MLS Chicago Fire FC

Chicago Fire Host Toronto FC Before Traveling to PPL Park to Face Philadelphia Union

Published on September 7, 2010 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Chicago Fire FC News Release


The Chicago Fire (6-7-7, 25 points) sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference and loom in the hunt for a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs when they host north of the border postseason competitor Toronto FC (7-9-6, 27 points) at TOYOTA PARK on Wednesday, Sept. 8 at 7:30 PM CT (My50).

With 10 matches remaining and at least two games in hand on all but one (San Jose Earthquakes have also played 20 games) of the teams jockeying for MLS Cup Playoff position, the Fire look to close the gap this week when they take on Toronto FC at home on Wednesday (My50) and then travel to Philadelphia to challenge the expansion Philadelphia Union (5-11-6, 21 points) on Saturday, Sept. 11 at 5:00 PM CT (Fox Soccer Channel).

CHICAGO FIRE vs. Toronto FC

* The Fire are 3-3-2 against Toronto FC all-time and are 1-0-2 in matches played at TOYOTA PARK.

* With three NAPA Save of the Week Award wins in the month of August, Fire rookie 'keeper Sean Johnson matched the feat that Toronto FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei posted last season as a rookie. Frei won the NAPA MLS Save of the Week Award in Weeks 24, 25 and 26.

* The spectacular 88th minute free-kick strike by Collins John against the LA Galaxy gives the big Dutchman three goals on the season.

* In the first meeting of the season, the Fire were defeated by Toronto FC 4-1 at BMO Field in Toronto May 8.

* Freddie Ljungberg returns to the fold following his one game suspension for yellow card accumulation.

* Fire defender Gonzalo Segares will not be available to Head Coach Carlos de los Cobos for Wednesday's battle with TFC. The Costa Rican international will begin serving a two game suspension this Wednesday for the 21st minute red card he received against the LA Galaxy Sept. 4. Segares will also miss the Fire's weekend tilt with Philadelphia Union.

* In 2009, the Fire defeated and tied with TFC. Chris Rolfe and Brian McBride scored to give the Fire a 2-0 victory and three points at BMO Field, May 16. In the second meeting, McBride's game tying goal capped the Fire's comeback to give the side a 2-2 draw at TOYOTA PARK Sept. 26.

* Brian McBride was briefly a member of Toronto FC when he returned to MLS in 2008. The MLS Best XI forward was acquired for Chad Barrett before ever suiting up for TFC. McBride has fared well against TFC, scoring two goals and an assist in four matches.

CHICAGO FIRE at PHILADELPHIA UNION

* Saturday's match marks the Fire's first match at PPL Park, Union's state-of-the-art soccer specific stadium on the Chester, PA waterfront.

* In the first meeting between the two sides, Baggio Husidic and Marco Pappa scored to dispatch Union 2-1 at TOYOTA PARK, June 5.

* Union Head Coach Peter Nowak was an original member of the Chicago Fire. Nowak, along with Fire Technical Director Frank Klopas helped the Fire capture the 1998 MLS Cup and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in the club's inaugural season.

* The Fire will meet another familiar face when they lineup against former teammate Justin Mapp on Saturday. In eight seasons with the Fire, the Brandon, MS product scored 14 goals and tallied 36 assists in 174 appearances.

ALL-IN FOR 2011: FAN FEEDBACK DRIVES FIRE'S 2011 SEASON TICKET PLAN

The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced pricing for 2011 season tickets after nearly a season's worth of feedback from its supporters about the kind of offers and incentives they want in a Fire season ticket package. In an unprecedented move in Chicago sports, the Fire will offer free and reduced parking to a majority of season ticket holders and a 12-month payment plan that will allow Fire Season Ticket Holders to pay as low as $15 a month from Nov. of 2010 until Sept. 2011. Ninety-seven percent of all season tickets will experience no increase in ticket prices from 2010 to 2011. Season Tickets start as low as $199 for the Fire's 20-game TOYOTA PARK schedule and feature a number of unique and exclusive benefits to being a Chicago Fire Season Ticket Holder. Fire Season Tickets can be purchased by phone at 1-888-MLS-FIRE (657-3473) or head to the club's official website at www.Chicago-Fire.com.

ALL IN FOR 2011

1. FREE PARKING: For the first time in club history, the Fire will offer free and reduced parking to a majority of its Season Ticket Holders. All lower bowl east-side and west-side Season Ticket Holders will receive free parking at TOYOTA PARK for the duration of the 20 game schedule. Harlem End and Skyway Season Ticket Holders will receive half-price parking, $120 down from $240 for the entire 2011 Fire season.

2. 12-MONTH PAYMENT PLAN: The only sport in town that offers a Season Ticket Payment Plan, the Fire give fans a chance to pay off their Season Ticket over the course of 12 months. For as low as $15 a month, Fire Season Ticket Holders will be given the option to make monthly payments from Nov. 1, 2010 to Sept. 30, 2011.

3. BUILD THE CLUB REWARDS PROGRAM: This fan-friendly, unique opportunity allows for current Fire Season Ticket Holders to reward fans and receive a 20 percent credit on referral purchases. Those referred will receive a five percent savings on the purchase of their 2011 Fire Season Tickets.

