Fire Preseason Update: "Men in Red" Begin Mississippi Camp With 5-0 Win Over UAB
The Chicago Fire began its final training camp of the 2005 preseason in Jackson, MS in impressive fashion on Sunday afternoon, as five different players contributed to the score sheet in a 5-0 blanking of the University of Alabama-Birmingham Blazers in an exhibition contest played at Millsaps College. Scott Buete, Andy Herron, Thiago, Jesse Marsch and Justin Mapp all tallied to push the Fire's 2005 exhibition record to 5-4-2 heading into its final week of the preseason, which will culminate with a match against the MetroStars this Friday, Mar. 25 at Freedom Ridge Park in suburban Ridgeland, MS at 7:30 p.m. CT. To view lineups and game summaries of the Fire's preseason contests thus far, please visit www.Chicago-Fire.com. For complete listing of the club's preseason activities, please see below.
2005 Chicago Fire Preseason Results
Date |
Opponent |
Site |
Score/Time |
Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Feb. 9 |
University of Central Florida |
IMG Academy,<br> Bradenton, Fla. |
W, 4-1 |
1-0-0 |
Feb. 10 |
FC Dallas |
IMG Academy,<br> Bradenton, Fla. |
W, 3-1 |
2-0-0 |
Feb. 11 |
U.S. U-17 national team |
IMG Academy,<br> Bradenton, Fla. |
W, 3-1 |
3-0-0 |
Feb. 14 |
San Jose Earthquakes |
IMG Academy,<br> Bradenton, Fla. |
L, 0-2 |
3-1-0 |
Feb. 19 |
U.S. U-20 national team |
IMG Academy,<br> Bradenton, Fla. |
T, 2-2 |
3-1-1 |
Feb. 24 |
Kansas City Wizards |
USF Soccer Stadium<br> Tampa, Fla. |
L, 1-3 |
3-2-1 |
March 3 |
Atlas (MEX 1) |
Colomos Field<br> Guadalajara, Mexico |
L, 2-4 |
3-3-1 |
March 8 |
Guadalajara Select |
Hotel Villa Primavera<br> Guadalajara, Mexico |
W, 6-1 |
4-3-1 |
March 10 |
Tecos (MEX 1) |
Tres de Marzo Stadium<br> Guadalajara, Mexico |
L, 0-3 |
4-4-1 |
March 12 |
Colorado Rapids |
Hoover H.S. Buccaneer Stadium<br> Hoover, Ala. |
T, 0-0 |
4-4-2 |
March 20 |
UAB |
Millsaps College<br> Jackson, Miss. |
W, 5-0 |
5-4-2 |
Chicago Fire Weekly Agenda (Dates/Times subject to change)
March 22-24: Training at Freedom Ridge Park or Millsaps College - 9:30-11:30 a.m. CT
Friday, Mar. 25: Exhibition Match vs. MetroStars - Freedom Ridge Park in Ridgeland, MS - 7:30 p.m. CT
Saturday, Mar. 26: Return to Chicago
Sunday, Mar. 27: Off Day
Monday, Mar. 28: Training in Chicago begins; Site and times TBD
Recovery Room
Capano, Craig - L torn ACL surgery
Caballero, Samuel - R hamstring strain
Pause, Logan - Athletic Pubalgia surgery
Sanneh, Tony - R hip and hamstring strain
Mario Ivan Guerrero Captains Honduras in Friendly Loss to United States
Fire D/M Mario Ivan Guerrero served as the captain of the Honduras National Team last Saturday afternoon in the team's 1-0 loss to the United States in an international friendly played at University Stadium in Albuquerque, NM. Guerrero, who logged the full 90 minutes for the "catrachos" in the defeat, rejoined his Fire teammates in Jackson, MS on Sunday afternoon.
