Trio helps Chicago beat Whitecaps 3-1 for Fire's first 3-match win streak on road since 2009

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Hugo Cuypers scored in the first minute, Philip Zinckernagel had an assist and his first career goal and Rominigue Kouamé played just eight minutes and scored in his debut as the Chicago Fire rallied to hand the Vancouver Whitecaps their first loss of the season with a 3-1 victory at BC Place on Saturday night.

Chicago has won three straight matches on the road for the first time since 2009.

Cuypers scored 53 seconds into the match to give the Fire (3-1-1) the lead. All five of Cuypers' goals this season have come in the last four matches. Zinckernagel notched his second assist in his fourth career start and appearance.

Daniel Ríos pulled the Whitecaps (4-1-0) even in the 14th minute with his first goal in his first start and fourth appearance this season. Ríos scored 19 goals over four seasons with three previous clubs before joining Vancouver. Jayden Nelson had the helper on the score and has already collected a career-high four assists this season. The 22-year-old midfielder had three assists in 45 career appearances with Toronto FC.

Zinckernagel scored the winner unassisted in the 62nd minute.

Kouamé capped the scoring in the fifth minute of stoppage time after entering in the 87th minute. Maren Haile-Selassie notched his first assist this season and the 13th of his career in his third season.

Chris Brady totaled one save in goal for the Fire.

Yohei Takaoka saved two shots for the Whitecaps, who became the seventh team in league history to win four straight matches to begin the season.

Vancouver hadn't allowed a goal in 231 minutes until Cuypers struck quickly.

The Fire posted a 3-1 victory in its last trip to Vancouver in 2022. The Whitecaps lead the series 7-4-3.

The Whitecaps travel to play Toronto FC on Saturday. The Fire will host CF Montreal on Saturday.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer

Chicago Fire's Jonathan Bamba, top left, leaps to avoid a tackle as Vancouver Whitecaps' Bjorn Inge Utvik slides and takes the ball away from him during the second half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Whitecaps' Emmanuel Sabbi, front, and Chicago Fire's Leonardo Barroso vie for the ball during the second half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Chicago Fire's Jonathan Bamba, back right, and Philip Zinckernagel celebrate Zinckernagel's goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the second half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Chicago Fire's Justin Reynolds blocks a Vancouver Whitecaps shot during the second half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Chicago Fire's Jonathan Bamba, left, and Philip Zinckernagel celebrate Zinckernagel's goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the second half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Whitecaps' Liam Mackenzie, left, and Chicago Fire's Jack Elliott vie for the ball during the second half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Whitecaps' Daniel Rios, left, and Chicago Fire's Jack Elliott vie for the ball during the second half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Whitecaps' Liam Mackenzie moves the ball during the second half of an MLS soccer match against the Chicago Fire, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Whitecaps' Emmanuel Sabbi, left, and Chicago Fire's Carlos Teran vie for the ball during the second half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Whitecaps' Sebastian Berhalter, right, and Chicago Fire's Jonathan Bamba vie for the ball during the second half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Chicago Fire's Hugo Cuypers, center, scores as Vancouver Whitecaps' Bjorn Inge Utvik defends during the first half of an MLS soccer match, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Whitecaps' Edier Ocampo reacts after missing a scoring opportunity against the Chicago Fire during the second half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Chicago Fire goalkeeper Chris Brady (1) collides with Vancouver Whitecaps' Liam Mackenzie, back, and teammate Andrew Gutman during the first half of an MLS soccer match, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Chicago Fire's Andrew Gutman, left, and Vancouver Whitecaps' Edier Ocampo vie for the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Chicago Fire's Hugo Cuypers (9) and Philip Zinckernagel (11) celebrate Cuypers' goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the first half of an MLS soccer match, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Whitecaps' Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau, back, is upended by Chicago Fire's Justin Reynolds during the second half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Whitecaps' Daniel Rios celebrates his goal against the Chicago Fire during the first half of an MLS soccer match, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Chicago Fire's Sam Rogers, left, and teammate Jack Elliott collide during the first half of an MLS soccer match against the Vancouver Whitecaps, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sorensen stands on the sideline during the first half of an MLS soccer match against the Chicago Fire, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sorensen walks the sideline during the first half of an MLS soccer match against the Chicago Fire, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

RHO, Italy (AP) — No ice is colder and harder than speedskating ice. The precision it takes has meant that Olympic speedskaters have never competed for gold on a temporary indoor rink – until the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games.

