MLS Chicago Fire FC

First Place Fire Take On Second Place United On The Road This Saturday

Published on June 8, 2009 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Chicago Fire FC News Release


The Chicago Fire (5-2-6, 21 pts.) return to the road this weekend to face rival D.C. United (4-2-7, 19 pts.) on Saturday, June 13, at RFK Stadium (6:30 p.m., My50 Chicago). Last Friday, the Fire suffered their second consecutive shutout, falling 1-0 to the Houston Dynamo for just their second loss of the season. Before the Fire's May 31 loss to Dallas, the team boasted an 11-game unbeaten streak to start the season, which is the longest in team history and the tied for second longest in league history.

The Fire will look to pick up important points this weekend on the road as D.C. is nipping at Chicago's heels in the standings. Despite dropping two consecutive contests at home, the Fire remain in first place in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of this weekend's opponent. While United is coming off a 2-0 win over New York last week, D.C. has won just one match of their last six for a record of 1-1-4. In their first meeting this season, the Fire and D.C. tied 1-1 at RFK Stadium with goals from Fire forward Patrick Nyarko and D.C. United forward Luciano Emilio.

The Fire are at home on the road as the team remains undefeated outside Chicago with a record of 4-0-3 through their first seven road contests. The Fire are finding the net on the road as well. The team leads the league in road scoring with 15 goals. Chicago has already tied their road scoring totals for both 2007 and 2004 when the team scored 15 goals through 15 road games.

D.C. United is one of just four MLS teams that remain unbeaten at home in 2009 and the Fire will look to hand them their first home defeat this weekend.

CHICAGO FIRE vs. D.C. UNITED

§ The match is the 36th meeting of the two clubs in regular season play. The Fire have an all-time regular season record of 13-14-8 against D.C. with a 5-9-4 road record.

§ Former Fire player Tom Soehn serves as D.C. United's head coach. He is the second former Fire player to hold that position (Peter Nowak 2004-2006).

§ Both teams currently have a 2009 goal differential of +3 with 20 goals scored and 17 allowed in 13 games.

§ Fire's road record is 4-0-3 while D.C.'s home record is 3-0-4.

§ The Fire trail D.C. United by one goal through all-time regular season competition with 51 goals scored and 52 goals allowed in 35 games played.

§ D.C. United veteran Jaime Moreno leads the team in goals scored against the Fire (9) and assists recorded when playing the Fire (11).

§ Emilio, who scored the game-tying goal in the Fire's first match up against D.C. this season, will serve a one game suspension for a red card received last Thursday during a match against the New York Red Bulls.

A LOOK AT THE FIRE:

§ The Fire sit in first place in the Eastern Conference with 21 points in 13 games played.

§ The Fire is undefeated when playing on the road with a record of 4-0-3. The Fire and Los Angeles are the only teams in MLS that remain undefeated on the road.

§ The Fire have the longest 2009 road undefeated streak with seven games, one more than the Galaxy.

§ With 20 goals in 13 games, the Fire lead the league in scoring tied with D.C. United who also have 20 goals in 13 games played.

§ With 15 goals on the road, the Fire have already met their goal

§ Thirteen of the Fire's 20 goals have been scored: with left-footed shots, from inside the penalty area, and during open play as opposed to off of set pieces.

§ After moving into first place in Week 9 with the 2-0 win at Toronto on May 16, the Fire have been at the top of the Eastern Conference standings for four consecutive weeks.

§ Eight different players have finished for the Fire's 20 total goals this season: Blanco (3), Conde (1) Mapp (1), McBride (6), Nyarko (2), Pappa (3), Rolfe (3), and Segares (1).

§ While designated player Cuauhtémoc Blanco leads the team with five assists, a total of 10 players have been helping the Fire to their impressive 20 goals in 12 games. (Banner-1, Blanco-5, Conde-1, Mapp-1, Nyarko-2, Pappa-2, Pause-2, Rolfe-1, Segares-1, and Ward-1).

§ Blanco is currently tied with three other players for second place in the league standings for assists.

§ The Fire are scoring the majority of their goals at the ends of the two halves with five goals scored in the final 15 minutes of the first half, and seven scored in the final 15 minutes of the match.