4. MERCHANDISE AND CONCESSION SAVINGS: All Fire Season Ticket Holders will receive a 20 percent savings off all Fire merchandise. The Fire have teamed will Levy Concessions to offer savings on in-stadium concessions for Fire Season Ticket Holders.

5. 97 PERCENT OF SEASON TICKETS REMAIN THE SAME PRICE IN 2011: Utilizing a simplified pricing structure, the Fire reduced Stadium pricing areas from 10 to six. The move expands the Fire's faithful supporter's section, Section 8, from two sections to four and shows an $80 reduction in CornerKick tickets from $480 to $400. Four sections of Skyway season ticket plans make up for the three percent of tickets that did not remain the same for 2011. Four Skyway sections increased just $1 a game, from $179 to $199.

2010/2011 SEASON TICKET PRICING COMPARISON

2010 SEASON TICKET PRICING 2011

$3000 Fieldside $3000

$999 Club $999

$600 Premier $600

$480 CornerKick $400

$200 Supporters $200

$199 Skyway $199

CHICAGO FIRE COMPETE IN OFF FIELD CAMPAIGN TO IMPACT CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The Chicago Fire Soccer Club is asking fans to join them in making a difference in the Chicagoland community. As part of the Pepsi Refresh Project, the Fire will partner with Chicago Public Schools to sponsor the first ever health, wellness and education festival designed to motivate Chicago youths to stay in school by providing tools to maintain a healthy, happy and productive school year. The Fire will compete against MLS' 15 other teams, vying for fan votes and an ultimate $50,000 Pepsi Refresh grant to fulfill the club's Pepsi Refresh initiative, which will effectively impact 10,000 Chicago Public School students. Running through Monday, September 20 at 10:59 PM CT, fans can cast their votes 25 times a day at www.MLSsoccer.com/PepsiRefresh.

Should the Chicago Fire be chosen as the 2010 Pepsi Refresh Project winner, 10,000 Chicago Public School students will receive school supply kits and all the key health screenings needed to keep them focused and motivated throughout the school year.

CHICAGO FIRE BATTLE LA GALAXY TO 1-1 DRAW IN FRONT OF SOLD OUT CROWD AT TOYOTA PARK

Collins John lashed home a 88th minute free kick to give the 10-man Fire a lead, but Omar Gonzalez headed home the equalizer three minutes later as the Fire and Galaxy battled to a 1-1 draw in front of 21,068 fans at TOYOTA PARK.

The Fire (6-7-7, 25 points) earned their seventh draw of the season and fourth at TOYOTA PARK. With 25 points and ten matches remaining, the Fire sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference.

The Fire were reduced to 10 men after defender Gonzalo Segares was shown a straight red card in the 21st minute for an apparent elbow to LA Galaxy defender Leonardo. After Leonardo went down in the area and Segares was given his marching orders the referee immediately pointed to the spot, awarding the league-leading Galaxy a penalty. Fire rookie goalkeeper Sean Johnson stood tall as Donovan approached the spot and dove to his left to parry the U.S. National Team star's low driven effort off of the line and keep the match level at 0-0.

Playing a man down, substitute forward Collins John gave the Fire the lead in the 88th minute. John, who came on for Patrick Nyarko in the 82nd minute, struck a curling free kick around the Galaxy wall and past Galaxy 'keeper Donovan Ricketts into the back of the net to give the Fire a 1-0 advantage with time winding down.

Moments later, Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez leapt over the Fire defense at the edge of the six-yard box to head home a Donovan corner kick and level the match at 1-1 after 91 minutes of play. The last-second header erased the Fire lead and moved the club's record at home to 3-2-5.

CHICAGO FIRE, U.S. SOCCER OFFER SPECIAL COMBO 2-PACK TICKET PACKAGE

The Chicago Fire Soccer Club is offering a special COMBO 2-PACK ticket package which includes a ticket to a select Chicago Fire match at TOYOTA PARK and a ticket for the U.S. Men's national team match against Poland at Soldier Field on Oct. 9 at 6:30 PM CT. The COMBO 2-PACK is on sale immediately and can be ordered by calling 1-888-MLS-FIRE (657-3473) or heading to www.Chicago-Fire.com or ussoccer.com . The Chicago Fire-U.S. Soccer COMBO 2-PACK marks the first time in club history that the Fire have partnered with U.S. Soccer for a special ticket package offer.

COMBO 2-Packs start at $40 and include a ticket for the USA-Poland game and your choice of one of the following Fire matches at TOYOTA PARK:

Wednesday, September 8 Chicago Fire vs Toronto FC (7:30 PM) Friday, October 8 Chicago Fire vs Columbus Crew (8:00 PM) Tuesday, October 12 Chicago Fire vs Kansas City Wizards (7:30 PM)

COMBO 2-PACKS consist of a Sideline USA ticket & Corner Fire ticket OR Corner USA ticket & Firehouse Fire ticket.

