Chicago Fire 3, Philadelphia Union 4 | 2018 MLS Match Recap

In a key matchup for playoff positioning in the East, the Philadelphia Union leapfrogged the Chicago Fire thanks to a finish for the ages.

Playing against his former team, David Accam scored his first MLS goal of the season deep into stoppage time to lift Philly to a wild 4-3 road win over Chicago on Wednesday night at Toyota Park, just moments after Bastian Schweinsteiger's last-gasp equalizer.

Before the two dramatic stoppage-time goals, Cory Burke logged his first MLS brace in just his third start of the season, filling in for the slumping CJ Sapong. Haris Medunjanin opened the scoring for the Union, who are now tied with Montreal for sixth place in the East with 24 points.

The Fire remain one point back in the standings, despite a big game from Aleksandar Katai, who was permanently acquired by the club earlier the same day. He scored a second-half equalizer and also drew a first-half penalty, leading to a PK goal from Nemanja Nikolic. 

Goals

• 31' — PHI — Haris Medunjanin WATCH
• 39' — CHI — Nemanja Nikolic (PK) WATCH
• 45'+3' — PHI — Cory Burke WATCH
• 69' — CHI — Aleksandar Katai WATCH
• 73' — PHI — Cory Burke WATCH
• 90'+4' — CHI — Bastian Schweinsteiger WATCH
• 90'+5' — PHI — David Accam WATCH

Three Things

• THE BIG PICTURE: You don’t want to overstate these things in the moment but this certainly seems like the kind of win that can swing the momentum of a season for the Union — and, perhaps, for Accam, who’s been mired in a huge slump all year. From the Fire’s perspective, losing a home game to Philly isn’t the kind of thing a playoff team does, especially in this kind of fashion with so many defensive breakdowns.

• MOMENT OF THE MATCH: For Accam to score his first goal of the season in his old stadium would have been a cool enough storyline on its own. For him to do it it at the death on a scrappy individual run right when the Fire looked to have earned the tie with a huge goal of their own? Almost impossible to imagine.

  The game-winner.
  In the 95th minute.
  One minute after Chicago had tied it.
  Against his former club.
  
  Absolutely incredible, @iamdavidaccam. #CHIvPHIhttps://t.co/ukmdS139xL

  — Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 12, 2018

• MAN OF THE MATCH: Despite Accam’s late heroics, it was Burke who stole the show with a brace, including an impressive header in first-half stoppage time. The Jamaican striker now has four goals in three starts, and Union fans will almost certainly be clamoring for him to start over Sapong at center forward.

Next Up

• CHI: Saturday, July 14 at FC Dallas (8 pm ET | TV & Streaming Info)
• PHI: Wednesday, July 18 vs. Orlando City SC — US Open Cup Quarterfinal (7 pm ET)