MLS: Nashville secures playoff spot with rout of the Fire, and Revolution solidifies its position in the East

Nashville SC clinched its spot in the MLS playoffs with a convincing 3-0 victory over the Chicago Fire, while the New England Revolution took a big step toward the top of the Eastern Conference by defeating Orlando City 4-2 on an intense night at Gillette Stadium. Meanwhile, LAFC let two points slip away at the very last moment by drawing 2-2 with the San Jose Earthquakes despite playing a man down.

Nashville dominates and celebrates qualification

The yellow team, led by BJ Callaghan, achieved its goal in commanding fashion at Geodis Park. Sam Surridge opened the scoring in the 33rd minute off an assist from Reed Baker-Whiting, while Cristian Espinoza made it 2-0 with 12 minutes remaining on a pass from Andy Nájar. German forward Hany Mukhtar sealed the victory with a goal on the counterattack for the final 3-0 score.

With this victory, Nashville became the first team to clinch a playoff spot and maintains the league's best defense, having conceded only 21 goals. Their 57 points put them eight points ahead of the Vancouver Whitecaps in the race for the Supporters' Shield and 12 points ahead of Inter Miami in the Eastern Conference.

"You have to earn your spot in the playoffs, and today we did that, but we still have a lot of work to do," Callaghan said in an interview with Apple TV.

Revolution crushes Orlando and climbs to second place 

The New England Revolution secured their third consecutive victory thanks to stellar performances by Carles Gil and youngster Peyton Miller, who each scored two goals in the 4-2 win over Orlando City. Gil opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a shot from outside the box and sealed the win in stoppage time, bringing his season total to 12 goals, a new personal best.

The Revs, who have lost just one of their last five matches, reached 46 points and moved one point ahead of Inter Miami for second place in the Eastern Conference, pending Sunday's match between Lionel Messi's team and San Diego.

"I want to congratulate the team on their mindset. This is a group that inspires me," said head coach Marko Mitrovic.

Orlando, coming off a loss in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals, was without Antoine Griezmann due to a thigh injury confirmed hours before the match. The Frenchman, with eight goals and three assists in 10 games for Orlando, is the top scorer in MLS since the World Cup break.

LAFC fails to close out the match, and Bouanga makes history 

In Santa Clara, LAFC tied 2-2 with the San Jose Earthquakes despite playing a man down from the 36th minute due to Aaron Long's red card. Son Heung-min opened the scoring in the 34th minute with a shot from outside the box, and Denis Bouanga made it 2-0 in the 54th minute on a counterattack assisted by the South Korean.

Bouanga's goal, his 14th of the season, was his 79th in the regular season with LAFC, surpassing Carlos Vela's record (78) as the club's all-time leading scorer in league play. However, San Jose salvaged a point with a long-range shot by Reid Roberts in the 98th minute that beat Hugo Lloris.

"It's a draw that leaves us disappointed, especially given the team's effort," acknowledged head coach Marc Dos Santos.

With this result, San Jose remains in fifth place in the West with 42 points, while LAFC lets a key opportunity slip away in the race for the top spots.