VENTURA, Calif. -- The Chicago Fire ran through a 90-minute training session Thursday morning as they continue to prepare for Saturday’s doubleheader with the University of California-Santa Barbara Men’s Team (reserve game) and first team game vs. the San Jose Earthquakes (Live Stream at 8pm CT on Chicago-Fire.com).
A few notes from camp…
* After spending the last month with the U.S. Men’s National Team, goalkeeper Sean Johnson is set to arrive in Fire camp Thursday night following the team’s 2-1 World Cup qualifying defeat Wednesday in Honduras.
* With Johnson’s arrival, trialing goalkeeper Neal Kitson has departed training camp. Supplemental Draft selection James Belshaw and trialist Alec Kann join Johnson and Paolo Tornaghi in the team’s current goalkeeping ranks.
* Alex departed training camp Thursday morning as he flies to Brazil for his wedding. The Brazilian midfielder will re-join the team for Phase Three of training camp when it resumes February 13 in Charleston, S.C.
* Forward Kellen Gulley arrived into camp late Tuesday night.
* After missing Tuesday’s game vs. Chivas with an undisclosed injury, midfielder Michael Videira returned to full training Thursday.
* Injured forward Maicon Santos (abdominal strain) and defender Hunter Jumper (quad strain) did light fitness work again Thursday but remain out of the full sessions.
* Midfielder Patrick Nyarko trained in full for the first time in preseason Thursday morning and Fire head coach Frank Klopas reiterated that he expects the Ghanaian attacker as well as defender Arne Friedrich and new midfielder Dilly Duka to make their preseason debuts in Saturday’s game.
* Nyarko talked what his first training session felt like below...