CHICAGO FIRE FORWARD BRIAN MCBRIDE TO RETIRE AT THE END OF THE 2010 SEASON

Fire forward Brian McBride will retire at the end of the 2010 season. The MLS All-Time Best XI forward and three-time U.S. World Cup star will end his illustrious 17-year playing career following the Fire's 2010 season. McBride, the number one selection in the 1996 MLS inaugural player draft, has appeared in 211 games, scoring 78 goals and adding 51 assists over the course of his 11-year MLS career with the Chicago Fire and Columbus Crew. One of the most decorated players in United States soccer history, the renowned striker appeared in three FIFA World Cups, scoring 30 goals in 95 appearances for the U.S. Men's National Team from 1993-2006.

To watch McBride's comments, please click here: http://chitv.neulion.com/mlsvp/console.jsp?id=8329

McBride returned to Chicago to play for his hometown club July 30, 2008, following a celebrated four and half year stint with English Premier League side Fulham FC. While donning the Fire shirt, the Arlington Heights, IL product scored 16 goals in 49 appearances helping the Fire to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals.

McBride, one of the defining figures in the history of the U.S. Men's National Team, appeared in three FIFA World Cups (1998, 2002, 2006) and ranks third all-time in goals scored (30) behind Eric Wynalda (34) and Landon Donovan (45). In the 2002 World Cup, the USA's most successful World Cup experience, McBride provided game winning goals for the USA to defeat Portugal and Mexico and advance to the quarterfinals. McBride sits behind Bert Patenaude and Donovan for the most World Cup goals for an American with three. McBride capped his international career by captaining the 2008 U.S. Olympic team at the Beijing Games, as one of the three "overage" players permitted to the Olympic squad.

While with Fulham from 2004-2008, McBride tallied 40 goals in 153 appearances, starting 111 games, and was handed Fulham's captaincy in 2007.The target forward was Fulham's top scorer in their 2006-07 campaign notching 12 goals, while helping the London-based club to retain their Premier League status. The famed forward and fan favorite won the club's Player of the Year Award in 2007 and 2008 and became such an admired figure during his tenure in London that Fulham renamed a bar inside Craven Cottage "McBride's" in June of 2009.

The 38-year-old indelibly made his mark on MLS when he returned from German club VfL Wolfsburg to become the first overall selection by the Columbus Crew in the 1996 MLS inaugural player draft. In the eight years he played for the Crew, McBride racked-up 62 goals, tied for the club record with Jeff Cunningham, and added 45 assists in 161 league games, leading the Crew to the 2002 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. While with the Crew, McBride was selected to eight MLS All-Star Games, appearing in seven. In 2005, the franchise forward was named to the MLS All-Time Best XI.

Over the course of his storied career, the Buffalo Grove High School and St. Louis University All-American has participated in a number of off the field initiatives to help support local communities and children in need. McBride served as the national spokesperson for St. Jude Hospital and the Pepsi Refresh Project, supported Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago, and served as the first spokesperson of the Central Ohio Diabetes Association.

CHICAGO FIRE PARTNER IN PUSH TO GET KIDS BACK-TO-SCHOOL THROUGHOUT CHICAGO

The Chicago Fire is joining forces with schools from throughout Chicago, including Chicago Public Schools (CPS), to help boost Back-to-School efforts and ensure that children are in the classroom on day-one for the start of the 2010/2011 school year. The Fire, CPS, Cristo Rey High School and the United Neighborhood Organization (UNO) have hosted a number of Back-to-School events throughout the city in August and will continue to host additional events throughout September as Chicago area students prepare for their return to school.

Throughout the Back-to-School season, Fire players and Mascot Sparky have made a number of appearances at local schools to help welcome students back for the 2010/2011 school year. In the last two weeks alone, the Fire have attended Back-to-School Festivals at Erie Elementary, Benito Juarez Academy, Hernandez Middle School, Humboldt Park, Calumet Park and the Bud Billiken Parade.

HIT THE LINKS WITH FRANK KLOPAS AND THE CHICAGO FIRE

The Chicago Fire, in conjunction with the Chicago Fire Foundation, will host the 10th Annual Frank Klopas Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Outing on Monday, September 20 at the Ravisloe Country Club in Homewood, IL. Registration is open from 8:30 - 9:15 AM CT followed by a shotgun start at 9:30 AM CT.

The celebrity golf outing gives an exciting opportunity for fans to interact with the 2010 Chicago Fire team. Each foursome will play 18 holes of golf with a Chicago Fire player or coach in a scramble format. The event includes a continental breakfast, 18 holes of golf, a cart and lunch with a cocktail reception and buffet dinner to follow. The day-long event will conclude with a silent auction, raffle and the awarding of the day's prizes.

Fans interested in attending can secure a spot for $275 per golfer, $880 per foursome or enjoy dinner and reception only for $100 each. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. All contributions are tax deductible. Space is limited and this event will sell out. Money raised at the event benefits the Chicago Fire Foundation, which enriches the quality of life of the Chicagoland community, particularly its youth, and continues to support organizations whose programs fall in the areas of health and wellness, education and the environment.

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Major League Soccer Stories from September 7, 2010


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