FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) -- Chris Henderson scored in the 71st minute as the Miami Fusion beat the Kansas City Wizards 2-1 Saturday in the decisive third game of their MLS quarterfinal series.

The victory gave the Fusion, the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, six points in the first-to-five-points series. They advance to the semifinals against the San Jose Earthquakes, beginning Oct. 10.

The Wizards, the defending MLS Cup champions, had their season ended by two players the club traded to the Fusion in the offseason, Henderson and midfielder Preki.

"Kansas City was a very proud champion, they did not want to let go of the crown," Fusion coach Ray Hudson said. "They fought to the bitter end. They made us work very hard."

Preki pulled the Fusion even at 1-1 in the 14th minute, less than 30 seconds after the Wizards took a 1-0 lead. Preki's goal came off a direct kick, which he placed into the lower right corner past Wizards goalkeeper Tony Meola. The kick was awarded after a foul on Preki.

"It was not the best goal I ever scored, but I'd rather take an ugly goal and win, than score a marvelous goal and lose," Preki said.

Forward Onandi Lowe gave the Wizards a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute with a header off a crossing pass from defender Mike Burns. Roy Lassiter also assisted.

"We really dominated them at home and when we took the early 1-0 lead, I thought it was our night," Meola said. "We battled tough to the end. It was a tough season going from MLS champs to the No. 8 seed, but we didn't give up all season."

The Fusion played without two of their top players, defender Pablo Mastroeni and forward Diego Serna, who were serving one-game suspensions for receiving red cards in Game 2.

Mastroeni has been the Fusion's top defender the past three seasons, and Serna was the league's second-leading scorer this season.