Andy Herron Heads to Costa Rica in Preparation for World Cup Qualifiers
Fire forward Andy Herron has been called into the Costa Rican National Team's camp in preparation for an important pair of matches in the CONCACAF Final Round of qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Herron, who has amassed four goals and 16 caps in international play, will join the "Ticos" for their contests on Saturday, Mar. 26 against Panama at Saprissa Stadium in San Jose, Costa Rica (6:00 p.m. CT, live on Telemundo) and Wednesday, Mar. 30 versus Trinidad & Tobago at Hasley Crawford Stadium in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad (2:30 p.m. CT, 4:30 p.m. local time).
Chad Barrett and Will John Join U.S. U-20s for Suwon International Youth Tournament in South Korea
Fire forward Chad Barrett and midfielder Will John are two of the 20 players that will represent the U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team's in the prestigious Suwon International Youth Football Tournament in Suwon, South Korea, which takes place from Mar. 22-26. The Under-20s will face Argentina, Egypt and South Korea in the four-team tournament, which will serve as preparation for the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship in Holland from June 10-July 2. The U.S. will open the round-robin tournament against Argentina tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. local time (1:30 a.m. CT) before meeting the hosts from South Korea Thursday at 7:00 p.m. local time (4 a.m. CT). The Red, White & Blue will conclude play against Egypt on Saturday, Mar. 26 at 12:30 p.m. local time (9:30 p.m. CT on Friday, Mar. 25). Barrett and John will rejoin the Fire in Chicago after the tournament for the club's final week of preparation leading up to its MLS regular season opener at FC Dallas on Apr. 2.
Final Roster Taking Shape as Fire Signs Mahoney and Donaldson, Waives Clanton
The Fire's 28-man roster is beginning to come into focus, as the "Men in Red" made three roster moves last week in preparation for the upcoming season. Chicago inked a pair of players it selected in February's 2005 MLS Supplemental Draft, goalkeeper David Mahoney and defender Hollis Donaldson, to developmental player contracts, the signings filling six of the Fire's ten spots on its developmental roster. Mahoney will serve as the Fire's third option in between the posts in 2005, while Donaldson is expected to be an option in both the defense and midfield on the right side of the formation. The Fire also announced the waiving of defender Denny Clanton. The Waubonsie Valley H.S. product and former Chicago Fire Premier player logged 500 minutes in 10 appearances for Chicago during his rookie campaign in 2004.
Only Eight Days Remain Until 2005 FireWorks For Kids Foundation Season Kickoff Luncheon
Only eight days remain to reserve a seat - or seats - for the annual FireWorks for Kids Foundation 2005 Season Kickoff Luncheon, sponsored by AthletiCo. This year's edition of the Luncheon will take place next Tuesday, Mar. 29 in the Grand Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Chicago, located at 151 East Wacker Drive. The event will begin with a reception at 11:00 a.m. CT, with the lunch and formal program beginning at 12:00 p.m. Veteran Chicago sports anchor Jim Rose of WLS-TV (ABC-7 Chicago) will serve as the Master of Ceremonies for this year's event, while recent National Soccer Hall of Fame inductee and former Fire and U.S. National Team member Eric Wynalda will perform as the Luncheon's Keynote Speaker. Tickets for this year's Season Kickoff Luncheon are $60 per individual or $500 for a table of ten, with all proceeds from the event and silent auction benefiting the FireWorks for Kids Foundation. For more information regarding the 2005 FWFK Season Kickoff Luncheon, feel free to contact the Fire Community Relations department by phone at 312-705-7218 or by fax at 312-705-7393.
Countdown to Soldier Field Opener on Apr. 16 vs. San Jose - 26 Days
With the Chicago Fire's final opening day at Soldier Field less than a month away, fans of the "Men in Red" can now secure their seats for the Apr. 16 contest against the San Jose Earthquakes at 78:30 p.m. CT. Tickets for the match can be purchased through TicketMaster by calling 312-559-1212 or visiting www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the Chicago Fire Offices, located at 980 N. Michigan, Suite 1998 in Chicago. To order season tickets or for group discount information, please call 1-888-MLS-FIRE. The Fire's 2005 season will be its last at Soldier Field before the club moves to its 20,000-seat soccer-specific stadium in the Village of Bridgeview in the Spring of 2006.
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