Barlow Named Player of Matchday

NEW YORK (Monday, June 9, 2025) – Chicago Fire FC forward Tom Barlow was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Matchday for Matchday 18 of the 2025 MLS season. 

In his first start of the season, the 29-year-old forward stepped up and netted his first career hat trick to lead the charge in Chicago Fire FC’s explosive 7-1 victory against D.C. United. Saturday’s offensive outburst matched the Fire’s most goals in a single game in club history, equaling a 7-0 result against the Kansas City Wizards on July 4, 2001. Barlow became the first Fire player to score a hat trick since Oct. 15, 2017, when Nemanja Nikolić netted three against the Philadelphia Union.

Chicago’s attack has been on fire this season as the club’s 35 goals through 16 matches are second only to reigning Supporters’ Shield winner Inter Miami CF. Filling in for injured top scorer Hugo Cuypers, Barlow carried the banner for the Fire on Saturday, but seven other players contributed to goals during the offensive onslaught. With the result, the Fire climbed into the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs picture, currently sitting eighth in the Eastern Conference as it aims to return to the postseason for the first time since 2017. 

The Fire are the third team to net seven goals in a game this season, joining Nashville SC (April 26 vs. Chicago) and the New York Red Bulls (May 10 vs. LA Galaxy). Chicago and Nashville will clash again this weekend as at Soldier Field on Saturday, June 14 (8:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV). 

Barlow netted his first of the evening in the 30th minute, with the Fire already leading 2-0. Left back Andrew Gutman launched a long ball over the top of the defense and Barlow timed his run well to meet it, knocking it past outstretched D.C. goalkeeper Luis Barraza from 15 yards out for his first of the season. A quick counterattack sprung Barlow’s second in the 44th. Forward Jonathan Bamba played it to Maren Haile-Selassie on the run into the left side of the box and after some fancy footwork, the midfielder slid it to Barlow near the penalty spot, where he coolly slotted it home to the right side of the net. The forward found his third in the aftermath of a corner kick in the 65th. After an initial clearance, defender Leonard Barroso ripped a shot that the goalkeeper successfully parried before it bounced off the head of a defender and right to a waiting Barlow, who one-timed it with his left foot for the Fire’s sixth of the night.

This is the first Player of the Matchday award for Barlow in his seven-year MLS career. He’s the first Chicago Fire FC player to take home the honors since Cuypers won it for his performance on Matchday 24 last season, following his first career brace and a dramatic game-winner in a 4-3 victory against the Philadelphia Union.

The MLS Player of the Matchday is selected each matchday of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while an Instagram fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio, and online media.