Chicago United took three points from their Group Stage fixture against Fort Lauderdale on Saturday night, winning 3-1 at home. The match was played on 23 August 2026 in the MLS Next Pro competition, and the hosts moved clear of the visitors at the halfway stage of the group.
C. Abadia-Reda opened the scoring in the 27th minute, giving Chicago United an early advantage. Fort Lauderdale responded through D. Borso, who converted a penalty in the 48th minute to level things up. Then B. Williams restored the home side's lead in the 54th minute, and by then the momentum had shifted firmly. D. Boltz sealed the result with a third goal in the 59th minute.
Substitutions came thick and fast in the second half, with the hosts bringing on C. Abadia-Reda and J. Ortela together in the 72nd minute. Fort Lauderdale made three changes around the same period, including D. Villanueva in the 75th minute and R. Fleming in the 80th. Two yellow cards were shown — O. Pineda for the visitors just before half-time, and J. Ortela for the hosts shortly after the restart.
The result keeps Chicago United fourth in the table after 25 games, sitting on 39 points from 13 wins and 12 defeats. Fort Lauderdale remain in eighth place with just 15 points from four victories in 25 matches. The hosts had lost their previous outing 2-1 to Atlanta United II, but this performance felt like a recovery.
For Fort Lauderdale, the defeat extends a difficult run. They have only beaten two of their last five matches, including a 4-2 win over New England II and a 2-1 victory against Toronto II. The gap between the sides in the table remains significant, and this result does little to close it.