Magee leads Fire to 3-2 win over FC Dallas

FRISCO, Texas — Mike Magee tied for the MLS goal-scoring lead and added an assist to help the Chicago Fire hold off FC Dallas 3-2 Saturday night.

The victory moved the Fire (13-12-7) into a three-way tie with Montreal and Philadelphia for fourth place in the Eastern Conference with two matches remaining. The top five teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs.

Dallas (10-11-11) rallied from a 3-0 deficit on Kenny Cooper’s two second-half goals, but remained eighth in the Western Conference.

Chicago opened the scoring in the 25th minute when Magee sent a corner kick from the left side to about 10 yards in front of the goal and Juan Luis Anangono headed it in.

Magee scored his 19th goal almost by accident.

A loose ball went to teammate Alex about 20 yards in front. He took a left-footed shot that struck Magee in the right shoulder, redirecting the ball on a bounce past goalkeeper Chris Seitz to give Magee his 13th goal in 19 matches for Chicago.

Magee is tied with Montreal’s Marco Di Vaio for the lead in goals.

Fire goalie Sean Johnson made two first-half saves, both on shots by Fabian Castillo. On the first, in the 21st minute, Johnson reached out to his left while diving to the turf to stop a shot from the left side.

Chicago went ahead 3-0 in the 52nd minute when defender Jalil Anibaba scored his first goal since May of 2012. His shot from 25 yards out hooked just inside the right post as Seitz tried to move over for a save.

FC Dallas scored in the 63rd minute. David Ferreira sent the ball in front of the net, where Cooper battled a defender and shot off the side of his right foot into the right corner. Cooper, who entered in the 12th minute when Mauro Diaz left with a leg injury, added his second goal in the 75th minute.