MLS Chicago Fire FC

Chicago Fire Weekly Update

Published on April 20, 2015 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Chicago Fire FC News Release


MEN IN RED HOST EXPANSION SIDE NEW YORK CITY FC AFTER 20-DAY MLS HIATUS

After a three week break due to match rescheduling, the Chicago Fire (2-3-0, six points) return to MLS action against expansion side New York City FC (1-3-3, six points) at Toyota Park on Friday, April 24 at 7 p.m. CT (Univision Deportes/ESPN Deportes 97.5 FM). Tickets for the match are available at www.chicago-fire.com and Ticketmaster. Fans 21 and older can enjoy $2, twelve ounce Heineken Light, Tecate Light and select domestic beers on Friday.

The Men in Red enter this match after back-to-back home wins against the Philadelphia Union on March 29 and Toronto FC on April 4.

NYCFC enter the match after drawing the Philadelphia Union 1-1 on April 16 and falling 1-0 to the Portland Timbers on April 19.

CHICAGO FIRE vs. NEW YORK CITY FC

This is the first ever match between the two sides. NYCFC will host the return leg at Yankee Stadium on Friday, May 15.

The Men in Red are 5-2-3 all-time in the first meeting against expansion sides.

Current NYCFC defender Kwame Watson-Siriboe began his MLS career with the Fire. Selected 26th overall in the second round of the 2010 MLS SuperDraft, Watson-Siriboe appeared in 10 matches during his rookie campaign, starting seven for a total of 681 minutes.

NYCFC midfielder Ned Grabavoy is a product of the Chicago Fire PDL program. Born in Joliet, Ill., Grabavoy was named the 2000 Gatorade and NSCAA/adidas National High School Player of the Year during his senior season at Lincoln-Way Central High School in New Lenox, Ill. and led Lincoln-Way Central to two-straight Illinois state championship games.

NYCFC midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy plied his trade under Frank Yallop for two season from 2012-13 at the San Jose Earthquakes.

Fire original and Ring of Fire inductee C.J. Brown now serves as an assistant coach for NYC FC. A member of the Fire for his entire 13-year MLS career, Brown also served as a Fire assistant coach under Yallop in 2014.

USL LOAN WATCH

Fire loanees Patrick Doody and Alec Kann featured the full 90 minutes on April 18 in Saint Louis FC's 1-0 loss against the Rochester Rhinos at World Wide Technology Soccer Park in St. Louis, Mo.

Kann made four saves in his first start for the Fire's USL affiliate, and was named Louligan Saint Louis FC Player of the Game by the fans for his efforts in the match.

CHICAGO FIRE SOCCER CLUB TO HOLD FIFTH ANNUAL PRACTICE IN THE COMMUNITY

The Chicago Fire Soccer Club is set to host the fifth annual Practice in the Community, presented by the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System (UI Health), at Gary and Ortiz Elementary School (3470 West 31st Street, Chicago, Ill.) on Saturday, April 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. CT. Following the Fire's first team training, the event will showcase a practice with our Premier Skills team, an after-school sports development program.

The first team will engage in a practice session open to the general public, allowing supporters and members of the local community a chance to see the squad train up close and personal. The event will also feature complimentary food, music, giveaways and interactive games. Attendees will get an opportunity to collect autographs and interact with Fire players and coaches.

UI Health will be on site with Get Covered Illinois bilingual counselors helping fans sign up for health insurance enrollment and providing further information. UI Health nurses will also be on site to provide stroke education and BMI (body mass index) screenings.

Originally launched in 2007, Premier Skills is a global partnership between the Premier League and the British Council which uses the powerful brand and expertise of the Premier League and the global reach of the British Council to help marginalized youth develop skills and tackle a variety of social issues, such as social and emotional development, health, education, disability and inclusion. The program also works with young people to decrease anti-social behavior and gang-related violence.

Premier Skills launched in the Little Village community in July 2014 as the first North American site for the program. Since its launch, it has provided over 250 youth aged 8 through 18 with a safe, healthy environment and allow them to build the confidence, aspirations and skills to develop into productive young adults. For the program's extension in Little Village, the Fire teamed up with the British Council, English Premier League, Beyond the Ball, Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago, World Sport Chicago and the Chicago Park District.

For more information on Practice in the Community, please visit www.chicago-fire.com/practice .

CHICAGO FIRE TO HOST TRYOUTS FOR SUEÑO MLS 2015 - PRESENTED BY ALLSTATE

The Chicago Fire Soccer Club has been selected as a host for Sueño MLS 2015 - Presented by Allstate Insurance Company, the premier nationally-televised search for the best undiscovered soccer talent in North America. Registration is now open, giving thousands of aspiring young soccer players across the country the chance to turn their dreams into a reality. Tryouts in the Chicago area will take place on May 16-17.

Hopefuls are now able to register at www.SuenoMLS.com for an opportunity to participate in one of the three open tryouts hosted by the Fire, Orlando City SC and the LA Galaxy. The competition will be chronicled in a unique "reality show within a show" format by Univision Deportes' popular weekly sports entertainment program, República Deportiva (Sports Republic). Co-hosted by popular sportscasters Félix Fernández, Lindsay Casinelli, Adriana Monsalve and Edgar Martinez, República Deportiva airs every Sunday.

Three of the Chicago registrants will be randomly selected to participate in a 3v3 game with Fire celebrities.

Up to 400 tryout spots will be made available in each city on a first come, first serve basis. In past years, spots have filled up in only a few hours following the start of registration. A waiting list will be available once all spots have been filled.

In each city, field players will be battling for one of five invitations to a week-long trial with their respective youth development host club and a trip to the exciting five-day National Final in Carson, Calif. that will be hosted by former Fire midfielder and Sueño MLS Ambassador, legendary Mexican international Pavel Pardo. The finals will include training sessions, scrimmages, guest celebrity scouts and an opportunity to meet some of the League's biggest stars. The Sueño MLS 2015 - Presented by Allstate Insurance Company winner will be crowned on Sunday, June 7, live in-studio on República Deportiva.

In addition, the Allstate "Good Hands®" top goalkeeper award, El Portero Allstate, will be presented for the fifth consecutive year. One goalkeeper at each of the three local tryouts will be selected as a local goalkeeper finalist and will compete in the National Finals for the opportunity to be named El Portero Allstate. El Portero Allstate finalists will be mentored by Mexican goalkeeping legend Martin "El Pulpo" Zuñiga. The winner will be announced live on República Deportiva at the end of the National Finals week.

In addition to the title, both the Sueño MLS 2015 - Presented by Allstate Insurance Company and El Portero Allstate winners will be invited to join a youth-level team at the MLS club represented at the National Finals.

More information is available at www.SuenoMLS.com.

CHICAGO FIRE AND CHICAGO RED STARS HOST DOUBLEHEADER MAY 9 AT TOYOTA PARK

The Chicago Fire will host a doubleheader with the National Women's Soccer League side Chicago Red Stars at Toyota Park on Saturday, May 9. The Fire will kick off against Real Salt Lake at 2 p.m. CT presented by Giordano's (Comcast SportsNet Chicago/ESPN Deportes 97.5 FM), followed by the Red Stars vs. Boston Breakers match at 4 p.m. CT.

All tickets purchased for the Fire vs. Real Salt Lake match will also include a complimentary, General Admission ticket for the Red Stars game. Single game tickets for Fire matches are available via Ticketmaster and www.Chicago-Fire.com .

CHICAGO FIRE HOST FIFTH ANNUAL ART OF FUTBOL

The Chicago Fire Soccer Club will host its fifth annual Art of Futbol event, benefiting the Chicago Fire Foundation on Wednesday, May 6 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Prairie Production Studio (1314 West Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60607).

The club has put out a call to Chicagoland artists, asking for creative and expressive artwork to be showcased at the event. Interested individuals must submit original pieces of work, which can be of traditional or non-traditional genre and media, including drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, mixed media and poetry.

Artists will also have the opportunity to sell their work at the event. Additionally, select artists will be recognized at Toyota Park during the Chicago Fire match against Real Salt Lake on Saturday, May 9.

Tickets to the event, which include admission and two drink tickets, are $25. Also available is a special package that includes an event ticket, two drink tickets and a Cornerkick ticket to the Chicago Fire home match on Saturday, May 9 for a combined $35. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit 2015artoffutbol.eventbrite.com .

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Major League Soccer Stories from April 20, 2015


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