CHICAGO - The Chicago Fire has announced that forward Ante Razov underwent successful surgery on his right ankle Wednesday morning in a procedure performed at St. Joseph Hospital in Chicago. During the surgery, Fire team physician Dr. Preston Wolin removed a bone spur and bone chips found in the striker's right foot. The timeframe for Razov's return to the field remains at 3-4 months, meaning the club's all-time leading scorer will miss at least the remainder of the Fire's 2004 regular season campaign.
Razov, 30, sustained the injury on July 3 in a game against the Columbus Crew and was forced to exit the match in the 80th minute. The forward has since missed seven games, including two Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup games. Prior to the injury, Razov - one of only four remaining 'Fire Originals' - appeared in 13 games (starting 11), scoring four goals and two assists for 10 points in his seventh season with Chicago. Razov has led Chicago's offensive corps since his arrival in 1998 and in 2003 he garnered his fifth Chicago Fire/Budweiser Scoring Champion title. He has made 161 career appearances, notching 192 points on 77 goals and 38 assists (Chicago and L.A. combined).
After a two-week hiatus from MLS play, the Fire will return to League action tonight when it hosts the San Jose Earthquakes in the third and final rematch of the season between last year's MLS Cup 2003 combatants. Kickoff at Soldier Field in Chicago is set for 7:30 p.m. CT.
