With everything to play for Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field, the Chicago Fire shot themselves in the foot, and ended their own season. An error-filled 4-3 loss to New York City FC means the Fire will miss the MLS Playoffs for the third straight season.
Despite only winning five games all season, Chicago entered the match needing a win to clinch one of the final two spots in the Eastern Conference. While the team’s attack was strong on the day, defensive mistakes cost the team a spot in the postseason.
“We struggled against a very good team defensively, but that’s not only the defenders,” Fire head coach Raphael Wicky said after the match.