MLS Chicago Fire FC

Chicago Fire Weekly Update

Published on April 12, 2004 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Chicago Fire FC News Release


From Costa Rica to Chicago, Fire Prepares for Busy Week

The Chicago Fire will take part in two important matches this week as the club will return to play in the 2004 CONCACAF Champions Cup before ushering in its 2004 MLS schedule of games at New Soldier Field. The "Men in Red" will first travel to San José, Costa Rica on Wednesday, when they will face off against perennial Central American powerhouse Deportivo Saprissa in the first leg of their Champions Cup semifinal series at 9:00 p.m. CT. The Fire will then return to Chicago in preparation for its 2004 MLS home opener on Saturday at New Soldier Field against its Brimstone Cup rival Dallas Burn at 7:30 p.m. CT. That match will be televised live in Chicagoland on Comcast Cable and can be heard live via Chicago radio stations WRTO 1200 AM (Spanish) and WNVR 1030 AM (Polish). The first 10,000 fans through the gates on Saturday night will receive a free 2004 Chicago Fire Magnet Schedule, courtesy of Comcast Cable.

Wednesday will mark the first meeting between the Fire and Deportivo Saprissa. The Fire has played a team from Costa Rica only once, and that too came during the Champions Cup semifinals when the Fire tied Saprissa's main rival, LD Alajuelense, 1-1 on Oct. 1, 1999 in Las Vegas, NV. Despite the even result, the Fire failed to advance after falling to Alajuelense by a 5-4 margin in penalty kicks.

With the fierce rivalry that has developed between the Fire and the Burn over the years, it should be no surprise that their all-time series is one of the closest in all of Major League Soccer. The all-time regular season series between the Brimstone Cup combatants is deadlocked at 9-9-1. Despite the contrasting fortunes of both clubs' seasons a year ago, the top and bottom MLS sides in 2003 split their season series at 1-1-0. The Fire defended its former home of Cardinal Stadium in Naperville, IL with a convincing 4-1 win on June 18, while Dallas defeated the Fire handily 2-0 at its temporary home of Dragon Stadium in Southlake, TX on Sept. 20. In addition to their regular-season battles, the two sides have met eight times in Cup competitions, with the Fire holding a 5-2-1 advantage in those contests. Dallas defeated the Fire 1-0 in the final preseason exhibition match for both sides on Mar. 27 in Ridgeland, MS.

Putting the Frequent in Frequent Flyer Between traveling to San Jose (California) and San José (Costa Rica), the Chicago Fire will have racked up over 9,000 miles through the air in a single week after the team touches down back home in the Windy City on Thursday. The Fire's road trip started last Thursday when it traveled to California for its MLS Cup 2003 rematch with the San Jose Earthquakes. After securing another road point with a 0-0 draw Saturday afternoon, the club bussed to San Francisco to catch its plane back to Chicago, where it returned after midnight on Sunday morning. The Fire will travel to the Costa Rican capital of San José via Newark, NJ today and will return to Chicago on Thursday through Houston, TX. When it is all said and done, the Fire will have racked up 9,105 miles of coast-to-coast travel in eight days.

April 8 - Chicago to San Jose, CA - 1,837 miles
April 10 - San Francisco to Chicago - 1,855 miles
April 12 - Chicago to Newark, NJ (711 miles) to San José, CRC (2,216 miles) - 2,927 miles
April 15 - San José, CRC to Houston, TX (1,541 miles) to Chicago (945 miles) - 2,486 miles

The (Henry) Ring of Fire

His tenure as Chicago's number one goalkeeper is only two games long, but if those two games are any indication the reign of Henry Ring in between the posts might equal that of his predecessor Zach Thornton. After seeing time in only two games during the first three years of his MLS career, Ring has stepped up and notched a pair of shutouts in his first two MLS starts as the Fire's primary netminder. When the Fire's play in the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals is added into the equation, Ring has recorded three consecutive clean sheets and not allowed a goal in his last 287 minutes of action. Fire fans can see more of Ring this Friday, Apr. 16 at 7:30 a.m. CT when he makes an appearance on WFLD-FOX 32 Chicago's "FOX News in the Morning."

