MLS Chicago Fire FC

Chicago Fire Weekly Update

Published on January 16, 2007 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Chicago Fire FC News Release


TOYOTA PARK to host Monarcas Morelia-Club América match during inaugural SuperLiga™ tournament

Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber together with the Commissioner of the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Primera Division (Mexican Soccer Federation's First Division), Decio de Maria, announced last Saturday the creation of SuperLiga™, the preeminent club tournament in North America that will not only decide the best in the region but will also award the heftiest winner's purse in North American soccer history.

Eight clubs - four each from the top flight leagues of the United States and Mexico - will vie to determine a singular champion of North America. The format, modeled after the UEFA Champions League, will include a group phase and a knockout phase with all games held in U.S. venues. SuperLiga will be played between July 24 and August 29, 2007. In addition to the prestige of capturing this continental honor, the club that emerges as SuperLiga champion will take home $1 million dollars in prize money, an unprecedented prize purse in North American soccer history. This year's eight participants, chosen on an invitation-only basis for the 2007 edition, will include MLS sides D.C. United, Houston Dynamo, Los Angeles Galaxy and FC Dallas, while the FMF will send Monarcas Morelia, CF Pachuca, Club América and CD Guadalajara.

SuperLiga will come to Chicagoland on Wednesday, Aug. 1, when the Fire's sister club from Morelia will take on Club América at TOYOTA PARK in a Group B showdown, with kick-off in Bridgeview slated for 9:00 p.m. CT. Ticket information for the match will be made available at a later date. The entire tournament will be broadcast live in primetime by Univision's TeleFutura Network in the United States and by Televisa and TV Azteca in Mexico. The SuperLiga final will be held on August 29 at a U.S. venue to be determined.

Fire makes biggest waves at 2007 MLS SuperDraft with major trade and five selections

The Chicago Fire made noise early and often in last Friday's 2007 MLS SuperDraft in Indianapolis, Ind., starting off its draft day by sending the team's reigning leading scorer, forward Andy Herron, to the Columbus Crew in exchange for forward Ryan Coiner and the Crew's second overall selection in last week's draft, which the Fire used to select University of Virginia defender Bakary Soumare. In his three seasons with the Fire, Herron notched 15 goals and three assists in 44 regular season contests (34 starts). The Costa Rican international saved his best for the 2006 season, when his nine goals led to his first Fire/Budweiser Golden Boot crown. Coiner comes to Chicago after spending half a season with the Crew, where he registered one assist in six contests (four starts). Prior to joining MLS midway through the 2006 season, the University of San Diego product spent three seasons in Germany with Arminia Bielefeld II (2003-04), Union Berlin (2004-05) and Holstein Kiel (2005-06).

The Fire's move up to the second spot made Bakary the first of Chicago's five SuperDraft selections on the day. The 21-year-old Soumare earned plenty of notice during his one season of collegiate soccer last fall, as the Mali-born defender played in 21 of Virginia's 22 contests, all but one in a starting role, en route to helping the Cavaliers reach the semifinals of the 2006 Men's College Cup in December. Because Soumare holds a United States Green Card, he will not count against the Fire's allotment of three Youth International players on the club's roster. The Fire held on to its remaining four picks on the afternoon, spending the choices on University of Alabama-Birmingham forward Jerson Monteiro (first round, 8th overall), Notre Dame midfielder Nate Norman (second round, 21st overall), Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville midfielder Mike Banner (third round, 34th overall) and Penn State forward Simon Omekanda (fourth round, 47th overall).

Say you were there with chicago-fire.com's coverage of 2007 MLS SuperDraft

While numerous Fire fans provided Chicago's Technical Staff with a home-field feel for last Friday's MLS SuperDraft in Indianapolis, you can feel like you were there yourself by visiting www.chicago-fire.com. The official website of the Chicago Fire includes exclusive content from the draft, including an interview with the club's top overall selection, defender Bakary Soumare, and a post-draft roundtable conversation with Fire Head Coach Dave Sarachan and President/CEO John Guppy. In addition, "behind-the-scenes" video content from the SuperDraft and an expansive photo gallery will be available on the site later this week. The draft day features offer just a taste of what to expect from www.chicago-fire.com's expanded multimedia coverage during the Fire's 2007 season, including increased preseason coverage to get you ready for this Fire's historic 10th season of play this year.

