Expansion franchises Chicago Fire (3-1-1 10 pts.) and Toronto FC (0-4-0 0 pts.) meet in Toronto, Ontario, Canada for the first time in Major League Soccer regular season action Saturday afternoon at BMO Field (2:30 p.m. CT, Fox Soccer Channel). The Fire are entering the third of a three-game road stretch after falling 3-1 to New England in Foxborough on Sunday. Toronto should be well-rested for the match, as the club had a bye throughout Week 5. The Fire currently stand fourth in the Eastern Conference with 10 points, just one point behind both New York and New England, and two points behind the conference-leading Kansas City Wizards.
Chicago Fire Weekly Agenda
** Sites/times subject to change. Please call 708.496.6726 to confirm training schedule. All times local.
Monday, May 7: Arrive in Chicago, 12:10 p.m. CT; light training at TOYOTA PARK practice field, 1:30 p.m. CT
Tuesday, May 8: OFF
Wednesday, May 9: Training at TOYOTA PARK practice field, 10:15 a.m. CT
Thursday, May 10: Training at TOYOTA PARK practice field, 10:15 a.m. CT
Friday, May 11: Fly to Toronto, 11:30 a.m. CT; Training at BMO Field, TBD
Saturday, May 12: Chicago Fire @ Toronto FC - BMO Field - 2:30 p.m. CT; Chicago Fire Reserves @ Toronto FC Reserves - BMO Field - 5:00 p.m. CT
Sunday, May 13: Arrive in Chicago, 11:00 a.m. CT
"Chicago Fire Weekly" Radio Show Begins
"Chicago Fire Weekly", a half-hour weekly soccer talk show, will air its first broadcast via WXAV 88.3 FM from the campus of Saint Xavier University (SXU) this Tuesday, May 8th at 6:00 p.m. CT, and each week throughout the rest of the Fire's 2007 MLS campaign. The show's host will be WXAV Sports Director Angelo Bonadonna, with SXU Men's Soccer Coach Ed Vucinic and special guests co-hosting when available. Fire Head Coach Dave Sarachan and team captain Chris Armas will be on the inaugural show to discuss the previous weekend's game and talk about their upcoming match-up in Toronto. Fans of the "Men in Red" are encouraged to call in at 708.429.0463 to talk all things Fire-related - all live over the airwaves and the internet, with podcasts available through the Chicago Fire or WXAV subscriptions on iTunes. For more information visit www.wxav.com or www.chicago-fire.com.
Red-Hot Rolfe
Fire forward Chris Rolfe is in career-best form, producing three goals and three assists in Chicago's first five games to start the 2007 campaign. The University of Dayton product has tallied at least a point in five-straight MLS games, beating his mark of three goals and an assist in the first five games played in 2006. In the 2007 season opener at TOYOTA PARK, Rolfe's pass to Justin Mapp led to a cross into the box for midfielder Logan Pause to deflect in for a 1-0 result. In Week 2, it was Rolfe's helper that freed forward Chad Barrett behind the Rapids backline for the game-tying goal in the 85th minute to grab a late one-pointer. On April 21, Rolfe's assist led to Barrett's game-tying goal in the 36th minute and the 24-year-old forward got his first tally of the 2007 season with a game-winning penalty kick goal in the 73rd minute. Rolfe scored the game's only goal in the 60th minute for a 1-0 win at Houston on April 29, and followed that with a lone tally just before halftime in the Fire's 3-1 loss at New England on Sunday.
Fire Reserves Drop 1-0 Decision to Revs Reserves Sunday
The Chicago Fire Reserves (0-2-1 1 pt.) gave up an first half goal that proved to be the difference in a 1-0 loss to the New England Revolution Reserves (2-0-0 6 pts.) Sunday in a Major League Soccer (MLS) Reserve Division contest held at Gillette Stadium. New England's Willie Sims scored the game-winner in the 42nd minute on assists from Arsene Oka and Joe Franchino. The goal stood up despite pressure from the Fire in the closing seconds, as midfielder Nate Norman sent a service that went wide of the goal at the final whistle. New England goalkeeper Doug Warren recorded the shutout behind five saves. The Fire Reserves return to action next Saturday, May 12, at Toronto FC (5 p.m. CT) in their second-straight away double-header with the Fire first team.
One for the Road(s)
With a lone 45th minute goal scored by forward Chris Rolfe in the 3-1 loss at New England on Sunday, Chicago has continued a streak of scoring just one goal in now three-straight road tests during the 2007 regular season campaign. Rolfe also tallied in the 60th minute in the Fire's 1-0 win at Houston on April 29, while the "Men in Red" needed a late goal from Chad Barrett in the 85th minute on April 15 to salvage a 1-1 tie at Colorado in the Fire's first away match. Chicago hope to improve road scoring production as the team wraps up its three-game road stretch in the club's first trip to BMO Field in Ontario, Canada to face Toronto FC this Saturday.
Around the Town
Fans of the Fire should keep their eyes peeled as members of the "Men in Red" make public appearances throughout Chicagoland this week. Chicago Fire television play-by-play announcer Kenn Tomasch and midfielder Brian Plotkin will join Linda Linford of the Naperville Humane Society at 7:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday, May 9, to speak on behalf of the Fire's June 3 "Naperville Night" game promotion. Plotkin and Fire defender C.J. Brown will be speaking at the Ideal School in Countryside, Ill. from 1:15-2:20 p.m. CT on Thursday, May 20, while Thiago will make an appearance at the Brookfield Zoo in Brookfield, Ill. from 1:30-3:00 p.m. CT on Sunday for a special "Dia de la Madre" event.
