Chicago beat Dallas, 2-0, in the first MLS playoff game of 2001. The win gives the Fire a 3-point lead in the “first-to-five-points” quarterfinal playoff series. A Carlos Bocanegra header, off Eric WynaldaÆs free kick, gave the Fire a 1-0 lead in the 40th minute. Evan Whitfield scored the second goal late into second-half stoppage time after Dallas keeper Matt Jordan had left his goal on a Burn free kick. Whitfield made a 70-yard run before shooting into the net. Six Dallas players and four Chicago players were cautioned. Dallas defender Richard Farrer was ejected. Chicago 2 Dallas 0 Goals: Bocanegra (Wynalda) 40, Whitfield (Nowak) 98+ Chicago — Zach Thornton, C.J. Brown, Carlos Bocanegra, Diego Gutierrez, Chris Armas, Jesse Marsch, David Vaudreuil, Dema Kovalenko (Sergi Daniv 96+), Peter Nowak, Ante Razov, Eric Wynalda (Evan Whitfield 66). CAUTIONS: Razov 14, Bocanegra 28, Gutierrez 55, Daniv 97+; EJECTIONS: none. Dallas — Matt Jordan, Eric Dade, Ryan Suarez (Justin Evans 49), Paul Broome (Antonio Martinez 73), Richard Farrer, Jorge Rodriguez, Chad Deering, Oscar Pareja, Joselito Vaca (Jason Kreis 46), Ariel Graziani, Bobby Rhine. CAUTIONS: Pareja 15, Rodriguez 30, Kreis 69, Graziani 79, Martinez 89, Jordan 91+; EJECTIONS: Farrer 94. Referee: Gus St. Silva; Assistant Referees: Steven Davidson, Francisco Sanchez. Attendance: 8,314; Weather: Partly Cloudy, 71, S-7mph, 55%hum, Fair.