Bocanegra Leaves Mark on U.S.
November 18, 2002 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Chicago Fire FC News Release
Fire defender Carlos Bocanegra started and played all 90 minutes earning his seventh cap in helping the United States defeat El Salvador 2-0 in a friendly encounter yesterday at a cold and rainy RFK Stadium in Washington, DC. Bocanegra anchored the defense in the all-MLS lineup with Dan Califf (Los Angeles) along side him in the middle, Wade Barrett (San Jose) on his left, and Sasha Victorine (Los Angeles) lining up on the right. The defensive unit played the entire game together and Bocanegra led the charge in clamping down on El Salvador's attack and only allowed three shots on goal. The UCLA product earned praise from Head Coach Bruce Arena in the final U.S. match of the year.
"I thought Carlos Bocanegra did well," said Arena. "I was happy that our backline looked organized and efficient today, because we had some issues during the week. Overall, I thought they did a good solid job"
Fire Academy "Talent Viewing" Fast Approaching
The Chicago Fire Youth Academy has announced boys "Talent Viewing" sessions for the city training group on Saturday, November 23 from noon to 4:30 p.m. CT at Carbajal Park, located at 32nd Street and Central Avenue in Cicero, IL. The sessions will be separated into age groups with U-9 through U-16 being evaluated. The academy conducted "Talent Viewing" for the North and West training groups on November 9 and 10 and had over 180 hopefuls in attendance for selection into the academy.
Each age group is designated for a specific time. U-9 through U-12 will be training from noon to 1:30 p.m., while U-13 and U-14 will be from 1:30 to 3:00, and U-15 and U-16 start at 3:00 and go until 4:30. Members of the academy coaching staff, which is under the direction of Fire assistant coach and Academy Technical Director Daryl Shore, will be on hand to evaluate the players. Candidates that show potential to be in the academy will be contacted at a later date.
Registration for the "Talent Viewing" is free and is available online at http://www.chicago-fire.com/youth/academy_tryouts.asp. For more information, please contact Director of Fire Academy Administration Roland Hahn at (312) 705-7212 or via e-mail at RHahn@MLSnet.com.
Fire-Morelia Partnership Takes Shape
The Fire announced an innovative partnership with Mexican First Division club Monarcas Morelia, its rival in this year's FC Champions Cup. Fire General Manager Peter Wilt, Assistant Coach Denis Hamlett, all-time leading scorer Ante Razov, and Director of Media Relations Diana Lopez traveled to Morelia in the state of Michoacan, Mexico for a press conference to announce the partnership. The Fire hosted a press conference a week earlier in Chicago.
The partnership marks the first time an MLS club teams up with a Federacion Mexicana de Futbol (FMF) team in a cooperative effort. Partnership benefits will allow the Fire and Monarcas to consult with one another in an effort to jointly develop a program to help facilitate player development through the exchange of respective players and coaches and the creation and implementation of youth soccer programs in Mexico and the United States. One of the major benefits within the partnership include the opportunity to exchange players and coaches from each team's youth development programs to help improve talent at an early stage. The teams will also benefit from business opportunities in Mexico and in the U.S., such as marketing jerseys on each other's websites. Most of the partnership benefits target the Hispanic soccer leagues and Mexican community organizations in Chicago and Morelia. For more information and photos of both press conferences, visit
Morelia Update
Over the weekend Monarcas Morelia tied Celaya 1-1 at Estadio Miguel Alemán Valdez in Celaya, Guanajuato. Defender Dario Franco scored an own goal in the 38th minute to put Celaya ahead, but he was able to redeem himself by notching one for Monarcas in the 52nd. Morelia increased its record to 9-5-4 for 31 points and has clinched first-place in Group 3 ahead of Cruz Azul (7-5-6, 27 points). Morelia is assured of a first-round bye in the playoffs, but still has one game remaining in the regular season. The gold and red squad will take on U.N.A.M. Pumas on Sunday, November 24 at Estadio Morelos in Morelia at 4:00 p.m. CT.
Fire Reserves Shift
The Premier Development League (PDL) announced at the recently concluded annual meetings that the Chicago Fire Reserves have shifted divisions for the 2003 season. The Heartland Division will include the following teams; Des Moines Menace, Boulder Rapids Reserves, Sioux Falls Spitfire, Wisconsin (Appleton) Rebels, Thunder Bay Chill, Kansas City Brass and a new St. Louis franchise. For additional details see www.firereserves.com.
FWFK Grows
The FireWorks for Kids Foundation (FWFK) - the charitable arm of the Chicago Fire - announced that the non-profit organization has awarded over $46,805 in grants and contributions to Chicagoland-based organizations. Chicago Scores, Eugene Field Elementary School, Family Focus, Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association (GLASA), the Naperville Humane Society, the Naperville Riverwalk Foundation, National Safety Council, and STEP, Inc. all benefited from the FWFK's generosity in helping to develop the Chicagoland community. Funding awards for these programs ranged from $1,500 - $12,000 per program. The Foundation's contributions to the Chicagoland area for 2002 have now reached a yearly all-time high of $105,500, eclipsing the previous mark of $55,000 set in 2001.
Get 'em Now
The Chicago Fire has put season tickets on sale with a return to Cardinal Stadium at North Central College in 2003, while the renovation of Soldier Field continues. The Fire also announced that it is holding the line on individual ticket prices with the exception of a $2 increase on the south end reserved FireHouse seats. The range of ticket prices will continue to be $15 for the general admission Supporters Section to $35 for the VIP Gold. Discounts up to $3 per ticket are available for season and group purchase for the Fire's 14-game MLS regular season, plus any additional Open Cup, exhibition and playoff matches. Season ticket prices per game will range from $12 per game for the Fire's "Supporters Section" to $32 for the "VIP Gold" section.
Etc.
* The Fire is sponsoring the 5th Annual Naperville Noon Lions' Turkey Trot, a 5K run through the streets of Naperville on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 28. The race, which starts at 8:00 a.m. (CT) at Cardinal Stadium, will serve as a fund-raiser to help support programs for local charity organizations.
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Major League Soccer Stories from November 18, 2002
- Barclay, U.S. Qualify for FIFA Youth World Championship - San Jose Earthquakes
- Galaxy Weekly - LA Galaxy
- Bocanegra Leaves Mark on U.S. - Chicago Fire FC
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