CHICAGO FIRE vs. COLORADO RAPIDS
The Chicago Fire (2-1-1, 7 pts.) host their second home game in six days as they face the Colorado Rapids (2-2-0, 6 pts.) on Saturday, April 26, at TOYOTA PARK in Bridgeview, Ill. Kickoff for the match set for 7:30 p.m. CT. The Fire comes into the game after suffering a 1-0 home loss to Kansas City while the Rapids fell 2-1 at home to San Jose last week. Saturday's game will be televised by HDNet and can be heard in Chicagoland WRTO 1200-AM in Spanish. Tickets for the Fire - Rapids match are available by calling 1.888.MLS.FIRE or visiting www.chicago-fire.com.
The Fire lead the all-time series with Colorado 13-10-5 which includes an 11-3-1 advantage in games played in Chicago. The teams tied both meetings last year - 1-1 on 4/15/07 at Colorado and 0-0 on 7/1/07 in Chicago. Chicago is 8-1-1 in its last 10 home games against the Rapids.
CHICAGO FIRE WEEKLY AGENDA
** Sites/times subject to change. Please call 708.496.6724 to confirm training schedule. All times Central.
Tuesday, April 22 OFF
Wednesday, April 23 Training at TOYOTA PARK practice field, 10:00 a.m.
Thursday, April 24 Training at TOYOTA PARK practice field, 10:00 a.m.
Friday, April 25 Training at TOYOTA PARK practice field, 10:00 a.m.
- CLOSED
Saturday, April 26 Chicago Fire vs. Colorado Rapids, 7:30 p.m. - TOYOTA PARK
Sunday, April 27 Meet the Team Event, 7:00 p.m. - Best Buy Downers Grove
Monday, April 28 OFF
2008 TEAM PHOTO GIVEAWAY ON SATURDAY
The first 10,000 in attendance for Saturday's game will receive a 2008 Chicago Fire Team Photo, courtesy of Walgreens.
FIRE'S GUTIERREZ TO PARTICIPATE IN FIRST-EVER WORLD MALARIA DAY
Chicago's Diego Gutierrez will be quite busy this week as a spokesman for the "Nothing But Nets" campaign and the first-ever "World Malaria Day" on Friday, April 25. Gutierrez will participate in an United Nation's Foundation media event on Thursday at 2 p.m. at the James R. Thompson Center located at 100 W. Randolph Center in Chicago.
Nothing But Nets is a grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa. A donation of just $10 buys an insecticide-treated bed net this is arguably the most cost-effective way to prevent malaria transmission. One bed net can safely last a family for about four years, thanks to a long-lasting insecticide woven into the net fabric.
FIRE AND McDONALD'S TEAM UP FOR CHARITY
The Chicago Fire have announced that the FireWorks For Kids Foundation (FWFK) will team up with McDonald's again this season to raise money for Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana through the Golden Goals Program. McDonald's will donate $100 for each regular season goal scored by the Fire at Toyota Park to the FWFK Foundation. The FWFK Foundation will match the amount donated by McDonald's and donate the total amount to Ronald McDonald House Charities®.
CHICAGO FIRE SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES CONTINUE
The Chicago Fire School Assembly program, sponsored by Walgreens, continues this week. Austin Washington and Daniel Woolard will be at the Little Village Academy, located at 2620 S. Lawndale in Chicago, Illinois from 1:45 p.m. - 2:35 p.m. CT on Tuesday, April 22. Kai Kasiguran and Andy Herron will also attend Little Village Academy, from 1:30 p.m. - 2:20 p.m. CT on Thursday, April 24.
FIRE RESERVES LOST TO KANSAS CITY 3-1
The Chicago Fire Reserves (1-1-0, 3 pts.) fell to Kansas City's Reserves (1-0-1, 4 pts.) 3-1 in an MLS Reserve Division match at TOYOTA PARK Sunday. Patrick Nyarko opened scoring for Chicago in the 31st minute, but goals from Kansas City's Ivan Trujillo (49'), Eloy Colombano (63'), and Nelson Pizzaro (73') helped the Wizards cruise to the win. The Fire Reserves return to action against the D.C. United Reserves in the nation's capital on Sunday, May 9, at 9:00 a.m. CT.
FIRE SIGN GOALKEEPER TYLER KETTERING
Kettering, 23, has been training with the Chicago Fire for the past week. The Xenia, Ohio native was a three-year captain at Gardner-Webb University (2004-07) and is the all-time Athletic Sun Conference and GWU saves leader with 446. Kettering last played for the USL2 Wilmington Hammerheads through the 2007 season, starting in 10 games, with 3 shutouts and 51 saves (5.1 saves per game). While with the Hammerheads, Kettering posted a goals against average of 1.4, with a saves percentage of .785.
CHICAGO FIRE ACADEMY WEEKLY AGENDA
** Sites/times subject to change. Please call 708-496-6577 to confirm training schedule. All times Central.
Tuesday, April 22 Training at College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, Ill., 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, April 23 Training at Argo High School, Summit, Ill., 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 24 Training at TOYOTA PARK practice field, Bridgeview, Ill., 6:30 p.m.
Friday, April 25 OFF
Saturday, April 26 Fire Academy U-16 vs. Clearwater Chargers SC, TOYOTA PARK practice field, 11:00 a.m.
Fire Academy U-18 vs. Clearwater Chargers SC, TOYOTA PARK practice field, 1:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 27 Fire Academy U-16 vs. IMG Soccer Academy, TOYOTA PARK practice field, 11:00 a.m.
Fire Academy U-18 vs. IMG Soccer Academy, TOYOTA PARK practice field, 1:00 p.m.
