D.C. United Scores Late Winner Over Chicago Fire

Tai Baribo converts stoppage-time penalty kick to lift D.C. United to 2-1 victory.

Mar. 15, 2026 at 4:21am

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In a dramatic finish, Tai Baribo scored on a penalty kick in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time to give D.C. United a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Fire on Saturday night. The match was scoreless until the 81st minute when Hugo Cuypers converted a penalty kick to give the Fire a brief lead, before Baribo's late heroics secured the win for D.C. United.

Why it matters

The late comeback win for D.C. United keeps them in the playoff hunt in the Eastern Conference, while the loss is a tough blow for the struggling Chicago Fire as they continue to search for consistency this season.

The details

With the match tied 1-1 in the final minutes, D.C. United was awarded a penalty kick in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Tai Baribo stepped up and calmly converted the spot kick to give his team the dramatic victory.

  • The match was scoreless until the 81st minute.
  • Hugo Cuypers gave the Chicago Fire a 1-0 lead with his penalty kick in the 81st minute.
  • Tai Baribo scored the winning goal for D.C. United in the 95th minute on a penalty kick.

The players

Tai Baribo

The D.C. United forward scored the game-winning penalty kick in stoppage time to lift his team to victory.

Hugo Cuypers

The Chicago Fire midfielder scored on a penalty kick in the 81st minute to give his team a brief lead.

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What they’re saying

“That was a huge win for us. The guys never gave up and Tai stepped up big in the final minutes.”

— D.C. United Head Coach (D.C. United Twitter)

What’s next

D.C. United will look to build on this late victory as they continue their push for a playoff spot, while the Chicago Fire will try to regroup and find a way to end their recent skid.

The takeaway

D.C. United's dramatic comeback win showcases the team's resilience and ability to grind out results, even when facing a late deficit on the road. The loss is another tough pill to swallow for the struggling Chicago Fire, who will need to find a way to turn things around quickly if they hope to stay in the playoff race.