BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. — The Chicago Fire clinched a playoff spot by beating Chivas USA 1-0 in its season finale Thursday night.
The Fire (11-7-12) got an own goal from Chivas’ Eduardo Lillingston in the 68th minute. The forward headed Cuauhtemoc Blanco‘s corner kick — Chicago’s 14th of the game — past goalkeeper Zach Thornton.
The victory snapped the Fire’s 0-4-2 stretch and secured Chicago’s fifth consecutive appearance in the MLS Cup playoffs, where it will hold the second seed in the Eastern Conference.
The loss by Chivas also allowed defending MLS Cup champion Columbus to clinch the Supporters’ Shield for having the best regular-season record.
• American defender Oguchi Onyewu will be sidelined for six months after surgery to repair a ruptured patellar tendon in his left knee, a layoff that could jeopardize his appearance in next year’s World Cup.
Aussie O’Hern leads
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Brandishing a hot putter on a warm afternoon, Australian Nick O’Hern cruised to a career-low 63 and the first-round lead in the Open.
O’Hern, who finished at 7-under, putted only nine times while posting a 28 on the par-35 back nine at Grayhawk Golf Club.
Bob Heintz and Heath Slocum were one stroke back at 64, and D.A. Points, Rory Sabbatini, Greg Owen and Rickie Fowler shot 65s to finish two shots off the lead.
• Defending champion Sergio Garcia is leading the Castello Masters after an 8-under 63 on a wind- interrupted day in which half the players failed to complete the first round in Castellon, Spain.
Kentucky’s Wall may not be eligible
LEXINGTON, Ky. — is reporting that Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive says there are questions regarding the eligibility of highly touted Kentucky freshman John Wall.
Slive says that there are “amateur issues” surrounding Wall and Mississippi State freshman Renardo Sidney.
reported that Wall’s issues stem from his relationship with AAU coach Brian Clifton, who was a certified agent between 2007 and 2008. Wall made at least two unofficial recruiting visits to Kentucky during that period.
Footnotes.
Anaheim Ducks right wing Evgeny Artyukhin has been suspended three games by the NHL for a slew-footing incident in Wednesday’s game against the Dallas Stars. Artyukhin will lose $34,756.11 in salary.
• Shani Davis finished off quite a night at the U.S. Olympic speedskating trials by beating rival Chad Hedrick in the grueling 5,000 meters by two-hundredths of a second in Milwaukee.
• Patty Schnyder beat U.S. Open champion Kim Clijsters 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (6) to reach the quarterfinals of the Luxembourg Open.
Fourth-seeded Daniela Hantuchova defeated Lucie Hradecka 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 to advance to the quarterfinals. She’ll play Shahar Peer, who defeated Carla Suarez Navarro 3-6, 6-3, 6-1. The Associated Press