FireWorks For Kids 2007 Golf Retreat Set for July 19-21
Join other loyal Fire fans for the all-inclusive FireWorks For Kids Foundation (FWFK) 2007 Golf Retreat at the spectacular Eagles Nest Ranch in Denver, Colorado this July 19-21. The ninth annual FWFK trip includes airfare, transportation, meals, accommodations for two nights, a new set of golf clubs, a ticket to the 2007 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star game at the new Dick's Sporting Goods Park, fishing, hiking, golfing and more. All proceeds from the annual Golf Retreat benefit the FireWorks For Kids Foundation. For more information or to request an invitation to attend the 2007 Golf Retreat, please contact the Foundation office at 708-496-6740 or e-mail at jyavitz@chicago-fire.com.
Fire Premier and Super-20 Squads Begin Practice and Games in May
Informal practices for both the Fire Premier PDL squad and Super-20s began May 5-6, reconvening May 12-13 before the regular practice schedule begins on Tuesday, May 15. Both squads will be practicing at the two soccer fields in Burr Ridge near 74th and Wolf Road in preparation for upcoming matches during the month of May. The Fire Premier will take on the Indiana Invaders May 16, at 4 p.m. CT on the TOYOTA PARK practice field, while the Chicago Fire Super-20 squad will play in TOYOTA PARK on Sunday, May 27 following the Chicago Fire first team match against Real Salt Lake (4:00 p.m. CT, TeleFutura). For more information about the Chicago Fire Premier and Super-20 youth teams, please visit www.chicagofirepremier.com.
Chicago "Primed" for May 17 Match-Up with FC Dallas
Chicago Fire Soccer has announced promotional activities for the club's first-ever ESPN2 MLS Primetime Thursday game at TOYOTA PARK on May 17 against FC Dallas. The theme for the night's game will be "School Night Out", presented by Chipotle. Students with a valid high school or college ID will receive $5 off any ticket purchased through the TOYOTA PARK box office, and the first 2,500 fans that arrive receive a complimentary Chicago Fire-Chipotle lanyard. In addition, discounted $15 Firehouse tickets will come with a Chipotle free burrito card if purchased through 888-MLS-Fire (this offer is not valid on game day). A pre-game concert featuring Chicago's own, "The Hush Sound" will start at 5:30 p.m. CT in the FireFest area, and the match-up inside TOYOTA PARK kicks-off at 7:00 p.m. CT. Fans are encouraged to create their best ESPN2-related "fan banners" and show them off at the Chicago Fire sales tent in the Northeast concourse. The fan with the best banner will win a 42" Plasma TV, courtesy of Panasonic.
Blanco Watch
Cuauhtémoc Blanco, the Chicago Fire's Designated Player signing, is with Mexican First Division side Club América as it enters the playoff stretch of the 2007 Clausura campaign. América is set to play Atlas in a home-and-home series beginning this Thursday, May 10 at Atlas' Estadio Jalisco before the return leg on Sunday, May 13 at Estadio Azteca. In Week 17, Blanco scored the game-tying goal in the 34th minute in a 2-1 América win over Monarcas Morelia, Chicago's partner club. In Week 16 "Temo" started and played the full 90 minutes for América, registering an assist (Ricardo Rojas, 12') for the game's only goal in a 1-0 win over Atlante. Overall, the native of Mexico City, Mexico has tallied 5 goals and 5 assists throughout the 2007 Clausura with the "Aguilas". Blanco will become an official member of the "Men in Red" on July 1 and will be eligible to play that day in Chicago's match-up with the Colorado Rapids at TOYOTA PARK (6:00 p.m. CT, Comcast SportsNet).
Join the Fire's Fight Against Malaria
Join Chicago Fire midfielder Diego Gutierrez in the fight against malaria. Major League Soccer joined the battle against malaria through its community outreach initiative - MLS W.O.R.K.S. - collaborating with the Nothing But Nets and Malaria No More campaigns. For more information on malaria awareness and how to donate, log on to www.NothingButNets.net or www.malariaNOMORE.org.
TV Broadcast Change for Chicago - Los Angeles on July 4
Chicago Fire Soccer has announced that the Fire's July 4 game at the Los Angeles Galaxy will no longer be broadcast through HDNet, but will be available locally on Comcast SportsNet-Chicago and nationally via the Direct Kick Package. Please be advised that HDNet has replaced the Fire-Galaxy game with a Chivas USA at FC Dallas match-up at 5:30 p.m. CT, which will remain a non-exclusive HDNet telecast.
Quick Kicks vs. Toronto FC
• Chicago goalkeeper Matt Pickens, defender Gonzalo Segares, and midfielders Chris Armas and Ivan Guerrero have started and played every minute for the "Men in Red" this season.
• Toronto FC goalkeeper Greg Sutton has served two different stints with the Fire, playing three games (two starts) in 1999 for a 1.46 goals against average (GAA) and again in 2000, starting and playing the full 90 minutes in two games for a 4.00 GAA.
• Pickens tallied a season-high six saves on Sunday in his 17th-consecutive start dating back to last season.
• Toronto assistant coach Mike Matkovich, former head coach for the Chicago Fire Premier (2002-2006), is a Naperville North High School graduate and former coach with the Chicago Power of the National Professional Soccer League (1990-94)
• Rookie Fire goalkeeper Nick Noble made his professional debut for the Fire Reserves on Sunday, replacing veteran Jon Busch in the second half to notch 45 minutes of action in the 1-0 loss.
• Caution watch - Chad Barrett (2), C.J. Brown (1), Calen Carr (2), Diego Gutierrez (2), Jim Curtin (1), Gonzalo Segares (1).
