The Chicago Fire (8-10-6, 30 pts.) close out the regular season series versus FC Dallas (12-9-3, 39 pts.) in an MLS Primetime Thursday match-up at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. The Fire look to solidify their place in the playoff picture after taking away a crucial point in a 2-2 draw with the New York Red Bulls Saturday night in Bridgeview. FC Dallas are coming off a rough 4-2 loss to the New England Revolution Saturday in Foxboro, yet have defeated the "Men in Red" in nine-straight regular season meetings in the Lone Star State. Kick-off for Thursday's match is at 7:00 p.m. CT, and will be televised live on ESPN2 and broadcast over the airwaves on Chicagoland radio station WRTO-AM 1200 (Spanish).
Chicago Fire Weekly Agenda
** Sites/times subject to change. Please call 708.496.6726 to confirm training schedule. All times Central.
Monday, Sept. 17: Training at TOYOTA PARK practice field, 9:00 a.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 18: Training at TOYOTA PARK practice field, 9:00 a.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 19: Training at TOYOTA PARK practice field, 10:00 a.m., Depart for Dallas
Thursday, Sept. 20: Chicago Fire @ FC Dallas, 7:00 p.m. - Pizza Hut Park
Friday, Sept. 21: Arrive from Dallas, training at TOYOTA PARK practice field, 2:15 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 22: Training at TOYOTA PARK practice field, 9:00 a.m.
Sunday, Sept. 23: Chicago Fire vs. D.C. United, 2:00 p.m. - TOYOTA PARK
Sunday, Sept. 23: Chicago Fire Reserves vs. D.C. United Reserves, 4:30 p.m. - TOYOTA PARK practice field
"Chicago Fire Soccer Weekly" Radio Show - Fire Goalkeeper Jon Busch
"Chicago Fire Soccer Weekly," a half-hour weekly soccer talk show, will air its next broadcast via WXAV 88.3 FM from the campus of Saint Xavier University (SXU) this Tuesday, Sept. 18, at 6:00 p.m. CT, and each week throughout the rest of the Fire's 2007 MLS campaign. Hosts Kevin Kellam, Angelo Bonadonna, and Terry Bonadonna will speak with veteran goalkeeper Jon Busch. Fans are encouraged to call in at 773.429.0463 to talk about all things Fire-related - live over the airwaves and the internet, with podcasts available through Chicago Fire or WXAV subscriptions on iTunes. For more information visit www.wxav.com or www.chicago-fire.com.
Fire Viewing Party Thursday at Gin Mill
On Thursday, Sept. 20, Chicago Fire Soccer will host a viewing party at Gin Mill (2462 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, Ill.) for the Fire's road match against FC Dallas. The party starts at 6:30 p.m. CT, with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m. CT. Admittance is free, and the game will be shown on all of the bar's 14 TVs, including the big screen. The viewing party will also include drink specials all night, free finger foods, free "goal shots" every time the "Men in Red" score, and a halftime raffle full of great Fire giveaways. For more information please call Gin Mill at 773-549-3232 or the Chicago Fire at 708-496-6765.
CFBA to Host Chicago Fire Networking Event
The Chicago Fire Business Alliance (CFBA) will be holding a Chicago Fire Networking Event this Thursday, Sept. 20 from 6:00-9:00 p.m. CT at J Bar, (610 N. Rush St., Chicago, Ill). Guests 21 years and older are invited to join the Fire for this great opportunity to meet with fellow members of the CFBA, as well as cheer on the "Men in Red" as they face FC Dallas at 7:00 p.m. CT. Drinks and light snacks will be available for this limited-capacity event, and guests are asked to either RSVP or bring their original invitation for entry. Interested parties should contact Chicago Fire Season Ticket Services by Wednesday, Sept. 19, at 708-496-6800 or e-mail seasonticketservices@chicago-fire.com. Valet parking is available through the James Hotel at the intersection of Ontario and Rush Streets, or there is self-parking available at the intersection of Ohio and Rush St.
Blanco Grand Marshall of Little Village Mexican Independence Day Parade
Cuauhtémoc Blanco was honored as the Grand Marshall of the annual Little Village Mexican Independence Day Fiestas Patrias Parade on Sunday, Sept. 16. The Parade began at the Little Village Arch, on 26th Street and Albany, and moved westward, along 26th Street and ending at Kostner Ave. A film crew followed "Temo" along the way, taping for an upcoming episode of the show David Beckham's Soccer U.S.A.
Gonzalo's Game-Tying Goal up for Sierra Mist "Goal of the Week" Honor
Despite playing a man down against New York, the Fire leveled the match on a goal courtesy of Fire defender Gonzalo Segares in the 70th minute. Chicago's Cuauhtémoc Blanco sent a bending cross from 24-yards out toward the left side of the 6-yard box for Segares. The Fire's Costa Rica international got a step on his defender to put a head on the cross, redirecting the ball into the left side of the goal to knot the game 2-2. To vote for Segares' game-tying header as the Week 24 winner, go to www.mlsnet.com.
Fire in Playoff Contention
With a tie against New York on Saturday, the "Men in Red" still retain the eighth and final playoff spot with 30 points, just two points ahead of the Columbus Crew and one point in front of the Colorado Rapids. Five weeks remain in the regular season, but if it ended today, the eight teams below would qualify. They are listed according to their would-be opponents in two-game, aggregate goals playoff series:
Eastern Conference Semifinals
D.C. United vs. Kansas City Wizards
New England Revolution vs. New York Red Bulls
Western Conference Semifinals
Houston Dynamo vs. Chicago Fire*
Chivas USA vs. FC Dallas
*As the fifth team to qualify from the Eastern Conference, Chicago would shift over to become the fourth seed in the Western Conference playoff bracket.
