Hugo Cuypers scores 2 goals moments apart, Fire beat Orlando City 3-1
Hugo Cuypers scores 2 goals moments apart, Fire beat Orlando City 3-1
Chicago Fire forward Hugo Cuypers (9) moves the ball past Orlando City defender David Brekalo (4) and defender Robin Jansson, second from right, during the second half of an MLS soccer match, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Chicago Fire defender Mauricio Pineda, left, clears the ball away from Orlando City midfielder Eduard Atuesta during the second half of an MLS soccer match, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Orlando City defender Alex Freeman, left, tries to control a pass in front of Chicago Fire defender Leonardo Barroso during the second half of an MLS soccer match, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Chicago Fire forward Tom Barlow, center, controls a head ball as he gets between Orlando City midfielder Eduard Atuesta (20) and defender Robin Jansson (6) during the second half of an MLS soccer match, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Chicago Fire forward Hugo Cuypers (9) moves the ball past Orlando City defender David Brekalo (4) and defender Robin Jansson, second from right, during the second half of an MLS soccer match, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Chicago Fire forward Hugo Cuypers (9) moves the ball past Orlando City defender David Brekalo (4) and defender Robin Jansson, second from right, during the second half of an MLS soccer match, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Chicago Fire defender Mauricio Pineda, left, clears the ball away from Orlando City midfielder Eduard Atuesta during the second half of an MLS soccer match, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Chicago Fire defender Mauricio Pineda, left, clears the ball away from Orlando City midfielder Eduard Atuesta during the second half of an MLS soccer match, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Orlando City defender Alex Freeman, left, tries to control a pass in front of Chicago Fire defender Leonardo Barroso during the second half of an MLS soccer match, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Orlando City defender Alex Freeman, left, tries to control a pass in front of Chicago Fire defender Leonardo Barroso during the second half of an MLS soccer match, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Chicago Fire forward Tom Barlow, center, controls a head ball as he gets between Orlando City midfielder Eduard Atuesta (20) and defender Robin Jansson (6) during the second half of an MLS soccer match, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Chicago Fire forward Tom Barlow, center, controls a head ball as he gets between Orlando City midfielder Eduard Atuesta (20) and defender Robin Jansson (6) during the second half of an MLS soccer match, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Phillip Zinckernagel opened the scoring in the fifth minute and added and assist, Hugo Cuypers scored two goals moments apart and the Chicago Fire beat Orlando City 3-1 on Saturday night,
Chris Brady had five saves for Chicago (6-5-4), which has won three of its last four games.
Zinckernagel took a pass from Mauricio Pineda a few yards outside the area, turned and ripped a shot the slipped through the fingers of goalkeeper Pedro Gallese to give the Fire a 1-0 lead.
Cuypers made it 2-0 in the 31st minute with a one-touch finish from the center of the area off a ball played in by Zinckernagel from the right side and scored his 10th goal of the season — matching his total from 2024 — to make it 3-0 in the 32nd. The 28-year-old in his second MLS season cut inside to evade a defender at the left corner of the area and then calmly rolled a shot inside the back post.
Cuypers is the first player in MLS since Miguel Berry on Aug. 27, 2021, to score goals in consecutive minutes.
Alex Freeman scored in the 40th minute for Orlando, the 20-year-old’s fourth goal of the season, when he flicked in a header off a corner kick played in by Martín Ojeda.
Orlando (7-4-6), which saw its 12-game unbeaten streak come to an end Wednesday with a 3-2 loss to Atlanta, has lost back-to-back games for the first time this season.
The teams played to a 0-0 tie on May 3 in Chicago.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer