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MLS Chicago Fire FC

Fire Clash With Crew Sunday Night at Toyota Park

June 1, 2007 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Chicago Fire FC News Release


BRIDGEVIEW, IL (June 1, 2007) - The Chicago Fire (3-4-2, 11 pts.) meet Eastern Conference foe Columbus Crew (1-2-5, 8 pts.) in a first of three regular season meetings this Sunday night (6:00 p.m. CT) at TOYOTA PARK. The Fire are looking to snap a five-game winless streak after drawing 0-0 against Real Salt Lake last Sunday in Bridgeview. The Crew are searching for their first road win of 2007, capping a winless month of May with a 2-2 draw with Toronto FC last Saturday. The Fire currently stand fourth in the East with 11 points, six points behind conference-leaders New England Revolution (5-2-2 17 pts.) and New York Red Bulls (5-1-2 17 pts.). Kick-off from 71st and Harlem starts at 6:00 p.m. CT and can be followed live on Chicagoland radio stations WRTO-1200 AM (Spanish) and WNVR-1030 AM (Polish), and on television locally live on Comcast SportsNet and nationwide via the MLS Direct Kick Package.

Chicago Fire vs. Columbus Crew :: Fire Match #10 - MLS Match #59

Sunday, June 3 @ 6:00 p.m. CT :: TOYOTA PARK - Bridgeview, Ill.

TV: Comcast SportsNet, MLS Direct Kick Package

Satellite: KU BAND AMC 2, Tr. 11, U/L: 14229(H), D/L: 11929(V), Symbol Rate: 13.235, Data rate: 18.2958, FEC: 3/4

Audio: WRTO-1200 AM (Spanish), WNVR-1030 AM (Polish)

Game Guide: http://www.mlsnet.com/pdf/mls/2007/gameguides/06/603chiclb.pdf

Chicago Fire/AthletiCo "Recovery Room" :: June 1

Bedrossian, Pascal - L hamstring tightness - PROBABLE

Gutierrez, Diego - L toe fracture - OUT

Rolfe, Chris - L ankle sprain - QUESTIONABLE

Thiago - R groin strain - OUT

Telesford, Osei - L groin strain - OUT

Fire History vs. Crew

The Fire has enjoyed plenty of success against the Crew over its first nine seasons, compiling a 15-10-7 mark in regular season play against Columbus. The "Men in Red" have a leg up in games played at home as well, leading "America's Hardest Working Team" with an 8-5-3 mark in games contested in Chicagoland. The Fire split the 2006 season series 1-1-2, with unlikely scorer C.J. Brown's first goal in 201 regular season games proving to be the game-winner in a 2-1 win at Columbus (9/9). The Fire and Crew dueled to a pair of draws earlier in the 2006 season, a 1-1 stalemate in Ohio's capital city (4/15) and a 0-0 tie in Columbus' TOYOTA PARK debut (7/29). The lone Fire loss came in a heavy 4-1 defeat (10/07) at TOYOTA PARK in the 2006 regular season finale.

Familiar Faces

Members of the "Men in Red" will find a few familiar faces in a counterpart role this Sunday as former Fire forward Andy Herron suits for the Black & Gold of Columbus. The Fire's Technical Staff traded Herron to the Columbus Crew in exchange for now-departed forward Ryan Coiner and the Crew's second overall pick in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft. Fire backup goalkeeper Job Busch is no stranger to the Crew, as the 30-year-old was let go by Columbus in the 2007 preseason. In four years in Columbus, Busch appeared in 84 regular season Crew matches (83 starts), and holds Crew goalkeeper records in minutes played (7,520), wins (35), saves (367), and shutouts (25). Fire second-year midfielder Brian Plotkin will recognize two faces especially, as Crew midfielders Ned Grabavoy and Danny O'Rourke both played with Plotkin in Indiana University's title run in the 2003 NCAA Men's Soccer Championship.

Soumare Sighting

Fire rookie defender Bakary Soumare, Chicago's first pick in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft (2nd overall) made his first appearance for the "Men in Red" during the final moments in Sunday's 0-0 draw. The 21-year-old University of Virginia product came on in the 79th minute to relieve midfielder Brian Plotkin. Soumare has worked his way towards first team minutes by proving himself in the Reserve Division, starting three games for a total of 270 minutes of reserve play.

Quick Kicks vs. Crew

- Fire defender Jeff Curtin and midfielder Willian Oliveira made their first MLS career starts Sunday against Real Salt Lake, both playing 90 minutes.

- The "Men in Red" lead the overall regular season series over Columbus with a sturdy 15-10-7 mark.

- The Fire has two players with connections to Ohio - forward Chris Rolfe and defender Dasan Robinson. Besides being teammates for the Dayton Flyers during their collegiate days, the duo also hails from the Buckeye State - Rolfe growing up in Kettering, about 70 miles west of Columbus, and Robinson coming from the Cleveland suburb of Elyria. The Crew has two players on its roster that calls Chicagoland home, midfielder Ned Grabavoy (New Lenox, Ill.) and defender Jed Zayner (Orland Park, Ill).

- Fire backup and former Crew goalkeeper Jon Busch holds his former team's records against Chicago in wins (5), shutouts (3), and saves (49).

- The Fire's active leaders against Columbus are: Games Played & Started - C.J. Brown (28), Goals - Chris Rolfe (5), Assists - Chris Armas (6), Fouls Committed - Chris Armas (42), Fouls Suffered - C.J. Brown (28), Minutes Played - C.J. Brown (2,510), Shots - Justin Mapp (22), Shots On Goal - Chris Rolfe (14).

- Former Chicago goalkeeper Curtis Spiteri let in a club-record six goals in 45 minutes of second half play to the Crew on 10/3/06.

- A 0-0 stalemate between the Fire and Crew on July 29, 2006 at TOYOTA PARK remained Chicago's lone scoreless affair during the 2006 campaign. Factoring last Sunday's 0-0 draw with Real Salt Lake into the Fire's 284 regular season matches, only 11 "Men in Red" matches have ended in a 0-0 tie.

- Caution Watch - Chad Barrett (2c), C.J. Brown (2c), Calen Carr (3c), Diego Gutierrez (2c, 1e), Jim Curtin (2c), Logan Pause (1c), Dasan Robinson (1c), Gonzalo Segares (3c), Thiago (1c).

Check out the Chicago Fire FC Statistics



Major League Soccer Stories from June 1, 2007


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