The Chicago Fire (8-10-6, 30 pts.) close out the regular season series versus FC Dallas (12-9-3, 39 pts.) in an MLS Primetime Thursday match-up at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. The Fire look to solidify their place in the playoff picture after taking away a crucial point in a 2-2 draw with the New York Red Bulls Saturday night in Bridgeview. FC Dallas are coming off a rough 4-2 loss to the New England Revolution Saturday in Foxboro, yet have defeated the "Men in Red" in nine-straight regular season meetings in the Lone Star State. Kick-off for Thursday's match is at 7:00 p.m. CT, and will be televised live on ESPN2 and broadcast over the airwaves on Chicagoland radio station WRTO-AM 1200 (Spanish).
Thursday, September 20 @ 7:00 p.m. CT :: Pizza Hut Park - Frisco, Texas
TV: ESPN2 (Glenn Davis, Eric Wynalda, Fernando Palomo, Allen Hopkins)
Satellite: C-Band, Galaxy 3, Tr. 3, D/L: 3760(H), Symbol Rate: 29.27, FEC: 3/4
Audio: WRTO-1200 AM (Oscar Guzman, "Batata" DaSilva, Enrique "Tico" Fernandez)
Game Guide: http://www.sportssystems.com/novell/efx%5Cfax%5CMLS%5C06704D01.pdf
Fire History vs. FC Dallas/Dallas Burn
One of the League's most heated series makes its second of two MLS Primetime Thursday appearances as the battle for the Brimstone Cup continues in Frisco, Texas. In their last meeting on May 17, the Fire dropped their third of four-straight losses despite a season-first goal from Calen Carr in an eventual 2-1 decision at TOYOTA PARK. Chicago trails the all-time regular season series 10-15-1 across 26 games contested, last finding victory against the "Hoops" in a 2-0 win at Soldier Field on June 12, 2005. Chicago has had an even tougher time on the road, dropping nine of their last 10 games contested in Dallas, the last win coming in a 2-1 decision on July 4, 1999.
Fire in Playoff Contention
With a tie against New York on Saturday, the "Men in Red" still retain the eighth and final playoff spot with 30 points, just two points ahead of the Columbus Crew and one point in front of the Colorado Rapids. Five weeks remain in the regular season, but if it ended today, the eight teams below would qualify. They are listed according to their would-be opponents in two-game, aggregate goals playoff series:
Eastern Conference Semifinals |
Western Conference Semifinals |
|---|---|
D.C. United vs. Kansas City Wizards |
Houston Dynamo vs. Chicago Fire* |
New England Revolution vs. New York Red Bulls |
Chivas USA vs. FC Dallas
|
*As the fifth team to qualify from the Eastern Conference, Chicago would shift over to become the fourth seed in the Western Conference playoff bracket.
2007 Brimstone Cup Battle Continues
While the Chicago Fire trophy case inside TOYOTA PARK boasts Conference Championships, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup victories, and the 1998 MLS Cup, one piece of hardware has gone missing since the Fire's 2001 campaign - the Brimstone Cup. In an effort to symbolize the intense nature of the Chicago-Dallas series during the Fire's first three seasons (1998-2000), supporters of both clubs developed the head-to-head series-winner award, the first rivalry-based trophy of its kind in MLS. The Fire raised the Brimstone Cup in the trophy's inaugural year of 2001, when Chicago won the points-based series (3-1-0) by an 11-5 margin. The "Men in Red" have yet to reclaim the trophy as Dallas has either retained or won the series outright for the past five seasons, but on Thursday the Fire could help the club's chances of adding more hardware. For more information on the Brimstone Cup, visit www.brimstonecup.com.
Quick Kicks vs. Dallas
• Chicago defender Wilman Conde will be unavailable to play Thursday as he serves a one-game suspension after receiving two yellow card cautions and a subsequent ejection last Saturday against New York.
• Goalkeeper Matt Pickens can tie the Fire regular season shutout record with 9 if he records a clean sheet Thursday night. Former netminder Zach Thornton set the original record through the 2001 campaign.
• Fire midfielder Bakary Soumare will be available this Thursday after serving a one-game suspension due to yellow card accumulation.
• The "Men in Red" are 0-9-2 this season when allowing the first goal of the game.
• The Fire own a 4-7-1 record in regular season road games contested in 2007, while going 4-3-5 in games at TOYOTA PARK.
• Chicago's all-time regular season record against Dallas is 10-15-1, including a 2-9-0 mark in the Lone Star State.
• Thursday's game will mark the Chicago Fire's 300th regular season game played.
• Chicago hasn't won at Dallas since July 4, 1999, when the Fire claimed a 2-1 victory at the Cotton Bowl. Since, FCD has won nine league meetings in a row and has gone unbeaten at home in three matches in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
• The Fire do own a winning 3-2-1 record in postseason play against Dallas, with all three victories coming within the confines of Soldier Field, with the only road success coming via a 1-1 draw on Sept. 23, 2001.
• Blanco's one goal, one assist performance against New York last Saturday was his third of the season, the last two occurring at Real Salt Lake (Aug. 18) in a 2-0 win and against Kansas City (Aug. 25) in another 2-0 victory.
