The Chicago Fire (1-4-5, 8 points) face a quick turnaround when the Men in Red travel to San Jose to take on the San Jose Earthquakes in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Play-in match at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on Tuesday, May 24 at 9:30 p.m. CT. The Fire will return the favor and host the ‘Quakes in MLS league play to close out the week with Armed Forces Appreciation Night at TOYOTA PARK on Saturday, May 28 at 7:30 p.m. CT. The Saturday match will air on Comcast SportsNet with Dan Kelly and Evan Whitfield on the call.
The Fire saw their unbeaten streak snapped as the Men in Red dropped a difficult result on the road, a 2-1 loss to Philadelphia Union on the weekend. Dominic Oduro’s acute angle strike wasn’t enough as Carlos Ruiz’ well-hit goal elevated the home side over the Fire.
The first game of the weeklong rubber match provides the four-time Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Champions a chance to participate in the tournament proper. The Fire have never faced the ‘Quakes in a Play-in match; however, the two sides have met once in the main draw of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Fire defeated the Quakes 4-3 on penalty kicks, following a 1-1 tie in regulation and overtime, July 22, 1998 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. The match will feature a radio stream here -www.sjearthquakes.com/usocradio - with Charles Wollin and Kelly Gray calling the action live from Buck Shaw.
In the league match on Saturday, the Fire have the decided advantage, going 12-7-9 over the ‘Quakes, including a 7-2-5 record in matches played in Chicago. San Jose enters the match riding a three game unbeaten streak, while the Men in Red are looking for their first victory since Opening Day at TOYOTA PARK March 26, a 3-2 win over Sporting Kansas City.
CHICAGO FIRE WEEKLY TRAINING SCHEDULE: May 23-29
Chicago Fire players and coaches will be made available to media at TOYOTA PARK (7000 S. Harlem Ave. Bridgeview, IL 60455) following each training session this week. Media are able to begin conducting interviews after training, which runs approximately two hours. (All times central)
Monday, May 23: Training 6:00 p.m. – Nutrilite Training Field (in San Jose)^
Tuesday, May 24:Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Play-in: Chicago Fire at San Jose Earthquakes – Buck Shaw Stadium - 9:30 p.m. CT –www.sjearthquakes.com/usocradio
Wednesday, May 25: Travel back to Chicago
Thursday, May 26:Training 10:00 a.m. – TOYOTA PARK practice field^
Friday, May 27: Training 10:00 a.m. – TOYOTA PARK practice field^
Saturday, May 28:Chicago Fire vs. San Jose Earthquakes – TOYOTA PARK – 7:30 p.m. – CSN
Sunday, May 29: OFF
Training is open to the media. Fire players and coaches will be made available immediately following training, which runs approximately two hours.
^Training times are subject to change. Please contact Brendan Hannan at 708.496.6725 for media requests.
CHICAGO FIRE vs. San Jose Earthquakes
- This week is the sixth instance and first since 2006 in which the Fire have played the same opponent in a week over MLS and U.S. Open Cup competitions. All-time under this occurrence the Fire are an impressive 9-1-0, with the only loss being a 1-0 defeat at the LA Galaxy in the 2001 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinal.
- The Fire are 7-2-5 in matches played in the Windy City, outscoring the Earthquakes by a margin of 12 goals, 25 to 13.
- Dominic Oduro scored his second goal of the season on Saturday. The Ghanaian winger has tallied two goals and added two assists since joining the Fire from the Houston Dynamo after the opening game of the season. Oduro is the all-time leading scorer on the Fire roster, having notched 17 goals throughout his six-year MLS career.
- The Fire split the 2010 season series with the ‘Quakes. Ike Opara’s header sealed a 2-1 victory for San Jose on Opening Night at TOYOTA PARK April 10, 2010. In the away fixture the Men in Red used goals from Steven Kinney, Freddie Ljungberg and Patrick Nyarko to trump the Earthquakes 3-0 at Buck Shaw Sept. 29, 2010.
- San Jose and Chicago played in the 2003 MLS Cup. The ‘Quakes defeated the Fire 4-2 in front of a sold-out crowd at The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA. Logan Pause was a member of the 2003 team that forged through to the 2003 MLS Cup Final.
· San Jose features two former Fire players in goalkeeper Jon Busch and defender Tim Ward. The Fire feature former backup goalkeeper Jon Conway, who won two MLS Cups with the ‘Quakes as understudy to Pat Onstad in 2001 and 2003.
CHICAGO FIRE MIDFIELDER MARCO PAPPA SELECTED BY GUATEMALAN NATIONAL TEAM FOR 2011 CONCACAF GOLD CUP
The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced today that midfielder Marco Pappa has been selected to the Guatemalan Men’s National Team ahead of the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The 23-year-old playmaker will represent his country when Guatemala begin Group B play against Honduras at The Home Depot Center on Monday, June 6 at 10:00 p.m. CT.
Pappa will report to national team camp following the Fire’s May 28 match against the San Jose Earthquakes at TOYOTA PARK. The talented winger, who has tallied four goals during the 2011 MLS campaign, will likely miss at least three Fire matches while on national team duty with Los Champines.
For a more in depth look at Guatemala’s Group B draw and a full 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup schedule, click here: http://www.goldcup.org/page/GoldCup/Schedule.
