This one burns deep.
Seven assist providers, five different scorers, and a hat trick – all in a day’s work in D.C. for Chicago Fire FC.
Tom Barlow’s first MLS hat trick stole the headlines, as the visitors crushed D.C. United, 7-1, helping Gregg Berhalter and his squad climb back up into the playoff places.
Unlikely hat-trick hero
Barlow made the most of his first start of the season, delivering a clinical performance in the nation’s capital. He went on to score his first-ever MLS hat trick, netting goals in the 30th, 44th, and 65th minutes, setting the tone for what would be a long night for the hosts.
“I did think about it for a second. It did pop in my head,” shared Barlow about the potential of notching a hat trick. “I thought it would be nice to get that third one, and when it went in, I was very happy.
"Most importantly, though, we got the win.”
Barlow’s hat trick marks the first for the Fire since October 15, 2017, when Nemanja Nikolić netted one against the Philadelphia Union at SeatGeek Stadium.
“I remember watching him for the Fire – he was obviously an incredible goal scorer,” Barlow told reporters at Audi Field. “To be the first to do it since him is pretty special.”
Multi-faceted attack
Even without key contributors like Belgian striker Hugo Cuypers, the Fire lit up the scoreboard – Chicago boasts the second-most potent offense in MLS, with 35 goals through 16 matches. They trail only Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, and the rest of Inter Miami’s star-studded squad.
It wasn’t just about scoring them. Seven different players notched assists, including two from left back Andrew Gutman, who now sits at eight goal contributions this season (2g/6a).
“He did it in training this week, you know,” Berhalter said of Gutman. “Andrew is a guy who has had a solid season so far, and we want to continue to grow and push him to new heights.”
No Cuypers, no problem
On a night when Chicago put seven past the opposition's goalkeeper, few would have expected that Cuypers wouldn’t appear on the scoresheet, or even the roster.
“They [D.C. United] outplayed us in the first game at home, and we wanted revenge. We talked with a lot of the guys who haven’t been getting playing time,” shared Berhalter. “We talked about, ‘We need them. We need them desperately.’”
Swiss midfielder Maren Haile-Selassie notched his first of the year, while Jonathan Bamba and Philip Zinckernagel added their third and seventh goals of the season, respectively.
The Fire now shift their focus to Nashville SC, a team that scored seven against them earlier this season, when the sides meet at Soldier Field next Saturday (8:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).
“We went to their place and it wasn’t a good result for us, and that’s something we want to prepare for, especially at home," Barlow said. "I’m focused on getting back to training, getting back to work.”
