MLS Chicago Fire FC

Chicago Fire Weekly Update

December 6, 2006 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Chicago Fire FC News Release


So we meet again... Fire to host New England Revolution at TOYOTA PARK to kick off 2007 MLS campaign

The Chicago Fire will begin its tenth season of play in Major League Soccer on Saturday, April 7, when the "Men in Red" will welcome 2006 MLS Cup finalist New England Revolution to TOYOTA PARK in Bridgeview, Ill. for a 7:30 p.m. CT kick-off. Television coverage and ticket information for the Fire's 2007 home opener will be released in the upcoming weeks, including details on a special Opening Weekend Four-Pack ticket deal. The remaining 29 dates on the Fire's 2007 regular season schedule will be announced in January.

The 2007 MLS regular season opener will mark the first-ever at TOYOTA PARK for the "Men in Red" and mirrors the only other time in the club's previous nine seasons it opened the regular season at home, as Chicago and New England battled to a 1-1 draw on Apr. 13, 2003 at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium (formerly Cardinal Stadium) in Naperville, Ill. The Fire has split its previous nine regular season openers right down the middle, going 3-3-3 in season-starters since its inaugural season of 1998. The Fire and Revolution will renew one of Major League Soccer's fiercest and evenly-matched rivalries, as both squads have amassed equal 17-17-6 records against each other in MLS regular season, MLS Cup Playoff and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play leading into next season's opener.

Chicago Fire Holiday Pack the gift that keeps on giving with seats for 2007 Home Opener at TOYOTA PARK

Fans of the Chicago Fire can give now and later with the club's limited-time Holiday Pack offer. Through Dec. 22, fans can order one of two Holiday Packs that include four tickets to the Fire's MLS regular season opener at TOYOTA PARK on April 7, 2007 against the archrival New England Revolution, two vouchers to a future Fire regular season match and a Chicago Fire adidas backpack. Holiday Packs for seats in TOYOTA PARK's Corner Kick sections cost just $160, while Premier Seating packages cost $200. To purchase a Fire Holiday Pack for yourself or that soccer-loving fan on your list this Holiday season, please visit www.Chicago-Fire.com, call 1-888-MLS-FIRE or order in person at TOYOTA PARK (7000 S. Harlem Ave. in Bridgeview) from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. CT, Monday-Friday until Dec. 22.

Forward Chad Barrett journeys to England for Generation adidas Euro Tour

Fire forward Chad Barrett is among a group of 21 of MLS's brightest young talents currently taking part in the four-game Generation adidas Euro Tour, a 10-day journey to England that will include matches against four Barclay's Premiership and Coca-Cola Football League (Division One) reserve teams. The Generation adidas contingent, led by Columbus Crew Head Coach Sigi Schmid, departed the U.S. last Friday and trained at the Chelsea Academy before lacing up their boots for their first contest on Monday, a 2-0 victory over the Queens Park Rangers (Div. One) reserves. Barrett started and played 65 minutes in Monday's win, which was fueled by goals from Colorado Rapids striker Jacob Peterson and New York Red Bulls forward David Arvizu. Barrett would enter the squad's second match earlier today against the Coventry City (Div. One) reserves as one of nine 60th minute substitutes, but couldn't help Generation adidas overcome a 20th minute goal on a deflected Coventry City freekick that would stand as the game's lone tally.

In addition to another pair of games against reserve teams from Premiership sides Watford and Chelsea, the young Americans will take in three matches as spectators while in England: today's Chelsea vs. Levski Sofia fixture in the UEFA Champions League, a midweek Premiership match between West Ham and Wigan and this weekend's Liverpool-Fulham contest, in which the exploits of former MLS stars Brian McBride, Carlos Bocanegra and Simon Elliott will be on display for the "Cottagers" of Fulham. The Generation adidas group is slated to return stateside this Sunday, Dec. 10.

Generation adidas, which was established ahead of the 2005 MLS season, is Major League Soccer's youth player development program designed to identify and nurture the elite youth soccer talent in the United States. The youth players who join MLS as part of the Generation adidas program receive unprecedented opportunities to develop their game and hone their skills at the professional level in Major League Soccer. In addition to training and playing on a weekly basis with one of Major League Soccer's 13 professional clubs, Generation adidas players also receive educational grants to further their college education.

2006 Generation adidas Euro Tour roster:

GOALKEEPER: Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Will Hesmer (Columbus Crew)

DEFENDERS: Hunter Freeman (Colorado Rapids), Patrick Ianni (Houston Dynamo), Drew Moor (FC Dallas), Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution), Nathan Sturgis (Los Angeles Galaxy), Blake Wagner (FC Dallas), Tim Ward (Columbus Crew)

MIDFIELDERS: Nik Besagno (Real Salt Lake), Will John (Kansas City Wizards), Quavas Kirk (Los Angeles Galaxy), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Dax McCarty (FC Dallas)

FORWARDS: David Arvizu (New York Red Bulls), Chad Barrett (Chicago Fire), Kei Kamara (Columbus Crew), Jacob Peterson (Colorado Rapids), Ryan Pore (Kansas City Wizards), Willie Sims (New England Revolution), Jamie Watson (Real Salt Lake)

COACH: Sigi Schmid (Columbus Crew)

CONCACAF Gold Cup Comes to Chicago for first time; Soldier Field to host tourney's Semifinals and Final

CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) has unveiled the six stadiums that will host matches in the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup™, the 12-nation tournament taking place from June 6-24, 2007 across the United States. The regional championship will come to Chicago for the first time next summer, and will do so in grand fashion as Soldier Field has been named as the host venue for both semifinal matches and the tournament's final. The five other venues that will host Gold Cup matches next summer are the Orange Bowl (Miami), The Home Depot Center (Carson, Calif.), Giants Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.), Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, Mass.) and Reliant Stadium (Houston).

