Jack McCarthy in the Chicago Tribune, “Draw sends Fire into play-in game”:
The Fire had hoped to avoid exactly this scenario.
Seth Gruen in the Chicago Sun-Times, “Fire ties D.C. United, will host Dynamo in play-in game”:
With the 1-1 tie against D.C. United, the Fire dropped to fourth in the East and will host the Houston Dynamo at 8 p.m. Wednesday in a play-in game.
Orrin Schwarz in the Daily Herald, “Fire just happy to be hosting play-in game”:
But the Fire (17-11-6, 57 points) could have avoided that midweek match altogether had it earned just 1 more point somewhere over the last seven months.
Ruben Tisch at Hot Time in Old Town “Recap: Fire Leave Points On The Table, Lose 1-1”:
The Chicago Fire needed a win to clinch the second seed and the third best record in MLS. The rewards would be avoiding the knockout round, and an almost guaranteed birth into the CONCACAF Champions League. Instead, the Fire let opportunities pass them by and left points on the table. In an exciting and frustrating game … the Fire and DC United played in a back and forth, up and down affair, quite different than the cagey defensive affair that most experts predicted. In the end, both teams were even in the only stat that counts- the scoreboard.
Ives Galcarp at Soccer By Ives, “Hamid makes clutch late saves to help D.C. United salvage draw in Chicago, clinch second place in East”:
[DC keeper Bill] Hamid made a handful of world-class saves while [Nick] DeLeon made the final, and most important stop by throwing himself in front of a goal-bound shot, to help D.C. United hold on for a 1-1 draw at Toyota Park on Saturday.
Steven Goff in the Washington Post, “
D.C. United ties Chicago FIre, clinches second place in MLS Eastern Conference”:
United then survived ferocious pressure in stoppage time as Bill Hamid made multiple saves and the Fire (17-11-6, 57 points) squandered several inviting chances
mlssoccer.com has the highlights:
… and Opta chalkboard.