The Chicago Fire stepped onto the pitch at Soldier Field for the first time in nearly 15 years on Monday, training together ahead of the Club’s return to the historic downtown Chicago venue on Tuesday night.
In speaking to media members on Monday afternoon following the session, the reality of the Club’s long-awaited homecoming had fully set in for head coach Raphael Wicky.
“It’s a beautiful stadium,” he said. “I’ve been in here before, but standing down on the field with the things the Club has done, it looks beautiful. It’s obviously huge. The field looks good. Honestly, it’s good, so they’re all very, very excited. Obviously, we hoped to open here in a full stadium in March, but now we’re happy to finally be here.”
Going into Tuesday, the last time the Fire played an official match at Soldier Field was on Oct. 21, 2005 - a 0-0 draw against D.C. United in the first leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Fire defender Mauricio Pineda had just turned eight.
The Bolingbrook, Ill. native and Fire Academy product -- now six games into his professional career -- is embracing the singular opportunity he and his teammates have ahead of them.
“Everyone’s really excited,” Pineda said. “I know this was my first time here in a long time. When we all stepped out for training today, it was a really special feeling. This place is amazing, and we’re all excited to get on the field tomorrow and play a game here.”
Seven years prior to the Club’s aforementioned Soldier Field finale, current Fire assistant coach Frank Klopas scored one of the most famous goals in Club history. On Oct. 30, 1998, Klopas downed the Columbus Crew with a 99th minute match-winner in the U.S. Open Cup final In front of the Chicago home crowd. The goal completed the Club’s historic double-winning campaign after they’d won MLS Cup five days before.
More than just about anyone, Klopas knows how much Tuesday night’s homecoming means to the Club and its fans.
“We have spoken a lot about it, and Frank is always a great storyteller as well,” Wicky said. “He tells us about the old times and we have seen video as well. But, it’s not only because Frank tells me. I know that this means a lot…I was working at U.S. Soccer when this was announced and saw how people were excited.”
Whereas the Fire were the MLS newcomers in their 1998 Soldier Field debut, the proverbial script will be flipped on Tuesday when second-year side FC Cincinnati comes to visit. FCC are 2-3-1 (seven points) in regular season play to date, and took eventual champions the Portland Timbers to penalty kicks before succumbing in the Knockout Round of the MLS is Back Tournament under head coach Jaap Stam.
Wicky’s side (1-4-1, four points) enters the match having created plenty of chances through six matches played - the fifth-most in the league (62) according to Opta - but will need to be sharper in front of the net if they’re to secure a full three points from the outing.
“We were a team in all of our games this year that creates chances and I believe that we will create chances tomorrow,” he said. “But, at one point, you need to finish those one or two chances. You cannot have five or six chances and not finish, so that is going to be the key. Cincinnati has shown that they’re solid defensively, that they’re well-organized, that teams don’t have many chances against them. We will have to be clinical in front of the goal.”
While Tuesday's match will be played without fans present, Wicky's side will look to make proud the 60,000+ that were expected to welcome the Club back to the lakefront for their original home opener back on March 21.
“I’ve known and felt since I arrived here how much this means to the people and to the Club and everyone," he said. "(I) was extremely excited when I arrived here and they announced the Club going back to Soldier Field, being back in downtown, closer to the people, where obviously the Club had a big history.”
“It’s a very historic stadium, so everyone is really excited and it means a lot to the Club. I’m aware of that and I’m very, very excited to be here.”
