Djordje Mihailovic scores late to give Fire 2-2 tie with Sporting Kansas City

The Fire endured a challenging day Wednesday. Djordje Mihailovic made sure Saturday had a more fulfilling ending, scoring deep into second-half stoppage time to give them a 2-2 draw against Sporting Kansas City at Soldier Field.

With the Fire trailing 2-1 just before the final whistle, Mauricio Pineda hit a long pass from around midfield that Sporting KC goalie Tim Melia couldn’t control. Mihailovic gained possession inside the 18-yard box, eluded a defender and hit a partially open net to give the Fire a point despite a performance coach Raphael Wicky criticized.

‘‘It wasn’t a good game,’’ Wicky said. ‘‘We didn’t play our football like we normally play, but . . . we obviously are happy with the point. When you equalize in [stoppage time], you have to take the point and be happy.’’

At least the Fire (5-8-5, 20 points) were able to play Saturday.

On Wednesday, they traveled to the Twin Cities to face Minnesota United. Per travel protocols, the Fire flew out early that day, only to find out less than three hours before the scheduled 7 p.m. kickoff that the game would be postponed because of a suspected positive COVID-19 test on Minnesota’s team. The Fire then flew back that evening without playing the match.

Mihailovic said the Fire knew there were questions about whether the match would be played, but they treated the trip as though they would be playing. They didn’t, but Mihailovic did see a benefit from the postponement.

‘‘It gave us an extra day of rest, which was actually helpful,’’ he said.

Fire defender Jonathan Bornstein said Wednesday wasn’t the easiest situation, but he recognized that pretty much goes for everything in 2020. He also said that he was proud of how the Fire handled the day and that they didn’t complain about the turn of events.

‘‘Obviously, we were ready to play,’’ Bornstein said. ‘‘We flew there, and mentally and physically we were all prepared to go out and play that night. But sometimes the situation due to COVID doesn’t go your way. We had to fly back.

‘‘It kind of was obviously a tough travel day, but we moved on from it, put it in the past.’’

Wicky called it a ‘‘lost day’’ for everyone. Beyond that, however, he didn’t blame anybody for what happened.

‘‘The league and everyone’s handled it really well,’’ Wicky said. ‘‘It’s not easy to handle all these situations, to find the right mix of being careful or playing and not playing in these circumstances.’’

Though the game against Minnesota is expected to be rescheduled, no makeup date has been announced. If and when it’s played, it will be another key match for the Fire, who entered play Saturday vying with several terms for the last couple of playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. They have four games left, plus the makeup game against Minnesota.

The point Mihailovic’s goal secured could be crucial in a playoff race that might not be decided until the last day of the season.

‘‘It was a tough match against [Sporting KC],’’ Mihailovic said. ‘‘They’re one of the best teams in the league, one of the best teams in the West.

‘‘Especially in the conditions with the wind, the field, I think we did a great job against them. Now we’ve just got to look forward to the next one.’’