2007 Brimstone Cup Battle Continues
While the Chicago Fire trophy case inside TOYOTA PARK boasts Conference Championships, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup victories, and the 1998 MLS Cup, one piece of hardware has gone missing since the Fire's 2001 campaign - the Brimstone Cup. In an effort to symbolize the intense nature of the Chicago-Dallas series during the Fire's first three seasons (1998-2000), supporters of both clubs developed the head-to-head series-winner award, the first rivalry-based trophy of its kind in MLS. The Fire raised the Brimstone Cup in the trophy's inaugural year of 2001, when Chicago won the points-based series (3-1-0) by an 11-5 margin. The "Men in Red" have yet to reclaim the trophy as Dallas has either retained or won the series outright for the past five seasons, but on Thursday the Fire could help the club's chances of adding more hardware. For more information on the Brimstone Cup, visit www.brimstonecup.com.
Fire Academy Announced First Signings
Chicago Fire Soccer announced the club's first Fire Academy class on Saturday, in advance of the Chicago Fire - New York Red Bulls match. Of the 39 overall players announced today, the "original six" players to sign with the Academy, were introduced to the media at halftime. Five of the first six players to sign are products of the Chicago Fire Juniors youth development program. The Fire Academy will open play on Feb. 23 and 24, 2008, when they face AFC Lightning (Fayetteville, Ga.) and Concorde (Marietta, Ga.), respectively.
The "original six players" are as follows: Logan Spidle (Chicago Fire Juniors), Bart Boguszewski (Rockford Raptors), Robbie LaRocque (Chicago Fire Juniors), Bryan Ciesuka (Chicago Fire Juniors), Victor Pineda (Chicago Fire Juniors), and Chris Prince (Chicago Fire Juniors). The Fire Academy roster currently represents 13 different local clubs and 32 high schools from the Chicagoland area. Seven Chicago Fire Juniors players overall have joined the first Academy class.
Fire Players Around the Town
Fans of the Fire should be on lookout as members of the "Men in Red" make public appearances around Chicagoland this week. On Monday, Sept. 17, midfielder Mike Banner will be signing autographs at Pete's Fresh Market, located at 3448 E. 118th St. in Chicago, Ill. from 4:00-5:30 p.m. CT. The event is promoted by Que Buena 105.1 FM and sponsored by V & V Supremo. On Tuesday, Sept. 18, Fire midfielder Bakary Soumare will be appearing at the store La Estrella, at 6540 Pulaski in Chicago, Ill. from 4:00-5:30 p.m. CT and will be joined by the Que Buena 105.1 FM radio crew, sponsored by V & V Supremo.
Fire to Deal With D.C. on Sunday
The Chicago Fire return from Frisco to host D.C. United (15-6-4, 49 pts.) at TOYOTA PARK this Sunday. Kick-off for the match is 2:00 p.m. CT and will be televised live on Fox My50 and TeleFutura, and broadcast over the airwaves on Chicagoland radio station WRTO-AM 1200 (Spanish) and WNVR-AM 1030 (Polish).
Fire Reserves Notch Season-First Win
The Chicago Fire Reserves (1-5-2, 5 pts.) beat the New York Red Bulls Reserves (4-3-0, 12 pts.) 2-1 in a Major League Soccer Reserve match Sunday morning at TOYOTA PARK. Newly-signed midfielder John Thorrington supplied the first goal of the match in the 23rd minute, while midfielder Mike Banner notched the game-winning goal in the 64th minute for the "Men in Red". The Red Bulls got on the board with a penalty kick taken by forward Jarrod Laventure in the 70th minute. The Chicago Fire Reserves return to action this week when they face the D.C. United Reserves (4-1-4, 16 pts.) at home this Sunday, Sept. 23 at 4:30 p.m. CT at the TOYOTA PARK practice field.
My50 to Air First Game Broadcast This Sunday
The My50 broadcast team will make their MLS debut this Sunday, as the Fire's newest broadcast partner, Fox affiliate My50, airs their first of two games this season. Local sports radio personality Fred Huebner will handle the play-by-play duties and long-time Fire broadcast sideline reporter Chris Doran will join him in the booth as color commentator, while local Fox affiliate reporter Sarah Kustok will make her Fire broadcast debut with the sideline call. Chicago Fire Soccer and My50 reached an agreement in early August to broadcast two games this season, including the Oct. 21 home finale against the Los Angeles Galaxy. More information on My50's programming is available at www.my50chicago.com.
Illinois Men's State Cup at TOYOTA PARK This Friday
This year's Illinois Men's State Cup Final between RWB Adria Soccer Club and the United Serbs Soccer Club will be held at TOYOTA PARK on Friday, Sept. 21, with kick-off slated for an 8:00 p.m. CT start. Parking and admission to this event is free to the public, with parking lots opening at 6:00 p.m. CT. Fans are asked to enter through Gate C at 7:00 p.m. The Illinois Men's State Cup competition is the oldest soccer competition in the United States of America, first awarded to Campbell Rovers in 1909 when it was named the Peel Cup after Peter J. Peel. The Peel cup went missing in 1970 and the Illinois Men's State Cup was renamed the Illinois Governor's Cup and has gone through several name changes, as teams retire each one if the same team wins the title three times. The current Cup is named for George Chazaro (current Illinois State Soccer Association President) and will be retired by RWB Adria unless the United Serbs can stop them on Sept. 21. Adria won the State Cup in 2005 and 2006. The winner of the Men's State Cup Final will travel to the Joseph L. Rodrigues Regional Tournament of Champions and will represent Illinois against 12 other states that make up the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) Midwest Region.
