Fire earn draw against Nashville FC, keep playoff hopes alive

Boris Sekulic scored his second career MLS goal and the Fire played Nashville to a 1-1 tie on Saturday night in Nashville, Tennessee.

Sekulic, a 29-year-old defender in his first season with the Fire, took a pass from Mauricio Pineda and side-footed a roller inside the post to make it 1-1 in the 42nd minute.

The Fire (5-9-7), who are winless in their last four games, are one point ahead of Inter Miami for the 10th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Nashville’s Daniel Rios opened the scoring with a header in the 28th minute. Randall Leal’s volley off an arcing cross-field ball from Walker Zimmerman bounced high in front of the goal and Rios redirected it into the net.

Sekulic played an entry to Elliot Collier, whose header bounced off the post in the 89th minute.

Nashville (7-6-8) — which on Wednesday became just the sixth MLS expansion team to clinch a playoff spot — is unbeaten in its last five games and has just one loss in its last 10.