Chicago Fire ACE/Tru-Fit Injury Report

Marsch, Jesse - R ankle cartilage damage - out

Perez, Orlando - lower back pain - out

Chicago and Saprissa Fight for Supremacy in Semifinals

After using all 180 minutes to move past Trinidad & Tobago's CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh in the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals, the Fire has now moved its focus to the regional tournament's semifinals and Costa Rican powerhouse Deportivo Saprissa. After taking to the road for this Wednesday's first leg at the National Stadium in San José, Costa Rica, the Fire will host the return leg next Wednesday, Apr. 21 at New Soldier Field, with kickoff slated for 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets for that match are now on sale and can be purchased through Ticketmaster outlets or by calling 312-559-1212 or visiting www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the Chicago Fire Offices, located at 980 N. Michigan, Suite 1998 (corner of Oak/Michigan) in Chicago. Ticket prices for the CONCACAF match will remain the same as prices for the Fire's 2004 MLS season contests. Fire season ticket holders will be able to use "Bonus Ticket B" for the CONCACAF semifinal contest. Deportivo Saprissa has established itself as one of the most dominant clubs in Costa Rica since its inception in 1935. In its nearly 70 years of competition, Saprissa has captured 22 domestic titles (including six consecutive titles from 1972-1977), second only to rival Alajuelense's 23 crowns, and have finished second 15 times, including during the 2002/2003 season. Saprissa has also tasted success in the Champions Cup after winning the regional crown in 1993 and 1995. "Los Morados" are currently second in the Costa Rican First Division's 2004 Clausura season with a 10-2-4 record, their 34 points placing them five behind current leader Club Sport Herediano with five games remaining in the season. Saprissa also stretched its current unbeaten streak to nine games in its last match, a 0-0 draw with Club Sport Cartaginés on Apr. 3. Saprissa will have a short turnaround for Wednesday's match, as the club will square off against Asoc. Deportivo. Guanacasteca tonight.

The high-flying attack of Saprissa includes three of the Costa Rican First Division's top five goal scorers during the 2003/2004 season, a trio spearheaded by forward Alvaro Saborio, whose 22 tallies leads the league. Following Sabario on that chart are teammates Alonso Solis (16 goals, 3rd in league) and Gerrold Drummond (14 goals, 5th in league). Saprissa's opponents have also had to deal with a stifling defense that has allowed just 13 goals in 16 matches during the spring Clausura tournament, a corps that is headed by Costa Rican National Team regular Jervis Drummond. Off the field, Saprissa is owned by Jorge Vergara, the outspoken Mexican businessman and owner of Mexican First Division side Chivas of Guadalajara who has also garnered headlines in the United States via his future expansion into the ranks of Major League Soccer. Saprissa is coached by Technical Director Hernán Medford, the longtime Costa Rican National Team and Saprissa striker that represented his country in the 1990 and 2002 World Cups.

Chicago has fared well in the region's showcase club event, registering a 5-2-2 record in its three appearances in 1999, 2002 and the current 2004 tournament. This year marks the second appearance in the tournament semifinals for Chicago, as the Fire finished tied for third alongside fellow MLS foe D.C. United in its initial appearance in the competition in 1999. The "Men in Red" also reached the quarterfinals in 2002 before being knocked out by its now sister club Monarcas Morelia of Mexico by a 3-2 aggregate score.

After beginning with eight of the top teams in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, the 2004 Champions Cup is now down to its own "Final Four" - the Fire (2003 MLS Regular Season Champion), 2003 Torneo Clausura Mexican Champion Monterrey and Costa Rican powerhouses Deportivo Saprissa and Alajuelense. Should the Fire advance past Saprissa in the semifinals, the "Men in Red" will host the victor of the Alajuelense-Monterrey on Wednesday, May 5 before ending the home-and-home Finals series a week later on May 12.

Griffin Gets Going With First Start

Fire defender Leonard Griffin got his first taste of MLS action last Saturday in the Fire's 0-0 draw at San Jose. The 21-year-old UCLA product not only played in his first match, but also got his first start and played a solid 74 minutes on the Fire backline before being replaced for offensive purposes by midfielder Justin Mapp. The second-round (11th overall) selection earned his first professional playing time on Mar. 17 as a second half substitute in the first leg of the Fire's CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal series at San Juan Jabloteh.

Dewar Cup Takes Rare Road Trip to Chicago for MLS Home Opener

The Dewar Cup, the traditional championship trophy for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, will travel to Chicago for the Fire's MLS home opener this Saturday versus the Dallas Burn. The trophy will be on display in the Soldier Field Stadium Club prior to the match and will be shown with the rest of the trophies the Fire has lifted during the first six years of its history on the field during the night's opening ceremonies, which will also include the presentation of the Fire's 2003 U.S. Open Cup Championship rings. The magnificent silver trophy, donated to U.S. Soccer by Sir Thomas Dewar of Dewar Distillery in 1912, is 39 inches tall and weighs approximately 75 pounds. The trip will be a rare one for the Dewar Cup, which sits on permanent display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, New York.

Etc.

· The Fire's Mexican League sister team Monarcas Morelia earned a tough point on the road last Saturday as it recorded a 1-1 draw with Group One leader Atlas at Estadio Jalisco in Guadalajara. With the result, the "Monarchs" remained alone in the Group Three standings with a 4-6-4 record and 16 points, just one point ahead of both Tigres (4-7-3, 15 pts.) and Cruz Azul (4-7-3, 15 pts.) with four matches remaining in the spring season. Morelia will return to play in Round 16 of the Comex Clausura season this Saturday, Apr. 17 when it plays host to Group Three cellar-dweller San Luis (3-7-4, 13 pts.) at Morelos Stadium in Morelia at 5:00 p.m. CT.

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Major League Soccer Stories from April 12, 2004


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