MLS Chicago Fire FC

Chicago Fire Weekly Update

Published on March 6, 2006 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Chicago Fire FC News Release


Spring Training Update: Fire Heads to "L.A.-L.A. Land" for Training Camp at The Home Depot Center

Another week, another new training camp site for the Chicago Fire, who today flew to Southern California to start the third leg of its 2006 preseason that will take place through Mar. 16 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA. The "Men in Red" currently have three scrimmages against fellow MLS sides scheduled for their West Coast invasion, including two contests this week against the MetroStars on Wednesday, Mar. 8 (3:00 p.m. local, 5:00 p.m. CT) and Chivas USA on Saturday, Mar. 11 (10:00 a.m. local, 12:00 p.m. CT). The Fire will close out its 11-day stay in SoCal with a scrimmage against Real Salt Lake on Thursday, Mar. 16 (9:30 a.m. local, 11:30 a.m. CT) before heading back to Chicago later that afternoon. The Fire carries a preseason record of 4-1-4 to the Los Angeles area, which includes a pair of ties in its most recent contests against Mexican First Division clubs Tecos and Atlas that closed out a 10-day camp in Guadalajara, Mexico last week.

2006 Chicago Fire Preseason Schedule (All times local) Date Opponent Site Score/Time Record
2-07 U.S. U-17 National Team IMG Academy - Bradenton, FL 4-0 W 1-0-0
2-11 USASA Select Team IMG Academy - Bradenton, FL 2-0 W 2-0-0
2-11 U. of Central Florida IMG Academy - Bradenton, FL 1-1 T 2-0-1
2-13 Trinidad & Tobago U-21's IMG Academy - Bradenton, FL 1-0 W 3-0-1
2-16 Columbus Crew IMG Academy - Bradenton, FL 3-1 W 4-0-1
2-23 CD Guadalajara (MEX 1) Verde Valle - Zapopan, MEX 0-4 L 4-1-1
2-25 Guadalajara All-Stars Universidad de Guadalajara - MEX 0-0 T 4-1-2
2-28 Tecos (MEX 1) Tecos-Sayula Stadium -- Sayula, MEX 0-0 T 4-1-3
3-02 Atlas (MEX 1) Estadio Jalisco - Guadalajara, MEX 2-2 T 4-1-4
Preseason Camp #3 - The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA (Mar. 6-16)
3-08 MetroStars * The Home Depot Center, Practice Fields - Carson, CA 3:00 p.m.
3-11 Chivas USA * The Home Depot Center, Practice Fields - Carson, CA 10:00 a.m.
3-16 Real Salt Lake * The Home Depot Center, Practice Fields - Carson, CA 9:30 a.m.
* All exhibition matches at The Home Depot Center are open to the public
Preseason Camp #4 - Jackson, MS (Mar. 20-26)
TBA Exhibition opponent TBA

Midfielders Gustavo Napoles and Aiden Nurse Take the "Trial by Fire" for Carson Camp

The Chicago Fire has recalled midfielder Gustavo Napoles for its third preseason camp of 2006, taking place at The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA through Mar. 16. The 32-year-old Napoles, a former standout for Mexican First Division side Club Deportivo de Guadalajara (Chivas), joined the Fire on Feb. 25 and participated in the final seven days of its recent training camp in Guadalajara. In addition to Napoles, the Fire has invited St. Kitts and Nevis midfielder Aiden Nurse to train with the squad during its stay in Southern California. Nurse, who last played for Elco St. Peters FC in the St. Kitts and Nevis Premier League, has represented his country at both the youth and senior international levels.

Fire Makes Moves to Trim Roster to 28 "Men in Red"

The Chicago Fire today released the 28-man roster that will prepare for the club's upcoming 2006 MLS season, which kicks off Saturday, Apr. 1 at FC Dallas in a Brimstone Cup clash to be televised live on ABC at 3:00 p.m. CT. In order to trim the roster to the MLS-mandated limit of 28, the Fire announced the termination of forward Will Johnson's contract and the waiving of midfielder Scott Buete. The Fire has inked deals with three of its recent 2006 draftees, with forward Calen Carr joining Chicago's 18-man Senior roster and midfielder Brian Plotkin and defender Jordan Russolillo signing Developmental player contracts, joining Chad Barrett, Craig Capano, Leonard Griffin, David Mahoney and Jared Montz on the Fire's 10-man Developmental roster. The Fire has yet to sign rookies Jeff Curtin, Floyd Franks and Dasan Robinson, but the Fire retains the rights to the 2006 draftees through the end of the calendar year and is expected to come to terms with the trio soon.

2006 Chicago Fire Roster (as of Mar. 6)
GK: David Mahoney (DEV), Matt Pickens, Zach Thornton
DEF: C.J. Brown, *Jeff Curtin, Jim Curtin, Leonard Griffin (DEV), Jared Montz (DEV), *Dasan Robinson, Jordan Russolillo (DEV), Tony Sanneh, Gonzalo Segares, Jack Stewart
MID: Chris Armas, Craig Capano (DEV), *Floyd Franks, Ivan Guerrero, Diego Gutierrez, Justin Mapp, Logan Pause, Brian Plotkin (DEV), Thiago, John Thorrington
FWD: Chad Barrett (DEV), Calen Carr, Andy Herron, Nate Jaqua, Chris Rolfe

DEV = Developmental Roster
* = Yet to sign contract with club

Fire President/CEO John Guppy to Chat Wednesday Afternoon on MLSnet.com

Fans can step into the virtual office of Fire President/CEO John Guppy this Wednesday, Mar. 8, when the Fire's head honcho will conduct an online chat with fans on the League's official website, www.MLSnet.com, from 1:00-2:00 p.m. CT. Those fans that can't make the live chat can still participate in the online forum by submitting their questions in advance via email to sweeper@mlsnet.com . Guppy is expected to explore a number of topics during the chat, including various aspects of the Bridgeview Stadium project, the make-up of the 2006 edition of the "Men in Red" and when tickets for individual home contests will go on sale.

