The Chicago Fire will play their second international friendly of the season as they take on Celtic FC at TOYOTA PARK this Sunday afternoon (3:00 p.m. CT, Fox Soccer Channel). The Fire are coming off a 0-1 loss to the USL First Division Carolina RailHawks last Sunday in Cary, N.C. in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Defending Scottish Premier League champions Celtic FC are looking to rebound after a 0-2 loss to the MLS All-Stars in the 2007 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game Thursday night. Action from the international friendly will be broadcast live from 71st and Harlem on national television via Fox Soccer Channel.
Sunday, July 22 @ 3:00 p.m. CT :: TOYOTA PARK - Bridgeview, Ill.
TV: Fox Soccer Channel
Chicago Fire/AthletiCo "Recovery Room" :: July 20
Banner, Mike - R groin strain - PROBABLE
Mapp, Justin - L groin strain - DOUBTFUL
Monteiro, Jerson - R hip strain - PROBABLE
Robinson, Dasan - L groin strain - PROBABLE
Rolfe, Chris - L ankle sprain - QUESTIONABLE
Russolillo, Jordan - Spondylolisthesis (back pain) - OUT
Telesford, Osei - L groin strain - OUT
Fire-Celtic FC This Sunday
This Sunday afternoon the Chicago Fire face one of the most storied clubs in Scotland, Celtic FC, at TOYOTA PARK, with kick-off set for 3:00 p.m. CT. Celtic FC took home the Scottish Premier League (SPL) title, the club's 41st domestic title, in 2007. "The Hoops" have won back-to-back championships; capturing five of the last seven league crowns. Celtic went unbeaten in an astonishing 31 of 34 games this past season, notching a 25-3-6 overall record in the SPL.
"Obviously Celtic is a great team and a very well recognized club throughout Europe and throughout the world," said Fire head coach Juan Carlos Osorio. "It can not be a better opposition for some of the guys here that haven't had experience at that level, hopefully for the younger players like Chris Rolfe, Chad [Barrett] and the rest. If we can have Cuauhtémoc for the game then I think we will have all the guys ready and hopefully have the team in place that will be basically be the starting lineup for the rest of the season."
Blanco to Debut Sunday
Chicago Fire Soccer has announced that forward Cuauhtémoc Blanco, the Fire's Designated Player signing, will soon return from his run in Copa America with the Mexican National Team to make his much-anticipated Chicago Fire debut on Sunday, July 22, when the squad takes on Scottish Premier League side Celtic FC at TOYOTA PARK. The 34-year-old attacker has been with the Mexican National Team after closing out his career with Mexican First Division side, Club América. Overall, the native of Mexico City, Mexico tallied seven goals and six assists through 1,530 minutes of action for the "Aguilas" through the 2007 Clausura regular season.
Mapp Named to All-Star Inactive Roster
On Wednesday, July 18, Major League Soccer announced the 14 additional selections for the Sierra Mist All-Star Game, in addition to the MLS First XI, the five players chosen by Steve Nicol, along with the two Commissioner's Picks originally announced. Fire midfielder Justin Mapp was selected to the inactive player list, is considered an MLS All-Star, and will be listed as such in official league records
Quick Kicks vs. Celtic FC
• With a yellow card picked up in Thursday's 0-4 loss to Houston, Fire defender/midfielder Diego Gutierrez is now on "Caution Watch" with four yellow card cautions accumulated through for the 2007 season. Should he receive a caution in the Fire's next regular season game at Toronto FC on July 29, he will serve a one-game suspension for the Aug. 4 game versus the Columbus Crew at TOYOTA PARK.
• Fire defender C.J. Brown served his one-game suspension Thursday against Houston and will be available to play for head coach Osorio for the next regular season game on July 29 at Toronto FC.
• Chicago defender Gonzalo Segares is the only Fire player to have played in every minute of every 2007 regular season game for the "Men in Red".
• With a scoreless result Thursday versus Houston, the Fire were held without a tally in the first half for a franchise-worst sixth consecutive regular season game.
• The Chicago Fire are 25-5-2 all-time in U.S. Open Cup competition.
• Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch earned his third start of the 2007 season last Sunday against Carolina, his first since the Chicago's July 4 contest at Los Angeles. Busch made his 2007 first team debut in a 1-0 shutout win over MKS Cracovia on June 22.
• Sunday's third round exit from the Open Cup was the Fire's first "one and done" since the 2002 season, when the "Men in Red" were eliminated after falling to the Milwaukee Rampage 0-1 on July 12 in Franklin, Wisconsin. Chicago lost one other time in the third round, to the Rochester Rhinos 0-1 on July 14, 1999 at Fronteir Field in Rochester, N.Y.
• Caution Watch - Chad Barrett (2c), C.J. Brown (5c), Calen Carr (3c), Jeff Curtin (2c, 1e), Jim Curtin (2c), Diego Gutierrez (4c, 1e), Logan Pause (1c), Dasan Robinson (2c), Gonzalo Segares (4c), Bakary Soumare (1c, 1e), Thiago (3c).