Vote early and often for your Chicago favorites in 2006 "Best of U.S. Soccer" awards

U.S. Soccer has announced the finalists for the 2006 "Best of U.S. Soccer" awards and voting for the 11 categories is already underway. The fifth annual series, presented by Soccer America, the No. 1 soccer magazine in the United States, allows fans the opportunity to make their selections for the best in soccer in the United States. Fans can vote once a day from now until Wednesday, Dec. 20, through a sharp multimedia voter interface on ussoccer.com. The 2006 "Best of U.S. Soccer" awards will be decided entirely by online fan votes submitted over the next two weeks, and shortly after the winners will be announced. In addition to voting for the "Best of U.S. Soccer" awards, fans can also vote daily for the prestigious U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year Awards until the Dec. 20 deadline.

As was the case in previous years, the "Windy City" has its fair share of representation in the annual poll. A pair of "Second City" soccer landmarks - Ginger's Ale House and Chicago Soccer - will look to defend their "Best Soccer Bar" and "Best Soccer Store" crowns, respectively, while a fellow northside neighbor, The Globe Pub, will look to end Ginger's three-year run in the category. The Fire's home of TOYOTA PARK also plays a role in the voting, as U.S. Women's National Team captain Kristine Lilly's deft chip off the underside of the crossbar in the USA's 4-1 win over China on Aug. 27 at the corner of 71st & Harlem was one of six highlight-reel quality tallies up for consideration in the "Best Kristine Lilly Goals" category. For a list of all 11 categories included in the 2006 "Best of U.S. Soccer" awards, and to vote for your favorites, visit www.ussoccer.com.

Two members of PDL's Chicago Fire Premier invited to 2007 adidas MLS Player Combine

A pair of players from the 2006 PDL Great Lakes Division champion Chicago Fire Premier - St. Louis University midfielder John DiRaimondo and University of Akron midfielder Sinisa Ubiparipovic - are among the list of 58 college seniors invited to take part in the 2007 adidas MLS Player Combine. The annual pre-draft combine for the nation's top collegiate talent will take place from Jan. 5-8 at Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla, with the 2007 MLS SuperDraft set to follow just days later on Friday, Jan. 12 in Indianapolis, Ind. Two standouts from area universities have also been tabbed to participate in the combine, as Northern Illinois midfielder Justin McGrane and Northwestern University forward Gerardo Alvarez are set to travel south for the showcase after leading their teams to appearances in the 2006 NCAA Men's College Cup tournament.

2007 Chicago Fire Season Tickets now available

With the Fire's 2006 campaign now in the rearview mirror, it's time to look ahead to 2007, and there's no better way to catch the excitement of MLS and international soccer next year at TOYOTA PARK than by becoming a Chicago Fire Soccer Season Ticket Holder. All Chicago Fire season tickets for the team's 2007 season at Bridgeview's TOYOTA PARK are now on sale, and the Fire is proud to announce that Full Season, Half Season (10 tickets) and Flex Plan (20 tickets) prices in all seating areas will remain at their 2006 prices, with Full Season packages starting at $320. Fans wanting more information, including all the benefits that go along with being a Fire Season Ticket Holder, are encouraged to call the Fire Ticket Hotline at 708-496-6800 or visit www.Chicago-Fire.com for more details.

Give the gift of soccer this season with Chicago Fire Gift Certificates

Just in time for the approaching holiday season, the Chicago Fire is now offering $10 and $20 gift certificates that will be good towards the purchase of tickets during the Fire's 2007 season at TOYOTA PARK. These Chicago Fire Gift Certificates can be redeemed towards the purchase of either 2007 Fire Season Tickets - including Full Season, Half Season and Flex Plans - or towards the purchase of single-game tickets for the 2007 season. To get your Chicago Fire gift certificates, please order in person at the TOYOTA PARK Box Office, located at 7000 S. Harlem Ave. in Bridgeview from 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., or via phone at 1-888-MLS-FIRE.

Another Brick in the Park... FireWorks for Kids Foundation offering TOYOTA PARK Commemorative Bricks

How can receiving a brick in your stocking be better than a lump of coal? When that brick will be part of the home of the Fire for years to come and benefit those less fortunate this Holiday season. The club's charitable arm, the Fire Works for Kids Foundation, is continuing its popular Commemorative Brick program through the Holidays, allowing fans the chance to cement their own unique place in TOYOTA PARK history with a personalized brick underneath the stadium's signature archway entrance. All proceeds of the Commemorative Brick program will benefit the FWFK Foundation, which is entering its tenth year of helping Chicagoland's disadvantaged youth through various programs throughout the year. For more information on how you can give back this holiday season via the FWFK Commemorative Brick program and the Foundation's annual Holiday Fund, please visit the Community section of www.Chicago-Fire.com or call 708-594-7200.

Etc.

- 2005 Ring of Fire inductee Lubos Kubik has gained new employment, recently being named the manager of English Coca-Cola Football League Two side Torquay United. Kubik's tenure at the Devon-based club is off to a solid start, as his Gulls posted a 5-0 defeat of Willand Rovers in a regional competition before drawing 1-1 with Coca-Cola Championship League One club Leyton Orient in the second round of the prestigious F.A. Cup over the weekend.

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