Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009

Seattle Sounders clinch MLS playoff berth

By The Associated Press

KANSAS CITY -- Seattle Sounders FC became only the second expansion team to make the MLS playoffs in its first year, clinching a postseason berth with a 3-2 victory over the Kansas City Wizards on Saturday night.

Nate Jacqua capped a high-scoring second half with a 76th-minute goal for Seattle (11-7-11), which joins the 1998 Chicago Fire as the only expansion teams to advance to the postseason in their first season.

The Sounders will have to go all the way to match Chicago's first-season accomplishments, though; the Fire won the MLS Cup that year.