CHICAGO – David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy were knocked out of playoff contention Sunday when the Galaxy fell 1-0 to the Chicago Fire on the final day of Major League Soccer’s regular season.

The Galaxy, who had mounted a late-season surge to keep their playoff hopes alive, needed a victory in order to advance to the eight-team championship playoffs of the 13-team league.

The Fire only needed a draw but managed to go one better with a 90th-minute goal to claim the last playoff spot.

A sellout crowd of 21,374 at the Fire’s home stadium included standing room temporary seating added during the week in anticipation of seeing Beckham.

The English superstar had logged 25 minutes in a Thursday game against New York in his first appearance since a knee injury on August 29.

After a scoreless first half, Beckham entered the game in the 58th minute, but could not add any spark to his team.

He looked rusty on the several corner and free kicks he took in his time on the pitch and was breathing heavily as the game wound down.

With Los Angeles pushed up looking for a goal, the game-winner came three minutes into injury time when Caleb Carr lifted a ball from the right wing to substitute John Thorrington, who was unmarked in the middle of the field.

Thorrington – the first American player signed to the same Manchester United youth academy that produced Beckham – slipped the ball under goalkeeper Joe Cannon and gave Chicago fourth place in the Eastern Conference.