FIRE HOST ARMED FORCES APPRECIATION NIGHT AT TOYOTA PARK THIS SATURDAY
The Chicago Fire Soccer Club will honor the men and women of the Armed Forces this weekend when the club hosts Armed Forces Appreciation Night at TOYOTA PARK on Saturday, May 28 for the Chicago Fire – San Jose Earthquakes match at 7:30 p.m. CT (CSN). The Fire will honor the Hero of the Match, YN2 Casey Patterson from Grays Lake Naval Base, for his services in the U.S. Navy
The club offers $5.00 off each ticket at the Box Office for supporters who present a Military ID. In addition, Support Your Troops will have a booth inside FireFest where supporters can donate items to send to troops overseas. For further information visit: http://ourtroopsonline.com/index/.
CHICAGO FIRE SOCCER CLUB LAUNCHES YOUTH ACADEMY
The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced Friday the formation of their new Youth Academy program for boys. Elite players will be trained by Chicago Fire coaches and will train and play at TOYOTA PARK as part of the Midwest Developmental League, a part of U.S. Club Soccer’s National Premier Leagues, and in events for MLS youth programs.
Players will be selected through open tryouts and from local Chicago Fire Junior affiliates in the North, West, South and Northwest Indiana. As part of the evolution of the club’s Academy program, the Chicago Fire Youth Academy will begin play in Fall 2011. Tryout dates for all age groups will be announced in the near future.
For more information email youthacademy@chicago-fire.com or call 708-496-6580.
TICKETS OFFICIALLY ON-SALE FOR THE CHICAGO FIRE VS. MANCHESTER UNITED MATCH AT SOLDIER FIELD; KICKOFF MOVED TO 4:00 P.M. CT.
Tickets are officially on-sale for the Chicago Fire – Manchester United match at Soldier Field and are available by calling 1-888-MLS-FIRE, Chicago-Fire.com or via Ticketmaster. The Fire will take on the English Premier League Winners and UEFA Champions League Finalists at Soldier Field on Saturday, July 23 at 4:00 p.m. CT as part of the World Football Challenge. The organizers of the World Football Challenge have moved the kickoff time from 7:00 p.m. CT to 4:00 p.m. CT.
The Chicago Fire v. Manchester United match is included in the Fire’s Full Season Ticket Holder plan as Bonus Game Two. Supporters can purchase a ticket for the Chicago Fire - Manchester United match by purchasing full Chicago Fire Season Tickets by calling 1-888-MLS-FIRE (657-3473) or by heading to the club’s official website at Chicago-Fire.com. Fire Season Ticket Holders will receive an in-kind number of seats at Soldier Field and be given the opportunity to upgrade and/or purchase additional tickets.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN CLUB HISTORY, CHICAGO FIRE TO PRACTICE IN THE COMMUNITY
The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced today that for the first time in the club’s 14-year history that the Fire will Practice in the Community. The Fire will hold three practices in the community over the course of the 2011 MLS season with the first taking place in Chicago’s Historic Mexican neighborhood of Pilsen at Benito Juarez Community Academy (1450 -1510 W. Cermak Chicago, Illinois 60608) on Sunday, June 5 at 11:00 a.m. CT.
The Fire will venture away from their soccer-specific home of TOYOTA PARK to Practice in the Community, bringing the entire Fire team to Chicago’s South Side for a full training session that is open to the general public. Following the practice, the Fire will interact with the students of Benito Juarez Community Academy and members of the local community by signing autographs and talking soccer.
The Practice in the Community marks the beginning of the partnership between the Fire and Benito Juarez Community Academy.
The Fire intend to return to Naperville, where the club played from 2002-2003, to host their next Practice in the Community on Sunday, July 17.
¡MLS FUTBOLITO!™ PRESENTED BY PANASONIC TO VISIT CITY FIELDS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES THIS SUMMER
In its ninth edition, ¡MLS Futbolito!™, one of the nation’s most successful grassroots soccer initiatives, returns to city fields across America this summer, as thousands of soccer players of all ages and from all walks of life will again lace up their cleats to participate in Major League Soccer’s official 4-v-4 tournament, hosted locally by MLS clubs. The national tour, presented by Panasonic, kicked off in the Dallas area on Saturday, May 14 in a successful event hosted by FC Dallas.
¡MLS Futbolito!™, the largest touring Hispanic event hosted by a U.S. professional sports league, is a series of all-day events targeting the League’s growing multicultural fan base and hosted by the local MLS team. Approximately 50,000 people, between participants ages 6 to 55 and spectators, attended MLS Futbolito 2010 across 13 events from coast to coast.
For further information about ¡MLS Futbolito!™, visit the event’s official site: www.MLSFutbolito.com.
MLS W.OR.K.S./The Home Depot Community Launches
The MLS W.O.R.K.S./The Home Depot Community MVP Contest will launched League-wide on April 29 in all 18 MLS markets, giving fans throughout the League an opportunity to nominate themselves or individuals who go above and beyond to make a difference in their community.
One (1) winner will be selected to represent each MLS market (18 total winners) and will receive local* recognition at a home game during the 2011 season, and national recognition during halftime at the 2011 AT&T MLS All-Star game at Red Bull Arena on July 27.
One (1) grand prize winner will also be selected to receive a $10,000 donation to their charity of choice. The voting process will take place during a two week window (July 8-22) and the winner will be announced during the recognition ceremony at All-Star (further details to follow).
Nominate your Community MVP by visiting http://www.mlssoccer.com/communitymvp by June 24.