Chicago Fire clinch playoff berth with 5-3 win over Inter Miami
Chicago Fire scored twice in the final 10 minutes to beat Inter Miami 5-3 on Tuesday night at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, clinching the Fire's first MLS Cup Playoff berth since 2017 and leaving Inter Miami's Supporters Shield hopes in serious jeopardy.
Djé D'Avila opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a header from a corner and Jonathan Dean doubled the lead on a breakaway in the 31st. Tomás Avilés pulled one back for Miami in the 39th minute after a scramble following a Lionel Messi corner, but Rominigue Kouamé restored Chicago's two-goal cushion with a strike just before halftime to make it 3-1.
Inter Miami rallied after the break. Luis Suárez converted in the 57th minute and curled in a second in the 74th to equalize at 3-3, and Miami dominated stretches of the second half, including a Messi shot that struck the post. Chicago, however, regained control late. Justin Reynolds finished a low cross at the back post in the 80th minute and Brian Gutierrez hammered a long-range shot into the top corner three minutes later to seal the victory.
The result moved Chicago into the playoff places, putting the club into the postseason for the first time in eight years. Inter...