Fire playoff hopes dented after allowing Red Bulls to equalize late in 2-2 draw

The changes have been well-documented. The Fire have a first-year technical staff that dramatically rebuilt the roster, and they play in a different home stadium under new ownership.

But with four games left, the Fire find themselves in the familiar position of battling for a playoff spot, an effort that wasn’t helped much by the 2-2 draw Saturday against the New York Red Bulls at Soldier Field.

They’re in 11th place in the -Eastern Conference; the top 10 -advance to the postseason.

They were moments away from an important victory, but Brian White’s goal in second-half stoppage time cost them two key points and kept the Fire behind 10th-place Inter Miami.

“It feels like we lost two points, but we’ll take it,” Fire coach Raphael Wicky said. “I’m proud of the performance of the guys, of coming back and then fighting so hard and really being in all those challenges and second balls and still trying to play [soccer] and creating chances.”

New York’s Kyle Duncan scored in the 39th minute before the Fire’s Robert Beric evened the score in the 51st minute when he turned in a Boris Sekulic ball to the back post.

Przemyslaw Frankowski scored what looked like the winner in the 72nd minute, but the Fire were unable to hold the lead, and this time they were the ones on the disheartening end of a draw after their last-gasp 2-2 tie last Saturday against Sporting Kansas City.

“It really does hurt, but we have to look forward,” Fire midfielder Alvaro Medran said. “We can’t do anything else but look ahead and go for the next one.”

That refrain has been heard many times before.

The new-year, same-situation feel was mentioned Friday by Fire midfielder Fabian Herbers.

He was part of the 2019 team that fell short of the postseason, something this group is in danger of duplicating even though it has a game in hand on most of its competition for a playoff spot.

“Coming back this year, it’s kind of the same picture, where we feel like we’re playing well, we have the quality,” Herbers said. “We’re pushing hard for the playoffs. We’re catching up on points now.”

Even with the franchise turnover and the challenges brought on by the pandemic, it would not reflect well on the Fire if they miss the postseason.

The expanded format allowing 10 of 14 teams in the East to advance should’ve made it easier for the Fire, but a bad run down the stretch could still freeze them out for the third straight year.

“Look, that’s one of our goals; it’s a goal for every team in the league to make the playoffs,” Wicky said Friday. “With our team together, we made some common goals. One is to make the playoffs. It’s something we want to achieve.”

If they do reach the playoffs, it would be a tangible sign of the progress the Fire insist they’ve made this year.

“We’re in the race,” Wicky said. “It’s a difficult year, but I think next to the progress we have seen from this team, and we have clearly seen [that] progress over the last three months, the playoffs would be the result of it. It would be great to make that.”