Chicago Fire FC II Finishes Decision Day 2025 with Shootout Victory against Columbus Crew 2

Published on October 5, 2025 under MLS NEXT Pro (MLS NEXT Pro)
Chicago Fire FC II News Release

Chicago Fire FC II with possession against Columbus Crew 2
(Chicago Fire FC II)

The draw secures the most points earned by a Fire II squad in the Club's history at the end of the regular season as forward Jason Shokalook scored a brace that keeps him in the running for 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Golden Boot.

Trip Fleming and Shokalook combined to open the scoring in the 13th minute. The play started with a shot from Chase Nagle from the top of the box that met with traffic. Shokalook managed to tip the ball out as he was falling, where it landed at Fleming's feet. Fleming took a shot that deflected off Shokalook and into the net for the Pennsylvania native's 19th goal of the season.

Shokalook tallied his league-leading 20th goal of the season in the 37th minute after Jean Diouf sent a ball over the top on the right flank. Shokalook brought it down and carried it toward goal, finding himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper before slipping it into the back of the net.

Columbus pulled one back in the 42nd minute by way of Nico Rincon and leveled the score when Chase Adams' shot bounced off the crossbar and into the goal in the 48th minute.

Fire II regained the lead in the 59th minute when Shokalook carried the ball into the box and looked to get off a shot but the ball deflected off a defender and into the far lower corner of the net. Columbus leveled once again in the 86th minute to close out the scoring in regulation time.

In the shootout, Chicago Fire Academy goalkeeper David Molenda made two saves to give Chicago the additional point that broke the team's previous season point record of 47 set in 2024. Molenda finished the game with 10 saves to his credit.

NEXT MATCH: Chicago Fire FC II will learn its opponent for the first leg of the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro playoffs later this week following the Pick-Your-Opponent selection process that has been a staple of the MLS NEXT Pro postseason. Chicago will then open its third postseason appearance on the road in a match scheduled for the weekend of October 17. All MLS NEXT Pro Playoff matches and MLS NEXT Pro Cup will air live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

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Box Score:

Columbus Crew 2 3(2):3(3) Chicago Fire FC II

Goals:

CHI - Shokalook (19) (Fleming 5) (WATCH) 13'

CHI - Shokalook (20) (WATCH) 37'

CLB - Rincon (4) (Adams 2) (WATCH) 42'

CLB - Adams (10) (WATCH) 48'

CHI - Own Goal (Di Noto) (WATCH) 59'

CLB - GBamblé (6) (WATCH) 86'

Shootout:

Columbus Crew 2: Rincon (saved), Gbamble (scored), Granda (scored), Rogers (missed), Di Noto (saved)

Chicago Fire FC II: Borso (scored), Reynolds (scored), Shokalook (saved), Fleming (scored)

Discipline:

CLB - Elliot (Yellow Card) 15'

CHI - Reynolds (Yellow Card) 82'

Chicago Fire FC II: GK Molenda, D Fleming (capt.), D Diouf (Berg, 55'), D Cupps, D Reynolds, M Nagle, M Williams, M Poreba (Herrera, 87'), F Nigg (Kanyane, 87'), F Shokalook, F Borso

Substitutes not used: GK Peterson, M Calle, M B. Williams, F Turdean

Columbus Crew 2 II: GK Lapkes, D Ferdinand (Kone, 81'), D Rogers (capt.), D Camacho (Di Noto, 46'), M Elliot, M Sy (Granda, 72'), M Rincón, M Forfor (Auvray, 72'), F Gbamblé, F Adams, F Alaouieh

Substitutes not used: GK Zochowski, D Randazzo, M Tortola, F Willis, F Adu Gyamfi

Stats Summary: CLB / CHI

Shots: 23 / 15

Shots on Goal: 13 / 4

Passing Accuracy: 91% / 89.7%

Saves: 2 / 10

Corners: 6 / 6

Fouls: 15 / 14

Offsides: 2 / 0

Referee: Stephen Foster

Assistant Referee 1: Christopher Slane

Assistant Referee 2: Tre Gaither

Fourth Official: Bobby Johnson

Chicago Fire FC II with possession against Columbus Crew 2

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