Poland's version of "American Idol." Polish culinary specialties will also be available. For more information or to purchase tickets to the event, please call 1-888-MLS-FIRE or visit www.Chicago-Fire.com.
Peter Wilt to Enter "Ring of Fire" Saturday in Pre-Game Ceremony
This Saturday, the Chicago Fire will induct former Fire GM Peter Wilt as the fourth member of its Hall of Fame, the "Ring of Fire." Wilt will join Peter Nowak, Frank Klopas and Lubos Kubik into the distinguished group. Wilt will officially join the "Ring of Fire" during a pre-game ceremony to be held on the field. The 46-year-old Wilt was appointed as the Fire's first GM in June 1997 and had been the longest tenured GM with the same MLS team prior to his departure in December 2005. In the club's inaugural season, he guided the Fire to a glorious year as the team captured the "Double," winning the MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup in 1998. In a span of seven years, Wilt guided the club to seven domestic Cup Finals, capturing four championships (MLS Cup in 1998 and U.S. Open Cup in 1998, 2000 and 2003), three division titles (2000, 2001 and 2003) and the Supporters Shield in 2003. Wilt saw the Fire earn playoff berths for six consecutive seasons, from 1998 to 2003.
Chicago Fire/Performance PT "Recovery Room"
Curtin, Jim - R foot fracture - OUT
Rolfe, Chris - concussion - OUT
Thorrington, John - R MCL sprain - OUT
2006 MLS All-Star Coach and Former Fire Captain Peter Nowak Selects Nate Jaqua to All-Star Squad
MLS All-Star Head Coach and former Fire captain (1998-2002) Peter Nowak today named Fire forward Nate Jaqua to his 18-man MLS All-Star roster that will take the field against English powerhouse Chelsea FC in the 2006 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game on Saturday, Aug. 5 at TOYOTA PARK in Bridgeview (5:30 p.m. CT, live on ESPN). This marks the first MLS All-Star selection for the 24-year-old Jaqua, who is midway through his fourth season with the Fire. The University of Portland product is currently tied for the Fire's team-lead with four goals and one assist. All four of Jaqua's goals have come in an eight-game span that started on June 11, when he scored the first two goals in TOYOTA PARK history against the New England Revolution. Jaqua's four goals this season has moved his career total with the Fire to 17 tallies, putting him in a seventh-place tie on Chicago's all-time goal-scoring chart alongside Bulgarian legend Hristo Stoitchkov.
The 18-man competitive squad that will square off against the two-time defending Barclay's English Premier League champions next month at the corner of 71st & Harlem was named earlier today by D.C. United and MLS All-Star Head Coach Peter Nowak, the former Polish international who served as the Fire's first captain from 1998-2002 and was the inaugural member of the team's Hall of Fame, the "Ring of Fire." Jaqua will be the only Fire representative to take the field for the midseason showcase, but the addition of more "Men in Red" to the All-Star list could come next week when MLS will announce its list of 14 alternates for the match.
Individual Tickets for 2006 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game Featuring Chelsea FC Now Available
The Fire announced that tickets for the 2006 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game, taking place at TOYOTA PARK in Bridgeview on Saturday, Aug. 5 at 5:30 p.m. CT (live on ESPN), are now on sale to the public. This year's edition of the Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game will feature the best and brightest stars from MLS taking on arguably the world's top club, two-time defending English Premier League champion Chelsea FC. Tickets for the midsummer showcase range from $55-$125 and can be purchased in person at the TOYOTA PARK Box Office, located at 7000 S. Harlem Avenue, from 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, by calling TicketMaster at 312-559-1212 or visiting www.TicketMaster.com.
Chelsea will bring a roster laden with international stars for a match that falls just two weeks before the start of its 2006-07 domestic campaign. Chelsea's cast of stars features 16 players that were named to their countries' squads for the recently completed FIFA World Cup, including tournament All-Star Team performers Michael Ballack (Germany), Ricardo Carvalho (Portugal), Hernan Crespo (Argentina) and John Terry (England). Also included in the London outfit's stable of world-class players are World Cup finalists Claude Makelele and William Gallas (France), Czech Republic 'keeper Petr Cech, and the club's newest acquisition, Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko.
2006 MLS All-Star Team
Goalkeepers: Troy Perkins (D.C. United), Joe Cannon (Colorado Rapids)
Defenders: Chris Albright (Los Angeles Galaxy), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Eddie Pope (Real Salt Lake), Josh Gros (D.C. United), Bobby Boswell (D.C. United)
Midfielders: Dwayne De Rosario (Houston Dynamo), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Christian Gomez (D.C. United), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids), Freddy Adu (D.C. United), Richard Mulrooney (FC Dallas), Ronnie O'Brien (FC Dallas)
Forwards: Jaime Moreno (D.C. United), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Alecko Eskandarian (D.C. United), Nate Jaqua (Chicago Fire)
Fire Set to Kick-off 2006 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup vs. Kansas City on Aug. 2 at TOYOTA PARK
Last week the U.S. Soccer Federation announced the Fourth Round pairings for the 2006 edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, which includes the Chicago Fire's match-up against the Kansas City Wizards on Wednesday, Aug. 2 at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets for the Open Cup clash are now on sale and can be purchased at the TOYOTA PARK Box Office located at 7000 S. Harlem Avenue, from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Monday-Friday or by calling 1-888-MLS-FIRE. All tickets for the game are $15 (Club Seating excluded) and will be sold on a first-come, best available seat in the house basis.
The Fire has enjoyed unparalleled success in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup since the team's inception in 1998, winning the coveted Dewar Trophy three times - 1998, 2000 and 2003 - in the club's first seven seasons while finishing as the runners-up in the 2004 edition. Last year the Fire made a solid run to the semifinals, defeating United Soccer Leagues Division Two side Western Massachusetts Pioneers before posting a Fourth Round victory over the New England Revolution, with both games held in Ludlow, MA. The Fire dueled to a 1-1 draw with USL First Division club Rochester Raging Rhinos and used a 5-4 win in penalty kicks to advance before falling to rival FC Dallas 1-0 on Sep. 14 at Pizza Hut Park in the semifinals. The match against Kansas City will mark the Fire's first home contest in the competition since a thrilling 1-0 double overtime win over the Charleston Battery in a 2004 semifinal match played at Naperville's Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.
Fire and U.S. Soccer Foundation to Host Annual Passback Night at TOYOTA PARK on July 29
Do you have a soccer ball that you never use? Are you beginning to grow out of some of your soccer equipment? Instead of throwing away your new or gently used gear, share it with those in the community who would love to play the sport of soccer and benefit from your generosity. Please join the U.S. Soccer Foundation and the Chicago Fire on Saturday, July 29 for the Fire's Passback Collection night at TOYOTA PARK prior to its match against the Columbus Crew at 7:30 p.m. CT. The individual or group that donates the largest amount of gear will receive a $200 gift certificate from Eurosport. Help make a difference for current and future soccer players in Chicagoland. For more information on the Fire's USSF Passback Night, email Erik Rancatore at Erik.Rancatore@gmail.com.
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