The Chicago Fire (13-10-3, 42 pts.) takes its game on the road once again in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play as it faces familiar Brimstone Cup foe FC Dallas (10-9-6, 36 pts.) on Wednesday night at the new home of the Dallas club, Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, TX. The "Men in Red", now with the returned services of U.S. National Team player Chris Armas, are at the midpoint of a 7-game, 56-day road trip. The Fire-FC Dallas contest, which is set for a 7:00 p.m. CT kick-off, marks the third time the two rival clubs have met overall in Open Cup play. Fans can follow the tournament action live through an English radio broadcast via the Fire's official website, www.Chicago-Fire.com.
Chicago Fire @ FC Dallas
2005 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Semifinals
Wednesday, Sept. 14 @ 7:00 p.m. CT: Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, TX
TV: None
Audio: www.Chicago-Fire.com (English)
Fire/AthletiCo Injury Report
Buete, Scott - R 5th metatarsal fracture - Out
Capano, Craig - L torn ACL surgery - Out
Griffin, Leonard - R knee surgery - Out
Jaqua, Nate - L ankle bone bruise - Probable
Pickens, Matt - L ankle sprain - Out
Sanneh, Tony - R ankle sprain - Probable
Open Cup Road Trip Continues Through "Big D"
The Fire will be contesting its fourth road contest in as many tournament games when it takes on FC Dallas tomorrow night. The road to this year's semifinals began on July 13 when Chicago registered a 3-1 victory over the USL2's Western Mass Pioneers at Lusitano Stadium, in Ludlow, MA in the Third Round. On Aug. 3 it was back to Ludlow for a dramatic Fourth Round, 3-2 overtime win against the New England Revolution. Chicago continued its trek with a quarterfinal clash against the USL1's Rochester Raging Rhinos at Frontier Field in Rochester, NY on Aug. 24, which Chicago claimed via a 5-4 win in penalty kicks after the two squads dueled to a 1-1 draw in regulation and overtime.
Fire Remains MLS King of Open Cup
Chicago's 20-4-2 Open Cup record (.808 win percentage), three championships, and four Cup finals makes the Fire the most successful MLS team in the tournament and one of the top clubs to ever participate in the long history of the competition. Chicago is one of only seven teams in tournament history to win three championships, and is the last to do so since the New York Pancyprian-Freedoms won their third Dewar Trophy in 1983. The Fire has made it to the tournament's semifinal round in five of its previous seven appearances and this year marks the third consecutive trip to the semifinals for Chicago, who advanced out of the semifinal round in each of the last two years by defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2003 and the Charleston Battery in 2004.
Chicago Gets Second Crack at Bringing Back the Brimstone Cup
The Fire and FC Dallas will battle for the "Cup within the Cup" on Wednesday, as the U.S. Open Cup semifinal match will also likely serve as the tiebreaker in this year's Brimstone Cup series. It appeared that Dallas would retain the Brimstone Cup, which was created by supporters groups of both squads, after the two sides traded home wins earlier in this year's MLS season, but the Fire will get the chance to win the Cup back for the first time since 2001 with a doubly-important victory on Wednesday.
Quick Kicks vs. FC Dallas