In the pursuit of maximum glide and minimum friction, Olympic officials brought on ice master Mark Messer, a veteran of six previous Olympic speedskating tracks and the ice technician in charge of the Olympic Oval in Calgary, Canada — one of the fastest tracks in the world with over 300 records.

Messer has been putting that experience to work one thin layer of ice at a time since the end of October at the new Speed Skating Stadium, built inside adjacent trade fair halls in the city of Rho just north of Milan.

“It’s one of the biggest challenges I’ve had in icemaking,’’ Messer said during an interview less than two weeks into the process.

If Goldilocks were a speedskater, hockey ice would be medium hard, for fast puck movement and sharp turns. Figure skating ice would be softer, allowing push off for jumps and so the ice doesn’t shatter on landing. Curling ice is the softest and warmest of all, for controlled sliding.

For speedskating ice to be just right, it must be hard, cold and clean. And very, very smooth.

“The blades are so sharp, that if there is some dirt, the blade will lose the edge,’’ Messer said, and the skater will lose speed.

Speedskater Enrico Fabris, who won two Olympic golds in Turin in 2006, has traded in his skates to be deputy sports manager at the speedskating venue in Rho. For him, perfect ice means the conditions are the same for all skaters — and then if it's fast ice, so much the better.

"It's more of a pleasure to skate on this ice,'' he said.

Messer’s first Olympics were in Calgary in 1988 — the first time speedskating was held indoors. “That gave us some advantages because we didn’t have to worry about the weather, wind blowing or rain,’’ he said. Now he is upping the challenge by becoming the first ice master to build a temporary rink for the Olympics.

Before Messer arrived in Italy, workers spent weeks setting up insulation to level the floor and then a network of pipes and rubber tubes that carry glycol — an antifreeze — that is brought down to minus 7 or minus 8 degrees Celsius (17.6 to 19.4 degrees Fahrenheit) to make the ice.

Water is run through a purification system — but it can’t be too pure, or the ice that forms will be too brittle. Just the right amount of impurities “holds the ice together,’’ Messer said.

The first layers of water are applied slowly, with a spray nozzle; after the ice reaches a few centimeters it is painted white — a full day’s work — and the stripes are added to make lanes.

“The first one takes about 45 minutes. And then as soon as it freezes, we go back and do it again, and again and again. So we do it hundreds of times,’’ Messer said.

As the ice gets thicker, and is more stable, workers apply subsequent layers of water with hoses. Messer attaches his hose to hockey sticks for easier spreading.

What must absolutely be avoided is dirt, dust or frost — all of which can cause friction for the skaters, slowing them down. The goal is that when the skaters push “they can go as far as possible with the least amount of effort,’’ Messer said.

The Zamboni ice resurfacing machine plays a key role in keeping the track clean, cutting off a layer and spraying water to make a new surface.

One challenge is gauging how quickly the water from the resurfacing machine freezes in the temporary rink.

Another is getting the ice to the right thickness so that the Zamboni, weighing in at six tons, doesn’t shift the insulation, rubber tubing or ice itself.

“When you drive that out, if there’s anything moving it will move. We don’t want that,’’ Messer said.

The rink got its first big test on Nov. 29-30 during a Junior World Cup event. In a permanent rink, test events are usually held a year before the Olympics, leaving more time for adjustments. “We have a very small window to learn,’’ Messer acknowledged.

Dutch speedskater Kayo Vos, who won the men’s neo-senior 1,000 meters, said the ice was a little soft — but Messer didn’t seem too concerned.

“We went very modest to start, now we can start to change the temperatures and try to make it faster and still maintain it as a safe ice,’’ he said.

Fine-tuning the air temperature and humidity and ice temperature must be done methodically — taking into account that there will be 6,000 spectators in the venue for each event. The next real test will be on Jan. 31, when the Olympians take to the ice for their first training session.

“Eighty percent of the work is done but the hardest part is the last 20 percent, where we have to try to find the values and the way of running the equipment so all the skaters get the same conditions and all the skaters get the best conditions,’’ Messer said.

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Serpentines are set on the ice of the stadium where speed skating discipline of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will take place, in Rho, outskirt of Milan, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Ice Master Mark Messer poses in the stadium where speed skating discipline of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will take place, in Rho, outskirt of Milan, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Workers clean the ice surface during a peed skating Junior World Cup and Olympic test event, in Rho, near Milan, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Ice Master Mark Messer poses in the stadium where speed skating discipline of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will take place, in Rho, outskirt of Milan, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Ice Master Mark Messer poses in the stadium where speed skating discipline of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will take place, in Rho, outskirt of Milan, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)