§ The Fire have a record of 3-0-4 against Eastern Conference teams and 2-2-2 against Western Conference teams.

§ The Fire last lost three consecutive games in 2008 (6/7 vs. D.C., 6/15 @ Dallas, 6/19 @ Chivas USA).

§ The Fire have not been shutout in three consecutive matches since 2004 (4/3 @ Kansas City, 4/10 @ San Jose, 4/17 vs. Dallas).

§ The last time the Fire suffered two consecutive defeats, the team bounced back to defeat Los Angeles 3-1 at TOYOTA PARK on 9/25/08.

§ The last time the Fire suffered two consecutive shutouts, the team bounced back to defeat Chivas USA 1-0 at home on 8/2/08.

SUPERLIGA KICKS OFF IN CHICAGO NEXT SATURDAY, JUNE 20

Major League Soccer and the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol have unveiled the participating teams, venues and schedule for the 2009 edition of SuperLiga™. The four participating MLS teams are: Chicago Fire, New England Revolution, Chivas USA and Kansas City Wizards. The four Mexican clubs participating in 2009 are: 2008 playoff contender San Luis, Santos Laguna (led by national team star Oswaldo Sanchez), Tigres UANL (led by Lucas Lobos), and Atlas, the young and exciting club led by former Mexican national team coach Ricardo Lavolpe. The Fire will face San Luis on June 20 (7 p.m. CT), Chivas USA on June 23 (7 p.m. CT) and Tigres UANL on June 27 (7 p.m. CT). The Fire will host a doubleheader for their match on June 23 as San Luis and Tigres UANL face off following the Fire's match (9 p.m.). Tickets for both the single games on June 20 and 27, as well as the doubleheader on June 23, are on sale now through the TOYOTA PARK box office by calling 888-MLS-FIRE, clicking on the TICKETS section of the team's official website, www.chicago-fire.com, or through all Ticketmaster outlets, www.Ticketmaster.com.

The Fire will offer a special Chicago Fire SuperLiga Pack which includes a ticket to all three of the SuperLiga dates at TOYOTA PARK and fans that purchase the Chicago Fire SuperLiga Pack will also receive a free ticket for the Fire versus Chivas USA match on Oct. 22. SuperLiga packages start at just $71 and will be available through the TOYOTA PARK box office, by calling 888-MLS-FIRE or through www.chicago-fire.com.

FIRE INTRODUCE THREE NEW TICKET PACKAGES

The Chicago Fire have introduced three new ticket packages: a twenty seat Pick 'em, the 4-4-4 Pack-game, and two three-game packages that offer fans both flexibility in choosing game dates and a range of ticket purchase opportunities. The Twenty Seat Pick-em Plan includes two free tickets to LA Galaxy game. The 20 tickets are redeemable for any remaining Chicago Fire home game. The 4-4-4 Pack gets you four tickets, four hot dogs and four Pepsi drinks for just $79. This ticket package is available for all Chicago Fire regular season games. This is a great deal for an affordable and exciting family outing. With the Three Game Weekend and Rivalry Packs, fans can choose three tickets from a series of weekend games (7/18 vs. San Jose, 8/1 vs. Real Salt Lake, and 8/29 vs. vs. D.C. United) and Rivalry games (8/29 vs. D.C. United, 9/26 vs. Toronto FC and 10/22 vs. Chivas USA). Fans can choose seats from several sections of the stadium, including: Club ($75 per ticket); Center Circle ($50 per ticket); MLPD ($45 per ticket); Premier ($35 per ticket); Corner Kick ($28 per ticket); and Firehouse ($22 per ticket). Tickets purchasers will also have priority in purchasing playoff tickets. For more information, call 888-MLS-FIRE or visit www.chicago-fire.com.

CHICAGO FIRE HOSTS FIRE VS. D.C. UNITED GAME WATCH PARTY THIS SATURDAY NIGHT

On Saturday, June 13, at 6 pm the Chicago Fire will host fans to watch the Fire take on D.C. United at the Coaches Sports Bar & Grill, 6624 S. Cicero (inside the Holiday Inn at the Midway Hotel Center) in Bedford Park. Anyone riding the "L" can use of the shuttle phone board near baggage claim at Midway Airport and the hotel will come pick you up! Return service to the "L" is also available. Shuttles will pick up from the center island outside baggage claim. The watch party includes free munchies, a free raffle and drink specials.

