MLS Decision Day recap

Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls captured the Supporters’ Shield for best regular-season record on Sunday with a 2-1 win over Chicago Fire on the final day of the campaign.

New York Red Bulls have run away with the Eastern Conference this year after consistent performances throughout this term.

Regardless that the Red Bulls have clearly struggled against the Fire in Chicago, they will need to put that aside if they want to win the Supporters’ Shield.

With 10 matches in the span of a few four hours, there were six playoff spots still up for grabs, as well as two knockout-round byes, and the Supporters’ Shield victor still to be decided. The win also marked the franchise’s first-ever victory at Toyota Park, and sends New York into the Eastern Conference Semifinals, which begin November 1 at the home of a to-be-determined opponent. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, after MLS moved the start time to coincide with kick off for the FC Dallas – San Jose match, as the Red Bulls and Dallas vie for the Shield.

Bradley Wright-Phillips couldn’t match last year’s Golden Boot-winning haul of 27 goals but led the team with 17, while offseason acquisition Sacha Kljestan, who scored from the spot against the Fire, had 13 assists. Wright-Phillips was left unmarked and he easily tapped the ball in the back of the net for his 17th goal of the season.

The New England Revolution earned a playoff spot with a 3-1 victory over New York City, Columbus wrap up second place in the Eastern Conference with a commanding 5-0 victory over D.C. United, the Montreal Impact edged Toronto FC 2-1 and the Philadelphia Union defeated Orlando City 1-0.

The Fire finish the season with the league’s worst record, 8-20-6, 30 pts, while New York (18-10-6, 60 pts) clinches home field advantage throughout the MLS Playoffs. They will play host to No. 5 seed and defending MLS Cup champion Los Angeles in a knockout game on Wednesday or Thursday.

Lorenzo Cain sprinted home from first base on Eric Hosmer’s single in the eighth inning, and Wade Davis weathered a 45-minute rain delay and a white-knuckle ninth, and the Kansas City Royals beat Toronto. “I think that in a lot of ways they were the best team throughout the season, they showed that I think, game in and game out”.

Justin Meram doubled Columbus’ lead nine minutes after halftime after taking Michael Parkhurst’s long diagonal ball on the left.

The win allowed Sporting (14-11-9, 51 points) to claim the Western Conference’s final postseason berth. Seattle Sounders have not located their groove and could still miss the playoffs. And now we’re going to the West to try and settle the wide open array of playoff places still up for grabs beneath Conference winners FC Dallas.

The Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders picked up wins over the Colorado Rapids and Real Salt Lake respectively, booking their spots in the play-offs.

Nagbe opened the scoring for Portland in the fifth minute with a well-struck free kick from outside the penalty box.

Marco Pappa scored in the 10th minute off of a cross from Dempsey. Midfielder George Fochive also earned an assist on Adi’s goal.