Save the date! FireWorks for Kids Foundation to host Ninth Annual Season Kickoff Luncheon on Tuesday, April 3

The FireWorks for Kids Foundation will help the Chicago Fire start its season off right once again, as the club's charitable arm has announced the Ninth Annual Season Kickoff Luncheon, sponsored by Ticketmaster, will be held on Tuesday, Apr. 3 at the Hilton Chicago and Towers, located at 720 S. Michigan Ave. in downtown Chicago. As it has for the previous eight years, the Season Kickoff Luncheon will provide Chicago soccer fans the first opportunity of the year to meet their favorite Fire players and coaches, and will be one of the few events of the season featuring the club's full roster. The event includes a reception followed by lunch and a short program and also features the popular silent auction, which will include Fire and other sports memorabilia, gift certificates and much more. Tables of 10 cost $550 and individual tickets are $65 each. The first 20 full paid tables will get to sit with a Chicago Fire player (individual player appearances are tentative and subject to change). This popular event will sell out, so act quickly and order your tickets today! For more information on the Ninth Annual Season Kickoff Luncheon or to purchase tickets for the event, please call the FWFK Foundation 708-496-6740.

Four Fire young guns could help U.S. Men's National Team kick off 2007 slate this Saturday

Four members of the Chicago Fire - midfielder Justin Mapp, goalkeeper Matt Pickens, defender Dasan Robinson and forward Chris Rolfe - will look to wrap up their 17-day camp with the U.S. Men's National Team with an appearance in the U.S.'s international friendly against Denmark this Saturday, Jan. 20 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., which can be seen live on ESPN2 beginning at 4:00 p.m. CT. Mapp (1 cap, 0 goals) and Rolfe (4 caps, 0 goals) will be looking to add a new chapter to their budding senior international careers when the USA takes on Denmark for a fifth time this Saturday, while Pickens and Robinson will be hoping to cap off their first-ever National Team camps with a first-ever "cap" of their own. The Denmark match will mark the USA's first contest since the "stars-and-stripes" bowed out of last June's FIFA World Cup in Germany and the country's first match with former Fire boss and current U.S. MNT Head Coach Bob Bradley at the reigns.

Guarantee your seats for ALL Fire matches in 2007 with a Chicago Fire Season Ticket package

With the Fire's full 2007 schedule not yet announced, many fans are wondering if a certain player - we'll call him "David B." to protect his anonymity - will be playing at TOYOTA PARK when the Los Angeles Galaxy make their lone appearance in Bridgeview this year. Well, believe it or not, there will be plenty of other events besides the Galaxy's possible "British Invasion" in 2007, and currently the only way to secure a seat for all the excitement of both MLS regular season (yes, including the Galaxy match) and select international matches at TOYOTA PARK is to become a Chicago Fire Soccer Season Ticket Holder. All Chicago Fire season tickets for the team's 2007 season in Bridgeview 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 click on the "TICKETS" link at www.chicago-fire.com for more details.

Etc.

- Chicago Fire Soccer would like to congratulate three alumni of the club's USL Premier Development League affiliate, the Chicago Fire Premier, on being selected in last Friday's 2007 MLS SuperDraft. Indiana University midfielder John Michael Hayden (first round, 13th overall by Houston), Northwestern University forward Brad North (second round, 24th overall by D.C. United) and University of Akron midfielder Sinisa Ubiparipovic (third round, 33rd overall by New York) became the latest in a growing list of Fire Premier standouts to be selected in the MLS SuperDraft since the team's formation in 2001.

- Be a part of the home of the Fire for years to come and benefit those less fortunate by donating to the FireWorks for Kids Foundation's popular Commemorative Brick program. Fans of the Fire and soccer can 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, now entering its tenth year of helping Chicagoland's disadvantaged youth through various programs throughout the year. For more information on the FWFK Commemorative Brick program, visit the "IN THE COMMUNITY" section of www.chicago-fire.com or call 708-594-7200.

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Major League Soccer Stories from January 16, 2007


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