FIRE PREMIER PDL TEAM QUALIFIES FOR LAMAR HUNT U.S. OPEN CUP

The Chicago Fire PDL squad has qualified for the annual Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The team will take on the Milwaukee Bavarians, the Region 2 Amateur Champion, in their first game tomorrow, June 9, on the TOYOTA PARK training field (located on the north side of TOYOTA PARK). Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. CT. Admission is free and free parking is available via gate S1 in the TOYOTA PARK West Lot.

This is the third time the team has qualified for the U.S. Open Cup tournament in its nine seasons, also qualifying in 2005 and 2004. The Fire Premier secured their position after due to their first place ranking and impressive record of 3-0-1 in their four match-ups. The Fire PDL is one of eight teams from the 67-team Premier Development League to qualify for the tournament. The Fire first team has qualified for the tournament as well. Dates, locations, and opponents for the Chicago Fire first team's participation in the Open Cup will be announced at a later date.

FIRE GO INTERNATIONAL - THREE PLAYERS JOIN NATIONAL TEAMS FOR WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS

Chicago Fire players Cuauhtémoc Blanco (Mexico), Gonzalo Segares (Costa Rica), and Bakary Soumare (Mali) were called to serve with their respective national teams for World Cup Qualifying matches. All three players were unavailable for the Fire's match against Houston last Friday, June 4. Blanco and Mexico played a World Cup Qualifier, on Saturday, June 6 against El Salvador, losing 2-1 in San Salvador. Blanco scored the lone goal for "el Tri" in the loss. The goal was his 10th in 19 World Cup Qualifiers played throughout his international career. Blanco has currently recorded 98 caps for his national team. Blanco and Mexico will face Trinidad & Tobago on Wednesday, June 10 at home in Estadio Azteca (9:30 p.m. CT, Telemundo). Costa Rica defeated the U.S. Men's National Team 3-0 at Saprissa Stadium in San Jose on Wednesday, June 3, but Segares did not play in the match. Segares did earn a start on Saturday, June 6 in Costa Rica's 3-2 win over Trinidad & Tobago, playing 90 minutes. Soumare and Mali lost to Ghana 2-0 on Sunday, June 7 in Bamako, Mali and will next face Benin again at home in the Stade du 26 mars on June 21. Blanco and Segares will return for the Fire's match against D.C. United at RFK Stadium on June 13 (6:30 p.m. CT, My50 Chicago) while Bakary will not be available for the match due to a one game suspension for his red card against FC Dallas.

BROWN PUSHES PAST POPE FOR TOP 20

Fire captain C.J. Brown is currently in his 12th season with Chicago and the Fire Original is the Fire career leader in MLS regular season games played (255), games started (250), as well as holding the squad's all-time lead in minutes played (22,113). With last Friday's appearance, Brown pushed past Eddie Pope for sole possession of the 20th rank in the league standings for career games played. With 250 games started, Brown also moved into a tie for 16th in the all-time league standings for games started tied former teammate Diego Gutierrez (250) and one behind Pope (251). To break into the top 10, Brown will have to pass up Mike Petke (currently with New York Red Bulls) who has started 270 games to date.

MLS ALL-STAR VOTING - GET YOUR VOTES IN NOW

Major League Soccer fans can go online to the League's official web site www.MLSnet.com to select 11 players they would like to see take on English Premier League club Everton FC in the 2009 MLS All-Star Game. The online fan balloting program, which concludes on July 6, will comprise 25% of the total vote for the All-Star First XI, with coaches and general managers, players, and media each holding 25% of the vote. The 14th annual MLS midsummer showcase will bring together Major League Soccer's best for a marquee match up on July 29, 2009, versus famed English Premier League club Everton FC at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, the home of Real Salt Lake. The game will be televised in the U.S. on ESPN2 and TeleFutura at 9:30 p.m. ET. Fans can vote for the All-Star First XI online by selecting one goalkeeper, three defenders, five midfielders, and two forwards. Fans can vote up to 10 times per day.

