MLS Standings 2012: Chicago Fire Tied For 4th In East

The Chicago Fire dropped their most recent game -- a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Columbus on Saturday -- and fell to 5-4-3 overall. With 18 points so far this season, the Fire find themselves in a tie for fourth place in the Eastern Conference with the Crew.

Related: Chicago Fire 1 - Columbus Crew 2: Chicago outmuscled in Ohio

Here are the full Eastern Conference standings:

1. D.C. United (27 points)
2. New York Red Bulls (26)
3. Sporting Kansas City (25)
T4. Columbus Crew (18)
T4. Chicago Fire (18)
6. Houston Dynamo (16)
7. New England Revolution (13)
8. Montreal Impact (12)
9. Philadelphia Union (8)
10. Toronto FC (3)

Chicago's MLS regular season schedule continues with a road game against New England on June 2.

For more on this game, stick with SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, visit Fire blog Hot Time in Old Town. For more news and notes around MLS, check out SB Nation's soccer news hub.

Fire Vs. Crew Final Score: Chicago Loses 2-1, Falls To 5th Place

The Chicago Fire (5-4-3, 18 pts) could not overcome two first-half goals from the Columbus Crew (5-4-3, 18 pts), as the Fire drop to 5th place in the Eastern Conference standings.

At just 9 minutes, M Eddie Gaven blasted a shot from outside the box that careened just beyond the diving G Sean Johnson. The Crew then added to their 1-0 lead with a quick turnaround goal from F Emilio Renteria to give Columbus a 2-0 lead.

Late in the second half, M Daniel Paladini managed to recoup from near-missed header to send a second shot across the box, a shot that D Austin Berry managed to knock in for 2-1 game:

Ultimately, though, G Andy Gruenebaum (6 SV, 1 GA) proved too dominant on the night, giving the Crew a 2-1 win.

For more on this game, stick with SB Nation Chicago. For more on the Fire visit Hot Time in Old Town and for more on the Crew, be sure to check out Massive Report. For more news and notes around MLS, check out SB Nation's soccer news hub.

Fire Vs. Crew: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The Chicago Fire take on the Columbus Crew on Saturday night in an Eastern Conference MLS matchup.