BRIDGEVIEW, Illinois -- The Chicago Fire are back in the postseason for the first time in eight years, and the task feels the same now as it did nearly a decade ago.

That 2017 team was fun. It had German legend Bastian Schweinsteiger, winger David Accam and Golden Boot-winner Nemanja Nikolić. It could score goals in bunches. It rolled to a third-place finish in MLS, but by the time the postseason came around, the group had run out of gas, getting wiped out at home by the New York Red Bulls. What was uglier was the offseason that came after that. Instead of building on that team, the Fire fell apart.

They hadn't been back to the playoffs since -- until Wednesday night's commanding 3-1 win over Orlando City in the Eastern Conference wild card round.

Chicago dominated in front of a raucous crowd of 13,783 at SeatGeek Stadium, their old (and sometimes-still) home stadium. It was actually the perfect venue for this game, because its cozier environment made the crowd feel louder and more energetic than it would have in cavernous Soldier Field.

"There was a huge atmosphere right from the start of the game," striker Hugo Cuypers, who scored twice on the night, said. "And then when we scored that first one, they really, really pushed us."

The Fire will now face off against Supporters' Shield winner the Philadelphia Union in the first round of the playoffs. At that stage, they'll have nothing to lose. But the win over Orlando City and the on-field attacking display speaks to what former U.S. men's national team coach Gregg Berhalter is building in Chicago. Just like that 2017 team, this Fire group is fun to watch. They can create chances. They have a legitimate goal-scorer in Cuypers, who had the Fire's first postseason brace since 2005 after bagging 17 goals in the regular season.

Now, the Fire, who had last won a playoff game in 2009, need to keep building on it.

"That's our aim," Berhalter said. "We know it's not going to be done overnight, but we want to put a product on the field, be a type of club that all of Chicago can admire. And we hope that people come to the stadium and watch us play. And we hope that it builds excitement across the city. ... When you see this type of atmosphere tonight, and just think about that multiplying, getting more and more and gaining that momentum would be great for the club and the team."

The potential is far greater than it was eight years ago.

Chicago owner Joe Mansueto built a world-class training facility in the city. Next up is a $650 million privately-funded stadium expected to open in the South Loop neighborhood in 2028. Playing in one of the best cities in the U.S., the Fire should become one of the premier destinations for top players eyeing a move to MLS.

Chicago has done plenty to try to build support. The club got a deal with WGN locally before the league-wide Apple initiative to drum up more support in-market. It converted Lionel Messi's sold-out crowds at Soldier Field into bigger attendance and a larger season-ticket holder base. The Fire offered up free MLS Season Pass subscriptions in Chicago this year to draw more fans into their playoff push.

On the field, Berhalter, who built a successful program with the Columbus Crew, will have league-leading investment at his disposal in order to build a championship contender. Some of that ambition was already evident this past summer, with a recruitment process that nearly landed Kevin De Bruyne. That followed exploratory talks to sign Brazilian great Neymar. If the Fire can attract the right players and continue to build an attacking style of play, they'll be a team that might finally convert Chicago into the market so many have believed it can be for American soccer.

In many ways, the Fire feel like a microcosm of where MLS can go in the coming years. The potential is there. The question is whether it will be unleashed to the fullest extent possible.

Wednesday night is just a first step, to be sure - it's one win over the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference - but it's an important one. For now, the Fire's goals are focused on the next couple weeks against the Union. But in the bigger picture, the goal is for this season to be the start of something considerably more.

"When the coach arrived last winter, goals were set out," Cuypers said. "The first one was reaching the playoffs. Done. Getting that first (postseason) win is done as well. So we'll see. We'll see where we can go. I think it's a huge reward for the team and for the club that's been working really hard, and not only what you guys see on the field, but daily. And I don't know what the future holds, but it's for sure a right step in the right direction."

Chicago Fire end MLS playoff drought and set a building block for future ambition