09/26/26 08:59:00
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09/26 20:55 CDT Johan Gmez, Josh Cohen help Fire finish season sweep of
Charlotte with 1-0 victory
Johan Gmez, Josh Cohen help Fire finish season sweep of Charlotte with 1-0
victory
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) --- Johan Gmez scored his first career goal in the second
half to back a clean sheet from Josh Cohen in his first start for Chicago, and
the Fire finished a season sweep of Charlotte FC with a 1-0 victory on Saturday
night.
Chicago (12-8-6) pulled within a point of fourth-place Charlotte (12-8-7) in
the Eastern Conference. The top four earn homefield advantage in the best-of-3
first round of the playoffs.
Charlotte had gone 5-0-3 since losing 2-1 to the Fire at Soldier Field to start
August.
Gmez used an assist from defender Jack Elliott off a corner kick from Philip
Zinckernagel in the 58th minute to give Chicago a 1-0 lead in his fourth MLS
match.
Djibril Diani missed a chance to tie it when his shot hit the left post in the
59th.
The 34-year-old Cohen needed to make just one save for the shutout in his third
career start. He made two starts and three appearances for Atlanta United in
2024.
Kristijan Kahlina finished with eight saves for Charlotte. Kahlina had six
saves in a scoreless first half --- three of them in a 5-minute span --- and
Cohen wasn't tested.
Chicago had lost two straight entering play following a seven-match unbeaten
run. The Fire improve to 5-4-5 on the road.
Defender Tim Ream was tagged with a red card in second-half stoppage time and
will miss the next match for Charlotte, which falls to 7-3-4 at home.
Up next
Chicago: Hosts Vancouver Whitecaps on Oct. 6.
Charlotte: Hosts FC Dallas on Oct. 10.
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