MLS Standings 2012: Chicago Fire finish 4th in East, will face knockout round match

The Chicago Fire were dropped to fourth in the MLS Eastern Conference standings on the final day of the season when the New York Red Bulls notched a 3-0 over the Philadelphia Union Sunday night. The Fire will now play in a one-game playoff against the Houston Dynamo for the right to take on East winner Sporting Kansas City in a two-leg aggregate series.

The Fire and Dynamo will face off on Halloween Night at 8 p.m. CT. The match will be televised on ESPN2. The winner will host Sporting KC on Nov. 4th in the first leg of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Red Bulls will now take on DC United in the conference semifinals. That series will begin on November 3rd in New York.

On the Western conference side of the bracket, the San Jose Earthquakes took the Supporters' Shield and the top seed. They will face the winner of Los Angeles and Vancouver. The Galaxy will host the West's knockout round match on Nov. 1.

Real Salt Lake and Seattle will face off as the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds.

For the complete final standings, check out MLS's official site.

MLS Standings 2012: Chicago Fire's last regular season game determines playoff seed

With one regular season game remaining, the Chicago Fire have secured a spot in the 2012 MLS playoffs, but their final position remains uncertain. Depending on the results next weekend, Chicago could finish anywhere from second to fifth.

The MLS Eastern Conference standings:

1. Sporting Kansas City (60 points)
2. D.C. United (57)
3. Chicago Fire (56)
4. New York Red Bulls (54)
5. Houston Dynamo (53)

(All other Eastern Conference teams have been mathematically eliminated from playoff consideration.)

The Fire face the United on Oct. 27, and a win there would secure the No. 2 seed, while a draw would guarantee a finish no lower than fourth. A loss, though, would open the door for a fifth-place finish -- a Fire defeat coupled by wins by the Red Bulls and Dynamo would relegate Chicago to the bottom seed.

Saturday's game against United begins at 3 p.m. CT, and the NBC Sports Network will be televising the match.

Fire try to stay hot before MLS playoffs

The Chicago Fire have clenched an MLS playoff berth, but with two regular-season games left, Chicago is still fighting for postseason position.

MLS standings 2012: Chicago Fire hold on to 2nd in Eastern Conference

The Chicago Fire have not played a match since their Oct. 6 victory over New York, but they have clinched a playoff berth in the meantime. The Fire are in second place in the Eastern Conference with 54 points, two points behind first-place Sporting Kansas City, which is also a lock for the postseason.

Related: Chicago Fire Make the Playoffs: Now What?

Five teams from each conference make the playoffs, and Chicago could still finish anywhere from first to fourth in the East. Like the majority of teams in the league, Chicago has two more regular season games to play. The Fire finish up with New England and D.C. United, and the latter matchup could have seeding implications, as United is currently two points behind the Fire. The Red Bulls also could catch Chicago, as they are three points back.

The complete Eastern Conference standings:

In the Western Conference, four teams have already secured playoff spots, leaving one slot still in doubt.

MLS Standings 2012: Chicago Fire fall into tie for 2nd in Eastern Conference

The Chicago Fire entered Friday's game against Sporting Kansas City with a chance to take over the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Instead, they now find themselves tied for second.

The Fire entered this week with 53 points, two behind Sporting KC. That gap widened to five points with Sporting KC's 2-0 win. The Fire fell into a tie for second when the New York Red Bulls moved up with a 4-1 win. Chicago still owns the points per game advantage over New York as the Fire have played one less game.

With four regular season games to play and now trailing Sporting KC by five points, Chicago's chances of taking the top seed in the Eastern Conference took a major hit this week. The Fire have yet to clinch a playoff spot although they have a five-point lead over the Columbus Crew, who are currently in sixth place.

Sporting Kansas City remains atop the Eastern Conference while San Jose has the lead in the Western Conference and in the Supporters' Shield race. Complete standings can be found at MLSSoccer.com.

MLS Standings 2012: Fire Solidify Playoff Position

The Chicago Fire have yet to lose a game in September, and this recent string of success has the team in second place in the Eastern Conference. The Fire defeated Montreal, 3-1, on Sept. 15 and are riding a two-game winning streak.

Related: Well, That was Fun! The Fire Beat Impact 3-1

With just six games left on its regular season schedule, Chicago is in a strong position to make the playoffs. The top five teams from each conference earn a trip to the postseason, and the Fire are currently eight points ahead of the sixth-place Columbus Crew. And they're only a single point behind first-place Sporting KC.

The complete Eastern Conference standings:

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, visit Chicago Fire blog Hot Time In Old Town. And for more pro soccer coverage, check out SB Nation's soccer hub.

MLS Standings 2012: Chicago Fire Drop To Fourth In The Eastern Conference

The Chicago Fire's record has not changed since their victory over Houston on Sept. 2 as they still stand at 13-8-5. However, the Houston Dynamo improved their record by a win and now stand one point ahead of Chicago in the Eastern Conference standings.

Chicago's lone game since last week was a friendly against Santos Laguna. They tied that match-up, 2-2.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, visit Chicago Fire blog Hot Time In Old Town. And for more pro soccer coverage, check out SB Nation's soccer hub.

MLS Standings 2012: Chicago Fire Now Third In Eastern Conference

With wins in four of their last five games, the Chicago Fire have improved to 13-8-5 and are now in third place in the MLS Eastern Conference standings.

The Fire, who trailed Houston in the standings last week, have moved two points ahead of both Houston and Columbus, who are tied at 42 points. They trail second-place New York City by two points and first-place Kansas City by six points. Here are the full Eastern Conference Standings:

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, visit Chicago Fire blog Hot Time In Old Town. And for more pro soccer coverage, check out SB Nation's soccer hub.

MLS Standings 2012: Chicago Fire 4th In Eastern Conference

The Chicago Fire were idle over the weekend, and the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference got a bit tighter after Montreal and Columbus picked up wins. The Fire sit in fourth place, one point ahead of fifth-place D.C. United, two points ahead of sixth-place Montreal and five head of seventh-place Columbus.

Related: Release the Kraken: It's Time for Gargan To Start Again

Here are the current MLS Eastern Conference standings:

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, visit Chicago Fire blog Hot Time In Old Town. And for more pro soccer coverage, check out SB Nation's soccer hub.

Chicago Fire's Win Streak Ends With 4-2 Loss At D.C. United

Chicago Fire fall to DC United 4-2, but playoffs still in sight.