D.C. United tied the Chicago Fire in Saturday's match, which earned United a No. 2 seed in the MLS Cup Playoffs. The Fire took a 1-0 lead against D.C. United in the first half when Patrick Nyarko scored a goal in the 16th minute.
But all United needed was a draw to clinch the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the MLS Cup Playoffs, so a goal and solid defense in the second half would give them all the momentum they needed as the regular season ended.
Lionard Pajoy scored in the 50th minute to tie the score. Defensively, Bill Hamid made eight saves and United were right where they wanted to be.
United (17-10-7) went 5-0-2 in its last seven matches to finish with 58 points, just one more than New York and Chicago (17-11-6). New York finished third, ahead of fourth-place Chicago, on a tiebreaker. United has not lost since a 1-0 setback on September 1 against Real Salt Lake.