CHICAGO, IL - The Chicago Fire defeated the UIC Flames 3-0 in a scrimmage held earlier this afternoon at Flames Field on the campus of University of Illinois - Chicago. The first of three, 30-minute halves saw a majority of starting Fire players take on the collegiate side, ending in a 0-0 finish before the first intermezzo. The second stanza would give the Fire's rookie class playing time, with midfielder Floyd Franks showcasing his finishing skills by tallying two goals to give the "Men in Red" the lead. Midfielder John Thorrington would put the game away in the 70th minute by converting a penalty kick for the eventual 3-0 win.
Chicago returns to practice in Lake Forest tomorrow before heading to Los Angeles to take on the 2005 MLS Cup champs on Saturday, Apr. 8 vs. the L.A. Galaxy (9:30 p.m. CT, HDNet).
Fire Lineup (3-5-2): Zach Thornton (Matt Pickens 31, David Mahoney 61), C.J. Brown (Leonard Griffin 31, Jordan Russolillo 61), Jim Curtin (Jeff Curtin 31, Leonard Griffin 70), Gonzalo Segares (Dasan Robinson 31), Diego Gutierrez (Jared Montz 31), Logan Pause (Jack Stewart 31), Thiago (Brian Plotkin 31), Justin Mapp (John Thorrington 31), Ivan Guerrero (Floyd Franks 31), Chad Barrett (Calen Carr 31), Chris Rolfe (Nate Jaqua 31, Hryoje Jukic 74).
Scoring Summary:
CHI - Floyd Franks 38'
CHI - Floyd Franks 42'
CHI - John Thorrington 70' (PK)
