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And then there was one. Although all 33 MLS games thus far have contributed to where the Fire currently are in the standings, our playoff lives all come down to this one final game of the season. And what a wild one it could potentially be. Depending on the result of the NY/Philly game, the standings could certainly be much different by the end of tonight.
The Fire must get 3 points this afternoon. Our playoff lives are secure, but being the #2 seed with home field advantage is much more preferable than a road play-in game obviously. DC United has been on a tear, and they will look to keep that going. Fortunately for Chicago fans, the Men in Red tend to bounce back well after rough losses. Having the game in front of our home fans also helps.
The Fire front office, as well as Section 8 and other fans, have been putting out the word to get into Toyota Park early and get loud. The Harlem End has sold out (along with the rest of the Park), so it should be a rocking atmosphere this afternoon. This game could go either way in my book. We could see a tense, low scoring affair, or a barn burning shootout. I predicted a 3-2 Fire win as both teams are playing for big stakes and will come out fighting.
As usual, lineups will be posted when announced. If you can't make it out to Toyota Park, please join us on the gamethread for the biggest game of the season for the Fire. As the Twitter hash tag has said the past few days, #IsPlayoffs. Let's go Fire!