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)

A once-every-four-years report card on the upkeep of America's infrastructure gave it a “C” grade on Tuesday, up slightly from previous reports, largely due to investments made during former President Joe Biden's administration.

The report from the American Society of Civil Engineers, which examined everything from roads and dams to drinking water and railroads, warns that federal funding must be sustained or increased to avoid further deterioration and escalating costs.

“We have seen the investments start to pay off, but we still have a lot of work to do out there,” said Darren Olson, chair of this year’s report. He said decrepit infrastructure – from poor roads that damage cars to delayed flights to power outages that spoil groceries — hurts people and the economy.

“By investing in our infrastructure, we’re making our economy more efficient, we’re making it stronger (and) we’re making ourselves globally more competitive,” he said.

It’s especially critical that infrastructure can handle more extreme weather due to climate change, said Olson, noting hurricanes that devastated the East Coast and parts of Appalachia last year. The U.S. saw 27 weather disasters last year that cost at least $1 billion, second-most since 1980.

The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provided $550 billion in new infrastructure investments, but is set to expire in 2026. Another $30 billion came from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, including for projects focused on clean energy and climate change, the engineering group said.

President Donald Trump's administration has targeted some of Biden’s green policies. Public parks improved to a C-minus from a D-plus, for example, thanks in part to significant investments over several years. Recently, however, the Trump administration moved to slash National Park Service staffing.

In 2021, the U.S. earned a C-minus overall. The investments made since then are just a fraction of the $9.1 trillion that the civil engineers group estimates is needed to bring all of the nation’s current infrastructure into a state of good repair.

Even if current federal infrastructure funding were maintained, there still would be a $3.7 trillion gap over a decade, according to the report.

The bill to upgrade and maintain the nation’s roughly 50,000 water utilities, for example, is $625 billion over the next two decades, according to the federal government. The grade for drinking water was C-minus, unchanged from four years ago.

Many communities already struggling to maintain old, outdated drinking water systems also face new requirements to replace lead service line s and reduce per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, collectively known as PFAS.

The bipartisan infrastructure bill helped complete or start “a lot of really important projects,” said Scott Berry, director of policy and governmental affairs at the US Water Alliance. “But the gap has widened so much over the last couple of decades that a lot, lot more investment is going to be needed.”

The bill also provided billions to help the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers upgrade inland waterways, which move roughly $150 billion in commerce every year, improving the grade from a D-plus to a C-minus.

Barges on the Mississippi River, for example, carry enormous amounts of coal, soybeans, corn and other raw materials to international markets. But critical infrastructure like locks and dams — many built more than a half-century ago and requiring regular maintenance and repair — is often invisible to the public, making it easy to neglect, said Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition.

And when big projects are funded, it too often comes in stages, he said. That forces projects to pause until more money is appropriated, driving up costs for materials and labor.

“If we really want to make the taxpayer dollars stretch further, you have got to be able to bring a greater degree of predictability and reliability in how you fund these projects,” he said.

The report's focus on engineering and money misses the importance of adopting policies that could improve how people use and pay for infrastructure, according to Clifford Winston, a microeconomist in the Brookings Institution’s economic studies program.

“You fail to make the most efficient use of what you have,” said Winston. For example, he noted that congestion pricing like that recently adopted by New York City — charging people to drive in crowded areas — places the burden on frequent users and can pressure people to drive less, reducing the need for new bridges, tunnels and repairs.

Roads remain in chronically poor shape, receiving a D-plus compared to a D in the last report, despite $591 billion in investments since 2021.

Two categories, rail and energy, received lower grades. Disasters like the derailment of a train carrying dangerous chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio, in 2023 lowered rail’s previous B mark to a B-minus.

The energy sector, stressed by surging demand from data centers and electric vehicles, got a D-plus, down from C-minus.

Engineers say problems in many sectors have festered for so long that the nation must figure out how to address the shortcomings now or pay for them when systems fail.

On Wednesday, a delegation of engineers will visit Washington to talk to lawmakers about the funding impacts and “the importance of continuing that investment,” said Olson, who said the needs are a bipartisan issue.

“When we talk about it in ways of how better infrastructure saves the American family money, how better infrastructure supports economic growth, we’re really confident that ... there is strong support,” he said.

The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

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