Zinckernagel and Cuypers each score 2 goals, Fire beats slumping Sporting KC 5-0

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CHICAGO (AP) — Philip Zinckernagel and Hugo Cuypers scored two goals apiece, Maren Haile-Selassie added a goal and an assist, and the Chicago Fire beat Sporting Kansas City 5-0 on Saturday night.

Chicago (5-2-2) is unbeaten in its last five games, with four wins. Kansas City has lost five consecutive games.

Sporting (1-7-1), which has been outscored 18-3 during its skid, has a minus-18 goal differential this season, the worst in MLS.

Zinckernagel opened the scoring in the 52nd minute. John Pulskamp made a diving stop on a penalty kick by Cuypers, but Zinckernagel put away the rebound from point-blank range.

The 31-year-old midfielder — who had 15 goals and 15 assists in his first MLS campaign last season — has a goal in back-to-back games.

Zinckernagel scored from the center of the area in the 65th minute and played a cross to Cuypers for a first-touch finish in the 73rd. Haile-Selassie, on the counter-attack, cut back to evade Pulskamp at the edge of the 18-yard box and put away an empty-netter in the 79th, and Cuypers capped the scoring in the eighth minute of stoppage time.

The Fire had 69% possession and outshot Kansas City 18-7, 7-1 on target.

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