BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. — Chicago Fire FC delivered one of the biggest results of their Leagues Cup campaign Thursday night, defeating reigning Liga MX champions Cruz Azul 2-1 at SeatGeek Stadium. A stoppage-time winner from Puso Dithejane completed his brace and sent Chicago into the knockout stage with a perfect record.
The opening half was physical and tightly contested, with Cruz Azul producing some of the better early opportunities. Gabriel Fernández and Gonzalo Piovi both threatened from set pieces, but neither side managed to find the breakthrough before halftime. Cruz Azul would eventually finish the night with 17 shots and slightly more possession, but Chicago remained dangerous whenever space opened going forward.
Chicago appeared to break the deadlock early in the second half when Robert Lewandowski found the back of the net, but the goal was called off after he was ruled to have fouled Jeremy Márquez during the buildup. The Fire did not have to wait much longer.
In the 67th minute, Jonathan Dean helped create an opportunity inside the box before the ball eventually fell to Puso Dithejane, who controlled it and fired home to give Chicago a 1-0 advantage.
With elimination becoming a real possibility, La Máquina began pushing numbers forward. Chicago goalkeeper Chris Brady was forced into several important saves as Cruz Azul searched for an equalizer.
Their pressure finally paid off in the 81st minute. Carlos Rodríguez helped send the ball into the path of substitute Nicolás Ibáñez, who produced a powerful finish into the upper corner to bring Cruz Azul level at 1-1.
For a moment, the match appeared destined for a penalty shootout.
Then Chicago struck again. Deep into stoppage time, the Fire worked the ball down the right before Maren Haile-Selassie received possession inside the box. Dithejane continued his run toward the far post and was left open, allowing the South African winger to tap home his second goal of the night in the 93rd minute.
The late winner sealed a dramatic 2-1 victory and ended Cruz Azul's Leagues Cup run.
Dithejane's breakout performance capped off a perfect opening phase for Chicago, who finished 3-0-0 with nine points and ended the round as the highest-ranked MLS club in the tournament. The result also marked some revenge for the Fire after Cruz Azul defeated Chicago 2-0 when the clubs previously met in the 2019 Leagues Cup.
For Cruz Azul, the numbers told a frustrating story. La Máquina held 52.8 percent of possession and outshot Chicago 17-11, but the Fire put six attempts on target compared to Cruz Azul's five and ultimately made the biggest moments count.
Chicago now moves into the Leagues Cup quarterfinals, where they will host CF Monterrey on August 25 at SeatGeek Stadium.
For Cruz Azul, meanwhile, a tournament that began with hopes of another trophy ends at the hands of a Chicago side that continues to build momentum — and needed only one final run into the box to send La Máquina home.
.png)
