REAL SALT LAKE SHOTLIST TO FOLLOW SHOWS: PORTLAND, OREGON, UNITED STATES  (OCTOBER 22, 2025) (SOCCER UNITED MARKETING – Editorial use only. No more than two minutes use per match. Must on screen courtesy 'MLS on Apple'. No use after December 31, 2025. No monetisation. No resales. No sublicensing) CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 22, 2025) (SOCCER UNITED MARKETING – Editorial use only. No more than two minutes use per match. Must on screen courtesy 'MLS on Apple'. No use after December 31, 2025. No monetisation. No resales. No sublicensing) STORY: Hugo Cuypers scored twice as the Chicago Fire picked up their first playoff win in 16 years with a dominating 3-1 win over Orlando City in an Eastern Conference wild-card match on Wednesday (October 22). Brian Gutierrez also scored for Fire, who ended the longest playoff-victory drought in Major League Soccer (MLS) history. It was also Chicago's first post-season match since 2017. The Fire next face Philadelphia Union, with the first of the best-of-three series taking place on Sunday (October 26). Tyrese Spicer scored the lone goal for Orlando City, who struggled to make much of an offensive impact. Elsewhere, Felipe Mora's first-half brace snapped an extended drought and helped lift the Portland Timbers to a 3-1 victory over visiting Real Salt Lake. Kamal Miller's late header gave Portland some insurance as the Timbers sealed a first-round series meeting with San Diego FC. (Production: Aadi Nair)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)