Sporting Kansas City book playoff place with Chicago Fire win

Oct 11, 2014 at 1.30am UK

Zusi (80'), Dwyer (92')

FT(HT: 0-0)

Goals from Graham Zusi and Dominic Dwyer fire Sporting Kansas City to a 2-0 victory over the Chicago Fire to seal their place in the MLS playoffs.

Published: October 11 2014 | 03:51

Last updated: October 12 2014 | 14:20

Sporting Kansas City secured their place in the MLS playoffs courtesy of a 2-0 win over the Chicago Fire.

The home side were handed the chance to take the lead when Benny Feilhaber was fouled in the penalty area by Lovel Palmer in the 12th minute. Dominic Dwyer took the spot kick, but he blasted his effort over the bar.

The Fire should have taken the lead when a loose ball into the area fell at the feet of Matt Watson, but his volleyed effort was tipped past the post by Andy Gruenebaum.

Gruenebaum kept his side level again minutes later when he produced an excellent reaction stop to deny Quincy Amarikwa as the striker's low effort looked destined for the bottom corner.

Kansas City almost went ahead when Dwyer did well down the left as he cut the ball back to Feilhaber, but his strike from the edge of the area was tipped onto the post by Sean Johnson.

The home side kept pressing in the second half and a solo run from Dwyer almost yielded a goal, but his left-footed shot curled just past the post.

However, in the 80th minute Kansas City finally took the lead when Graham Zusi drove at goal and powered a shot past Johnson into the top corner.

Dwyer made sure his side booked their place in the playoffs when he notched his 21st goal of the season in stoppage time to seal the win.

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Eastern Conference

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
1	Inter Miami Inter Miami	34	22	8	4	79	49	30	74
2	Columbus Crew	34	19	9	6	72	40	32	66
3	FC Cincinnati Cincinnati	34	18	5	11	58	48	10	59
4	Orlando City	34	15	7	12	59	50	9	52
5	Charlotte FC Charlotte FC	34	14	9	11	46	37	9	51
6	New York City FC NY City	34	14	8	12	54	49	5	50
7	New York Red Bulls NY Red Bulls	34	11	14	9	55	50	5	47
8	CF Montreal Montreal	34	11	10	13	48	64	-16	43
9	Atlanta United Atlanta	34	10	10	14	46	49	-3	40
10	DC United	34	10	10	14	52	70	-18	40
11	Philadelphia Union Philadelphia	34	9	10	15	62	55	7	37
12	Toronto	34	11	4	19	40	61	-21	37
13	Nashville SC Nashville	34	9	9	16	38	54	-16	36
14	New England Revolution New England	34	9	4	21	37	74	-37	31
15	Chicago Fire	34	7	9	18	40	62	-22	30

Western Conference

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
1	Los Angeles FC Los Angeles	34	19	7	8	63	43	20	64
2	Los Angeles Galaxy LA Galaxy	34	19	7	8	69	50	19	64
3	Real Salt Lake Salt Lake	34	16	11	7	65	48	17	59
4	Seattle Sounders Seattle	34	16	9	9	51	35	16	57
5	Houston Dynamo Houston	34	15	9	10	47	39	8	54
6	Minnesota United Minnesota Utd	34	15	7	12	58	49	9	52
7	Colorado Rapids Colorado	34	15	5	14	61	60	1	50
8	Portland Timbers Portland	34	12	11	11	65	56	9	47
9	Vancouver Whitecaps Vancouver	34	13	8	13	52	49	3	47
10	Austin FC Austin	34	11	9	14	39	48	-9	42
11	Dallas	34	11	8	15	54	56	-2	41
12	St Louis City	34	8	13	13	50	63	-13	37
13	Sporting Kansas City Kansas	34	8	7	19	51	66	-15	31
14	San Jose Earthquakes Earthquakes	34	6	3	25	41	78	-37	21