No Major League Soccer team embraces its history any stronger than do the Chicago Fire.
On Thursday at Toyota Park, the Fire displayed their organizational pride when they inducted former midfielder Chris Armas into the team's hall of fame, called the Ring of Fire.
Armas played 10 seasons with the Fire, from the inaugural 1998 season when they won the MLS Cup and the U.S. Open Cup, through the 2007 season. He also played two seasons with the Los Angeles Galaxy before joining the Fire.
In attendance at the ceremony were four of the five previous inductees: players Peter Nowak and Frank Klopas, former general manager Peter Wilt and former coach Bob Bradley, the current coach of the U.S. national team (Lubos Kubik was not in attendance). Armas said it was appropriate for those men to be in attendance for his ceremony.
"Bob Bradley and Peter Wilt gave me the opportunity, and Bob raised the bar, set the standard of what we should look like on and off the field," Armas said Thursday. "Frank Klopas, Lubos Kubik and Peter Nowak taught me and showed me the way to conduct yourself as a player to be a winner and to understand how to compete. When those guys left, it was my responsibility to show the way."
Armas received a Ring of Fire ring and blazer in a rain-soaked halftime ceremony that included the introduction of the former inductees.
"To be in that group, I am very blessed and honored to join that company," Armas said.
During Armas' tenure with the Fire, the team won four U.S. Open Cups in all along with the MLS Cup, and Armas was selected to the MLS All-Star team seven times. He finished his career with 12 goals and 48 assists.
Kent McDill is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
