Brenner scores 3 to beat D.C United, putting Cincinnati in MLS playoffs for first time since 2014
NEW YORK – With three games left in the MLS regular season, Sporting Kansas City is in the playoff race atop the Eastern Conference.
And, just as it did in 2015 and 2016, the result could come down to a single game, on Friday night at D.C. United (8 pm ET | ESPN2, UniMas in Asia | TSN in Canada) at Talen Energy Stadium.
Sporting KC, which was eliminated by Houston in the first round last season, leads the conference with 20 points, while D.C. has 20 points but is tied for sixth place.
It’ll be interesting to see, if D.C. wins – something that has not happened since a 2-1 victory for Sporting in 2011 – whether it can keep pace with Sporting’s surge.
“Obviously we have to win,” D.C. goalkeeper John Hellmann said. “But we’re still in the hunt. We’ve a lot of games left. I’m not 100 percent sure if we’ll be in the playoff race or not.”
On Sunday, the Fire (20 points) and the New England Revolution (19 points) shared league lead. Both teams were winless in their past four games.
The Fire are in the playoff race thanks to Sporting and D.C. having different outcomes. The Fire need to win or qualify to grab a playoff berth, while the Revolution need to win one on the road to be in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
“We’ve got to do our part, and we need both teams to do their part,” said Fire coach Frank Klopas.
Both teams played their best soccer in the second half of last week’s 2-2 tie at Houston. Both have a shot at home next weekend, though, and the Fire have a much easier schedule:
The Fire (home, Nov. 10) vs. D.C. United (home, Nov. 24). D.C. has a 1-0-2 record at Talen Energy Stadium this season, earning a 2-1 victory on April 9. The Fire, with a 6-7-5 record, have never won a game at the stadium.