JOHN THORRINGTON IS UNIVISION CHICAGO'S FEATURED PLAYER OF THE MONTH

The Fire and Univision Chicago are partnering to feature a different Chicago Fire player or coach each month as the Univision Chicago Player of the Month. Midfielder John Thorrington is the Fire Player of the Month for June and will not only be featured each Monday during the Univision 10 o'clock newscast during the "Chicago Fire: Conexión Máxima" segment, Thorrington will contribute to Univision Radio's Nuevo Dia program on Monday mornings and connect with fans directly through a Live Chat and blog entries on Univsion.com. Head Coach Denis Hamlett was featured during the month of April and midfielder Marco Pappa was featured in May.

4-v-4 FUTBOLITO TOURNAMENT COMES TO CHICAGO ON AUGUST 22

MLS Futbolito, the largest touring Hispanic event hosted by a U.S. professional sports league, comes to Chicago on August 22 at Riis Park, 6100 W. Fullerton Ave. The all-day 4-v-4 tournament is open to players of all ages, abilities and affiliations. Team rosters can consist of up to seven players (four field players and three substitutes) and each team will play in round-robin action, with the possibility of advancing to the single-elimination championship playoff. Teams registered for the competition will be divided according to age groups and competitive levels with winners in each division receiving prizes. In addition to the games, each registered player will receive a ticket to an MLS match (in applicable markets), a Futbolito t-shirt, and the chance to win prizes from the presenting sponsors as well as associate sponsors. For more information or to register a team, visit the official website: www.MLSFutbolito.com or call 888-MLS-FUTBOLITO.

B96 SUMMER BASH COMES TO TOYOTA PARK THIS WEEKEND

Back for its fourth year at TOYOTA PARK, B96 will put on the hottest show of the summer. It is more than a concert; it is an all day party at TOYOTA PARK on July 13th. Pre-Bash festivities begin at 1:00 p.m. with live music starting at 5 p.m. Artists for this summer's B96 Summer Bash include Flor-Rida, Cascada, Kelly Clarkson and Black Eyed Peas. Tickets are available through all Ticketmaster outlets. For more information visit www.toyotapark.com.

PHISH SUMMER TOUR STOPS AT TOYOTA PARK

On their first summer tour in five years, Phish has announced a concert date at TOYOTA PARK on Tuesday, August 11th. Tickets are on sale now. Reserved and general admission tickets are priced at just $49.50 and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets including the TOYOTA PARK ticket offices, Ticketmaster.com and by calling (800) 745-3000.

BUFFETT RETURNS TO TOYOTA PARK

After the success of last summer's two TOYOTA PARK concerts, Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band will return to the stadium again this summer for two more unforgettable concert experiences as part of the "Summerzcool" Tour 2009. The concert dates are set for Saturday, Aug. 8 and Saturday, Aug. 15. The seating setup at the stadium will be similar to last year's concerts, as all seats will be reserved both on the field and in the stadium bowl. Tickets are on sale now through all Ticketmaster outlets including the TOYOTA PARK box office, Tickemaster.com, and by calling (800) 745-3000. For more information visit www.toyotapark.com.

BLANCO'S 'DIRECTO AL BLANCO' RADIO PROGRAM TUESDAY

"Directo al Blanco" a full-hour live radio program hosted by Fire midfielder Cuauhtémoc Blanco will air this and every Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m. CT. Listeners are encouraged to call and talk to Blanco about the latest soccer-related news regarding the Chicago Fire, Major League Soccer, and the Mexican Primera Division. The show airs nationally on RadioCadena stations in Chicago (WRTO-AM), Las Vegas (KLSQ-AM), Los Angeles (KTNQ-AM), San Francisco (KLOK-AM), El Paso (KAMA-AM), San Antonio(KCOR-AM), Dallas (KFLC-AM), McAllen (KGBT-AM), Houston (KLAT-AM), New York (WADO-AM), and Miami (WQBA-AM).

Check out the Chicago Fire FC Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Major League Soccer Stories from June 8, 2009


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central