Fire follows Mapp free kick to 1-0 win over New England in Game One of East Semifinal Series
Chicago Fire midfielder Justin Mapp scored his first-career MLS Cup Playoff goal and goalkeeper Matt Pickens stopped all eight shots he faced to help the Fire to a 1-0 win over the New England Revolution yesterday in Game One of their Eastern Conference Semifinal Series at TOYOTA PARK. After captain Chris Armas was fouled just outside the area in the 34th minute, Mapp would step up one minute later and bend the ensuing 20-yard kick over the Revolution wall and into the upper right corner for what would stand as the game's lone goal. Pickens, making his first career start in postseason play, would start and end the contest with big saves, first stopping a breakaway shot from New England Revolution midfielder Steve Ralston in the second minute and closing the match out by stopping Revs midfielder Khano Smith's 20-yard rocket at the left post in the game's final play.
Chicago takes one-goal lead to Foxboro for pivotal Game Two vs. Revs this Saturday at Gillette Stadium
Sunday's result means the "Men in Red" will head to New England this weekend with a one-goal lead in the home-and-away, aggregate goal Eastern Conference Semifinal Series, which will conclude with the second leg this Saturday, Oct. 28 at 6:30 CT at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA. Game Two between the Fire and Revs will be televised live nationwide on high-definition network HDNet and can also be followed via the MLS Direct Kick Package. Fans can also follow the contest live via the Fire's Spanish radio partner, WRTO-AM 1200. Sunday's result gave the Fire the lead in both the overall series (17-16-6 in all competitions) and in the two sides' lengthy playoff history (5-4-0). The Fire will be looking for its first-ever playoff win at New England after going 0-4-0 in its first four attempts, but the "Men in Red" managed to extinguish a nine-game losing streak at Gillette Stadium by posting a pair of wins over the Revolution earlier this year in regular season action (2-1 on Apr. 30 and 1-0 on Aug. 20).
Chicago Fire/Performance PT "Recovery Room"
Barrett, Chad - R fractured fifth metatarsal - OUT (Season Ending Injury list)
Capano, Craig - L knee derangement - OUT (Season Ending Injury list)
Curtin, Jeff - R adductor strain - OUT (Season Ending Injury list)
Montz, Jared - L adductor strain - OUT (Season Ending Injury list)
Pause, Logan - R meniscus surgery - OUT
Fire to Host Game Two Viewing Party Saturday night at The Globe Pub
Chicago Fire Soccer and The Globe Pub will team up to host the club's official Watch Party for Game Two of the Fire's Eastern Conference Semifinal Series against the New England Revolution this Saturday, Oct. 28. The festivities at The Globe Pub, located at 1934 W. Irving Park Rd. on Chicago's north side, will begin right around kick-off, which is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT. The Fire front office will be on hand to give away and raffle off various prizes, while food and drink specials will be available throughout the contest for all fans of the "Men in Red." For more details on this Saturday's Postseason Fire Watch Party, please visit the "FANS" section of the team's official website, www.Chicago-Fire.com.
Forward Andy Herron named 2006 Fire/Honda MVP
Chicago Fire forward Andy Herron had already garnered the 2006 Fire/Budweiser Golden Boot award following the team's regular season finale on Oct. 15, but one week later the 28-year-old Costa Rican captured an even bigger honor after being named the 2006 Fire/Honda MVP prior to Sunday's playoff contest against New England at TOYOTA PARK. Herron led the Fire in 2006 with an MLS career-high nine goals and also added an assist, but it was his penchant for clutch goals that led to Herron being named the team's MVP, as the "Tico" was the only member of the "Men in Red" to post multiple game-winning goals with five, tied for the third most in MLS this season. One of the League's most accurate forwards in 2006, Herron also stepped up his level of play during the 2006 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, scoring a tournament-best nine points on four goals and an assist - including the game-winning tally in the Fire's 3-1 win in the Final on Sept. 27.
Fire Originals C.J. Brown and Diego Gutierrez also earn end-of-season honors
Also honored prior to Sunday's match was a pair of "Fire Originals," 2006 Fire Defender of the Year C.J. Brown and 2006 Fire/USSF Humanitarian of the Year recipient midfielder Diego Gutierrez. The deserving Brown won the team's Defender of the Year award for the first time in his nine-year MLS career - all of which he's spent in a Chicago uniform. The durable 32-year-old defender and Bay Area native was his usual dependable self in 2006, his 28 games played and started and 2,429 minutes played all ranking second on the Fire this season. Brown surpassed the 200 games played and started mark for his career during the 2006 campaign and became just the fifth player in League history to collect such numbers with his original team.
Gutierrez would return to the Fire in 2006, and while the team valued him plenty on the field, his work for the club and in the community also garnered him the Fire/USSF Humanitarian of the Year award. The 11-year MLS veteran would score two goals and add three assists in 25 games for the Fire in his return season, but it was the intangibles Gutierrez brought to the field - his willingness to do the dirty work in midfield, an intensity that carried over to his teammates and natural leadership ability - that the team appreciated even more. The Colombian-born Gutierrez has taken the responsibility as a role model in the community very seriously, working as a spokesperson for reading programs, healthy lifestyle, and healthy life choice programs for the Fire's community outreach programs. In a year where immigration has become one of the country's most important issues, Gutierrez's efforts to promote the importance and contributions of immigrants in America led to him being honored by the Changing Worlds organization earlier this fall.
2007 Chicago Fire Season Tickets now available
Chicago Fire Soccer has announced that all Chicago Fire season tickets for the team's 2007 season at Bridgeview's TOYOTA PARK are now on sale. The Fire is proud to announce that Full Season, Half Season (10 tickets) and Flex Plan (20 tickets) prices in all seating areas will remain at their 2006 prices, with packages starting at $320. Fans wanting more information are encouraged to call the Fire's Ticket Holder Hotline at 708-496-6800 or visit www.Chicago-Fire.com for more details.
Give the gift of soccer this upcoming holiday season with a Chicago Fire Gift Certificate
Just in time for the approaching holiday season, the Chicago Fire is now offering $10 and $20 gift certificates that will be good towards the purchase of tickets during the Fire's 2007 season at TOYOTA PARK. These Chicago Fire Gift Certificates can be redeemed towards the purchase of either 2007 Fire Season Tickets - which includes Full Season, Half Season and Flex Plans - or towards the purchase of single-game tickets during the 2007 campaign. To order your Chicago Fire gift certificates now, please order in person at the TOYOTA PARK Box Office, located at 7000 S. Harlem Ave. in Bridgeview from 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. CT, or over the phone by calling 1-888-MLS-FIRE.
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