Red Bulls-Sporting KC final score: New York clinches playoff berth in scoreless draw

The New York Red Bulls clinched a spot in the Major League Soccer playoffs Saturday night, as they played to a scoreless draw with Sporting Kansas City at Red Bull Arena. The Red Bulls' one-point draw, along with a loss by the Columbus Crew, secured the team their postseason spot.

New York (15-9-9, 54 points) controlled most of Saturday's contest, but was held without a goal thanks to a strong performance by Sporting KC goaltender Jimmy Nielsen, who posted his league-leading 15th shutout.

Despite the lack of goals, the Red Bulls were able to solidify a playoff spot, as the Crew (14-12-7, 49 points) can't catch fourth-place New York. Both teams have just one game remaining on their regular-season schedules. The Red Bulls will finish out their season with a road game at the Philadelphia Union on Oct. 27.

The MLS playoffs begin in early November. Sporting KC will be the top-seeded team in the Eastern Conference, while D.C. United (17-10-6, 57 points) and the Chicago Fire (17-11-5, 56 points) are battling for second place. All three of those teams will earn first-round byes if the standings stay the same.