Tai Baribo scores 2 goals, Union beats Fire 3-0 to sweep first-round series

By Canadian Press on November 1, 2025.

CHICAGO (AP) — Tai Baribo scored two early goals and the Philadelphia Union beat the Chicago Fire 3-0 on Saturday to sweep the best-of-three first-round series in the MLS Cup playoffs.

Philadelphia, the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, will host fourth-seeded Charlotte or No. 5 seed New York City in the one-game conference semifinals.

Baribo dispossessed goalkeeper Jeff Gal, who started in place of the injured Chris Brady, at the edge of the 18-yard box and rolled his next touch into a wide-open net to open the scoring in the sixth minute. Then, in the 16th, Wagner’s header from in front of the goal, off a entry played by Kai Wagner, made it 2-0.

Bruno Damiani gave the Union a 3-0 lead in the 35th. Milan Iloski blocked a failed clearance attempt by Gal, who made his eighth appearance and seventh start of 2025, and Damiani put away a first-touch shot from the center of the area.

Andre Blake had two saves for the Union.

Gal did not stop a shot.

Philadelphia, which won both regular season matchups with the Fire by a combined score of 5-0 and held on to win Game 1 on penalty kicks (4-2), has won four straight against Chicago.

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Associated Press