On Thursday night, when the Chicago Fire take on D.C. United at Toyota Park in the first game of their Eastern Conference Semifinal Series, it will mark exactly a decade since a sunny afternoon in Pasadena, Calif. when the Fire overcame the very same rival to claim their first, and until now, their only MLS championship.
Since that championship, which occurred in the Fire's first season in Major League Soccer, much has come and gone. However, three men still remain with the club after having played in that MLS Cup Final, and 10 years later, they're looking to guide their team in its fight for a second championship.
Chris Armas, C.J. Brown and Diego Gutiérrez are anxiously awaiting the start of the playoffs on Thursday night and then the trip to RFK Stadium a week later, with the hope that when the series is concluded, they will be that much closer to another title.
In a season in which the Fire had to overcome numerous obstacles in order to reach the postseason and few expected them to get there at midseason, the three Fire Originals reflected on the 2007 campaigns and the aspirations of the Fire to go even farther.
"The Fire has always been pretty consistent in making it to the playoffs. We've been left out once and that was a bad year [2004]. We were going that way in the middle of the season and then we started playing well," said Brown.
Since coming to the league in 1998, Brown has played for only one club -- the Chicago Fire. The club's all-time leader in games played, he has long been considered one of the top defenders in the league.
"I always knew we were going to make the playoffs. To be honest, you should never not make the playoffs. Potentially we were headed in that direction [not making the playoffs], but ever since the All-Star break, we've been playing well," Brown said. "If we had won a game or two that we tied, we would be right up there at the top. Some of those games, we should have won.
With the opening game in the 2007 postseason in sight, Brown said the team is in good form but not overconfident, especially taking on the best team in the league over the regular season in D.C. United.
"It's tough when you're playing one of the best teams in the league, and a strong team. We've been playing strong. We are coming into this game with a lot of confidence," Brown said. "We're hoping to get a win at home. You never know what you're going to get on the road."
Armas, another Fire Original and captain of the club since 2003, said having won the title in that inaugural season established a level of excellence for later teams to emulate.
"Sometimes it's hard because in the first year we win the championship and that set the bar at a high level for the rest," he said. "Unfortunately we haven't won another one but it's good that the bar was set up that high."
The successor to Peter Nowak as Fire captain, who came to the club in the inaugural season after two years with the Los Angeles Galaxy, said the team has still maintained that high level throughout its first decade.
"We've had a good team year in and year out. When some of the older guys leave our team, we have some younger players that and the organization has stayed committed to bringing top-level players and doing homework with draft picks and making sure that we win," Armas said. "I think we have a good tradition and it's important for the players to take a run at the championship."
While looking for a victory in Thursday's series opener, Armas said there is no true advantage for D.C. United in concluding the two-game, total-goals set at RFK Stadium.
"I really think that game one is important. Try to capture a win at home and try to do the same on the road. If I had to choose I would choose to play on the road first, because I think we are a good road team," Armas said. "But the way the playoffs are set up, I think there is really no big advantage for the top seed in the league and that works for us."
After debuting with the Fire in the memorable 1998 campaign and achieving many successes with the club, Gutiérrez spent four seasons with the Kansas City Wizards before returning to the Fire for the 2006 season. Even with the interruption, he has remained one of favorites for the Fire faithful for his dogged spirit of competition and his human quality away from the field.
"We have a strong team right now and we've been playing pretty well. I think just like in recent years, coming into the playoffs we've come in playing strong and that's important and needed for playing playoffs, Gutiérrez said. "Hopefully that will boost our confidence so we start off with a victory at home. Once we get there anything can happen."
Without being overconfident, the Men in Red -- led by their "Originals" -- are aiming to advance in the MLS Cup Playoffs and celebrate birthday No. 10 with a championship.
Raquel Ortiz is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
