MLS Chicago Fire FC

Men in Red Go Abroad

Published on January 9, 2003 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Chicago Fire FC News Release


CHICAGO (Thursday, January 9, 2003) - The Chicago Fire has players traveling throughout North American and Europe in preparation for the 2003 MLS season. Fire midfielder DaMarcus Beasley and defender Carlos Bocanegra are currently with the United States National Team in Bradenton, Florida to prepare for its first match of the season when it takes on Canada on Sunday, January 18 at 6:30 p.m. CT from Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The game will be available via pay-per-view courtesy of Setanta Sports.

Fire goalkeeper Zach Thornton will be making his second jaunt in consecutive years to train with Blackburn Rovers of the English Premier League from January 15 through February 5. Thornton was invited to train with the Rovers by his good friend and U.S. World Cup star Brad Friedel, who stars for the Lancashire outfit.

Fire all-star defender C.J. Brown will also be training in England, but for Sheffield United of Division 1. Brown will be departing Wednesday, January 15 and will return on the 25th.

As part of the Fire's agreement with Monarcas Morelia, the Fire will be sending goalkeeper Henry Ring and defender/midfielder Evan Whitfield later this month.

Fire defender/midfielder Kelly Gray has been summoned to the U.S. Under-23 squad by Head Coach Glenn "Mooch" Myernick for a five-game trip to Portugal from January 10-23. Fire assistant coach Tom Soehn will assist Myernick on the trip, which will see the U.S. take open against Sporting Lisbon (Reserves) on Tuesday, January 14 at 8:00 a.m. CT at Alcochete. The team will then tangle with Benfica (Reserves) on Wednesday, January 15 at 11:30 a.m. CT at Riachos. The following day the U-23s will face Santarem District (Reserves) at 1:00 p.m. CT before a highly anticipated match-up with a powerful Russia U-21 squad on Tuesday, January 21 at 2:00 p.m. CT, with both games in Almeirim. Myernick's squad will round out the trip with a match against the U-21s of either Portugal or Slovakia on Thursday, January 23 in Abrantes at a time to be determined. Gray has also graduated from the Nike Project-40 system for the 2003 MLS season.

Newly acquired midfielder Justin Mapp will head to the U.S. Under-20 camp from January 12-24 at Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to prepare for the FIFA World Youth Championship in March at the United Arab Emirates. The U-20s will partake in the adidas MLS Player Combine in Ft. Lauderdale and finish the camp with a match against the Mexico U-20s on January 23 at the Sunrise Hilton at a time to be determined. U.S. U-20 Head Coach Thomas Rongen will announce the finalized roster for the games next week.

The Fire's Craig Capano just concluded participation with the U.S. U-18 team at a camp at the ARCO Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California and helped it to a 1-1-1 record against various 1984 Region Teams. The first match pitted the national team against Region II and resulted in a 1-1 draw on January 3. The very next day, the U.S. dropped a 3-1 contest to Region IV with Capano netting the lone goal for the U.S. The last game, which concluded the camp on January 6, saw the U.S. trounce Region III 8-2.

Chicago's injured players are currently undergoing rehabilitation to prepare for the season. The Fire's U.S. internationals Chris Armas and Ante Razov are currently in Los Angeles rehabbing from surgeries. Armas will be in Los Angeles until January 20 recovering from an ACL tear in his right knee last May. Razov is recovering from off-season ankle and shoulder surgery and will join the team later in preseason training. Midfielder Sergi Daniv continues to remain in Chicago as he rehabs from ligament repair on his great toe of his right foot.

The Fire coaching staff led by new Head Coach Dave Sarachan and GM Peter Wilt will be traveling to the adidas MLS Player Combine this weekend. The group will then take off for Kansas City for the 2003 MLS SuperDraft, in which the Fire holds the third pick overall.

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Major League Soccer Stories from January 9, 2003


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