FireWorks for Kids Foundation 2006 Season Kickoff Luncheon Set for Mar. 28 at Chicago Marriott Downtown

The FireWorks for Kids Foundation, the charitable arm of the Chicago Fire, has announced that the Foundation's 2006 Season Kickoff Luncheon will be held on Tuesday, Mar. 28 at the Chicago Marriott Downtown, located at 540 N. Michigan Ave. The Fire is proud to announce that FOX Chicago News anchor Robin Robinson will emcee the 2006 edition of the popular event, which will begin with a reception at 11:00 a.m. CT and be followed by the luncheon and formal program at 12:00 p.m. Tickets for this year's Season Kickoff Luncheon are $65 per individual or $500 for a table of ten, with all proceeds benefiting the FireWorks for Kids Foundation, which since 1998 has helped the Chicago Fire contribute its service and commitment to the community through grants and charitable contributions. The 2006 Season Kickoff Luncheon will mark the eighth edition of the popular event, which traditionally marks the beginning of the season for both the club and the Foundation.

With the Fire embarking on a nine-game road trip to begin its 2006 MLS campaign, this year's Season Kickoff Luncheon will serve as the only chance for fans to see the entire Fire roster up-close and in-person prior to June, and, as in the past, the first twenty full paid tables of ten will sit with a Chicago Fire player. In addition, the Season Kickoff Luncheon will include the always-popular silent auction, featuring Fire and sports memorabilia, gift certificates and more. For more information regarding the 2006 FWFK Season Kickoff Luncheon, including how to purchase your ticket, please contact the Fire Community Relations Department by phone at 312-705-7218 or by fax at 312-705-7393, or visit the "In The Community" page of www.Chicago-Fire.com and click on the Foundation Events link .

Tickets for Mar. 29 Mexico-Paraguay Friendly On Sale Now; Make it Twice as Nice With Fire's Two-Game Pack

Tickets are now on sale for the upcoming Mexico vs. Paraguay international friendly that will take place on Wednesday, Mar. 29 at 8:00 p.m. CT at Solider Field. Tickets for the match between the two 2006 FIFA World Cup contenders can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 312-559-1212 or by visiting www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets can also be purchased by visiting the Fire offices at 980 N. Michigan, Suite 1998 in Chicago, Monday-Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CT or by visiting www.Chicago-Fire.com. Tickets for the friendly are available for $25, $35, $50 and $60.

In an effort to celebrate the pre-World Cup match between the two Latin American countries, the Fire has introduced a special two-game package that includes tickets to the Mar. 29 friendly as well as a regular season Fire game during the club's inaugural season in Bridgeview. For information on the Fire's two-game package, available now, please call 1-888-MLS-FIRE.

2006 FireFest to be Held in Conjunction With Illinois Youth Soccer Expo on Mar. 18 in Arlington Heights

The Chicago Fire has announced a return to the northern Chicagoland suburbs to host the 2006 FireFest on Saturday, Mar. 18 at the Forest View Educational Center, located at 2121 S. Goebbert Rd. in Arlington Heights, IL. For this year's edition of FireFest, the Fire organization has partnered with Illinois Youth Soccer and the 2006 Illinois Youth Soccer Expo for an exhibition and seminar event that will take place from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. CT. Admission to the FireFest/Illinois Youth Soccer Expo is free of charge, but all those who attend must be registered in advance. For more information on how to register, please visit www.Chicago-Fire.com or www.illinoisyouthsoccer.org.

The 2006 FireFest will feature plenty of activities, including interactive games and the popular Dribble, Pass and Score competition. Fire players, coaches and front office personnel will be on hand, with Fire President/CEO John Guppy, Head Coach Dave Sarachan and forward Nate Jaqua all scheduled to hold Question-and-Answer sessions throughout the day, while a number of the players making up Chicago's 2006 roster will be on hand to sign autographs for fans (players in attendance will be named in the upcoming weeks). In addition, information on how fans can secure their seats for Fire home games and other exciting Bridgeview Stadium events will also available.

What's Your Priority (Number)? Buy a Fire Full- or Half-Season Ticket Plan Now to Make Our List

The seat selection process for all sections at Bridgeview Stadium for current Fire Full Season and Half Season ticket holders is now underway. Fans can stake their spot on the Fire's growing seat priority list by acquiring a season ticket package for the team's first season at Bridgeview Stadium. Season ticket packages are available now and can be purchased by calling 1-888-MLS-FIRE or by visiting www.Chicago-Fire.com. Fans can scout out which seats they would like by checking out the Bridgeview seating chart in the Ticket section at www.Chicago-Fire.com.

Etc.

- The official website of the Fire, www.Chicago-Fire.com, is the best way to follow the "Men in Red" throughout their 2006 preseason travels. Fans can take a look back at the team's recent stay in Guadalajara through the diary of rookie forward Calen Carr and catch a glimpse of life on the road later this week via the first "Video Postcard" from the team's training camp at The Home Depot Center.

- www.Chicago-Fire.com also continues to update the progress of Bridgeview Stadium, as new photos of the future home of the Fire continue to be added to the site weekly. To keep track of all the exciting changes and new views from 71st & Harlem, visit the "Bridgeview Stadium" section of www.Chicago-Fire.com.

- Bridgeview Stadium tours for members of the media are available and can be arranged by contacting the Fire's Media Relations Department at 312-705-7272.

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