MLS: Chicago and Portland into playoffs with wild-card victories
Neither the Chicago Fire nor the Portland Timbers had won an MLS postseason game for several years, but both were wild-card winners.
The Chicago Fire and the Portland Timbers will both feature in the MLS Cup Playoffs after 3-1 wild-card wins over Orlando City and Real Salt Lake, respectively.
Chicago had not appeared in the postseason since 2017, but they will take on the Supporters' Shield victors, the Philadelphia Union, in a best-of-three, first-round series following a commanding home win on Wednesday.
Jack Elliott, Hugo Cuypers and Brian Gutierrez all went close for Chicago in the first half, but their breakthrough finally arrived through Gutierrez's cultured finish three minutes into the second period.
Gutierrez then struck the post twice, but Chicago added two more goals within 19 minutes as Cuypers bundled home from close range then drilled a powerful finish in for his brace.
Adrian Marin pulled one back for the Lions, but it was too little, too late as Chicago earned a deserved victory, having fired off 24 shots to their opponents' six.
Portland will face San Diego FC in the first round following their first postseason victory since 2021, overcoming Real Salt Lake at Providence Park.
Felipe Mora's brace guided Phil Neville's team into a 2-0 first-half lead, as he twice scored on the rebound from his own saved headers in the opening 35 minutes.
Justen Glad got Real Salt Lake back within one almost immediately, scoring with a looping header from Diogo Goncalves' cross, and Victor Olatunji missed a golden chance to drag them level on the hour mark.
Brayan Vera thought he had equalised with a delightful free-kick in the 76th minute, only for the goal to be chalked off due to Rwan Cruz carelessly moving within a yard of the Portland wall, and the result was settled by Kamal Miller's header six minutes later.
Data Debrief: Chicago's 16-year wait over
Chicago had not advanced a round in the postseason since 2009, when they defeated the New England Revolution in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
But they ended their playoff drought on Wednesday, helped by another assist from Philip Zinckernagel. He has 15 goals and 16 assists in MLS this year, with those 31 goal involvements extending his single-season franchise record.
Portland, meanwhile, brought a swift end to RSL's postseason campaign. RSL had qualified for the playoffs with the second-lowest points tally of any team in a 34-game MLS season (41), with only Atlanta United in 2024 (40) doing so with fewer.
