Chicago Fire secured their place in the MLS playoffs on Tuesday with a dramatic 5-3 victory over Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, capping a roller-coaster match in Fort Lauderdale.

Despite Miami enjoying the lion’s share of possession, Gregg Berhalter’s Chicago side proved deadly on the counterattack, punishing a fatigued Miami team playing its sixth game in just 17 days.

Chicago took an early lead through Ivorian midfielder Dje D`Avilla’s 11th-minute header, followed by a well-worked breakaway goal from Jonathan Dean to make it 2-0. Miami pulled one back through Tomas Aviles in the 39th minute, but Rominingue Kouame quickly restored Chicago`s two-goal advantage just before halftime.

Miami mounted a second-half comeback led by Luis Suarez, who scored twice in the 57th and 74th minutes to level the game at 3-3. However, defensive lapses cost the hosts dearly, as Justin Pledger Reynolds tapped in from close range in the 80th minute, followed by a stunning long-range strike from Brian Gutierrez three minutes later to seal the win.

The victory sends Chicago into the postseason for the first time since 2017, marking a strong return to club management for former US national team coach Berhalter.

“It was an objective of ours to reach the playoffs, and we’ve achieved it with two games left,” Berhalter said post-match. “But for us it’s about continuing to build a strong team that can win.”