MLS Chicago Fire FC

Fire Take on FC Dallas in Primetime Thursday Battle

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


BRIDGEVIEW, IL (May 16, 2007) - The Chicago Fire (3-2-1 10 pts.) and FC Dallas (3-3-1 10 pts.) meet in this week's MLS Primetime match-up Thursday night (7:00 p.m. CT, ESPN2) at TOYOTA PARK. The Fire return from a three-game road stretch after falling 3-1 to Toronto FC in Ontario, Canada on Saturday. FC Dallas comes to Chicago with confidence after defeating the Kansas City Wizards, 2-1, on the road Saturday in Arrowhead Stadium. The Fire currently stand fourth in the Eastern Conference with 10 points, just one point behind New York and four points behind the conference-leading New England Revolution. The broadcast from Bridgeview will be live nationally via ESPN2 and the MLS Direct Kick Package, as well as Chicagoland radio station WRTO-AM 1200 (Spanish).

Chicago Fire vs. FC Dallas :: Fire Match #7 - MLS Match #40

Thursday, May 17 @ 7:00 p.m. CT :: TOYOTA PARK -Bridgeview, Ill.

TV: ESPN2

Satellite: None

Audio: WRTO 1200 AM (Spanish)

Game Guide: http://www.sportssystems.com/novell/efx%5Cfax%5CMLS%5C06704G01.pdf

Chicago Fire/AthletiCo "Recovery Room" :: May 14

Rolfe, Chris - L ankle sprain - QUESTIONABLE

Pickens, Matt - R lateral thigh contusion - PROBABLE

Plotkin, Brian - L quad strain - PROBABLE

Fire History vs. FC Dallas

One of the League's most heated rivalries makes its 2007 debut Thursday as the battle for the Brimstone Cup kicks-off in a series Chicago trails 10-14-1 overall in regular season play. The Fire owns a more convincing 8-4-1 mark in games contested in Chicagoland, though the club's previous home victory came in a 2-0 effort on June 12, 2005. FC Dallas took the first meeting of the 2006 MLS campaign in the season opener, with Chicago twice squandering one-goal leads in a heart-breaking 3-2 defeat that kicked off the Fire's MLS record nine-game road trip. The "Men in Red" fell again 3-2 in TOYOTA PARK, despite two-goal effort from former Fire forward Andy Herron that dissipated as Dallas struck twice in the last 13 minutes to retain the Brimstone Cup trophy.

2007 Brimstone Cup Battle Begins

While the Chicago Fire trophy case inside TOYOTA PARK boasts Conference Championships, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup victories, and the 1998 MLS Cup, one piece of hardware has gone missing since the Fire's 2001 campaign - the Brimstone Cup. In an effort to symbolize the intense nature of the Chicago-Dallas series during the Fire's first three seasons (1998-2000), supporters of both clubs developed the head-to-head series-winner award, the first rivalry-based trophy of its kind in MLS. The Fire raised the Brimstone Cup in the trophy's inaugural year of 2001, when Chicago won the points-based series (3-1-0) by an 11-5 margin. In the case of a tie, the previous holder retains possession of the cup. For more information on the Brimstone Cup, visit www.brimstonecup.com.

Red-Hot Rolfe

With a goal in the 36th minute of the Fire's 3-1 loss at Toronto Saturday, Chicago forward Chris Rolfe continues his career-best form, producing four goals and three assists in his first six games to start the 2007 campaign. The University of Dayton product has tallied at least a point in six-straight MLS games, beating his previous mark of three goals and an assist in the first six games played in 2006. In the 2007 season opener at TOYOTA PARK, Rolfe's pass to Justin Mapp led to a cross into the box for midfielder Logan Pause to deflect in for a 1-0 result. In Week 2, it was Rolfe's helper that freed forward Chad Barrett behind the Rapids backline for the game-tying goal in the 85th minute to grab a late one-pointer. On April 21, Rolfe's assist led to Barrett's game-tying goal in the 36th minute and the 24-year-old forward got his first tally of the 2007 season with a game-winning penalty kick goal in the 73rd minute. Rolfe scored the game's only goal in the 60th minute for a 1-0 win at Houston on April 29, and followed that with a lone tally just before halftime in the Fire's 3-1 loss at New England on May 6. Rolfe is currently second in the Golden Boot award race behind the Revolution's Taylor Twellman (6g, 0a).

Blanco Watch

Cuauhtémoc Blanco, the Chicago Fire's Designated Player signing, is cruising with Mexican First Division side Club América as it plays through the playoff stretch of the 2007 Clausura campaign. América defeated Atlas in the first of a home-and-home series that saw the "Aguilas" tie 3-3 last Thursday at Atlas' Estadio Jalisco. Blanco notched two goals and an assist in the return leg last Sunday at Estadio Azteca, helping his club hand Atlas a heavy 4-1 defeat for the first round, 7-4 aggregate victory. Overall, the native of Mexico City, Mexico has tallied 7 goals and 6 assists throughout the 2007 Clausura with the "Aguilas". Blanco will become an official member of the "Men in Red" on July 1 and will be eligible to play that day in Chicago's match-up with the Colorado Rapids at TOYOTA PARK (6:00 p.m. CT, Comcast SportsNet).

Quick Kicks vs. FC Dallas - Fire forward Chris Rolfe currently leads the league in consecutive games with a goal scored with four.

- Chicago has given up three goals in each of its last two games (New England 5/06, Toronto FC 5/12), the first time since the 2006 Fire let in three against Real Salt Lake (6/03/06), New England Revolution (6/11/06), and the Kansas City Wizards (6/17/06).

- Fire defender C.J. Brown is the active series leader in fouls committed against Dallas with 35.

- Thursday's broadcast is one of four games on ESPN2 this season. Chicago will also be featured on "the deuce" on May 24 (@ New York), July 12 (vs. Houston Dynamo), and September 20 (@ FC Dallas).

- Fire midfielder Diego Gutierrez has been fined $250 by the MLS Disciplinary Committee and is serving a one-game suspension for Saturday's 45th minute red card ejection at Toronto and will not be available Thursday against FC Dallas.

- The Chicago Fire lead FC Dallas in postseason series play with a 3-2-1 record over the "The Hoops".

- Caution watch - Chad Barrett (2c), C.J. Brown (1c), Calen Carr (2c), Diego Gutierrez (2c, 1e), Jim Curtin (1c), Gonzalo Segares (1c), Thiago (1c).

Check out the Chicago Fire FC Statistics

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Major League Soccer Stories from May 16, 2007


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