Chicago Fire Defender Arne Friedrich Announces Retirement The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced Sunday that defender Arne Friedrich has retired from professional soccer. The two-time German World Cup veteran brings an end to a 14-year professional career that saw him compete at the top levels in Germany before joining the Fire. "This was a very difficult decision," said Friedrich. "After discussing it with the medical staff and my family, I've decided that it is the right time for me to retire from professional soccer. I was very excited to re-sign with the Fire following the 2012 season but unfortunately my injuries prevent me from returning to the game that I love. I have been truly blessed to represent my country at the highest level and play for world-class clubs. I would like to thank all of my teammates, coaches, the fans and my family for supporting me throughout my career." Friedrich joined the Fire March 7, 2012 and was instrumental in the Fire's return to the playoffs. Friedrich made 23 appearances for the Men in Red, tallying one goal across 1,832 minutes. The two-time German World Cup veteran patrolled the Fire backline that held opponents to 41 goals in the 2012 regular season, tied for second best in the Eastern Conference. In recognition of his efforts, Friedrich was selected as the club's 2012 Defender of the Year. The Men in Red went 14-5-4 in matches where Friedrich commanded the Fire's central defense. "We want to thank Arne for his contributions as a member of the Fire," said Chicago Fire President of Soccer Operations Javier Leon. "The experience and leadership that he brought to our team was invaluable. He was an integral part of or squad as we returned to the playoffs in 2012 and we wish him the best with his future endeavors." Hailing from Bad Oeynhausen, Germany, Friedrich represented the German national team 82 times since his first appearance in 2002. During that time, the 6-1 defender compiled an impressive international resume, playing 13 of a possible 14 games while helping Die Mannschaft to matching third place finishes at the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups. It was in the latter tournament that he scored, tallying in the 74th minute of Germany's 4-0 quarterfinal victory over Argentina July 3, 2010 in Cape Town, South Africa. The renowned defender also represented Germany at the 2004 and 2008 UEFA European championships. In 2008, Friedrich appeared in four matches, helping his country to a runner-up finish. Capable of playing centrally or on the right side of the backline, Friedrich helped his national side to a third-place finish at the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup in Germany. Friedrich began his professional career with German Regionalliga side SC Verl, where he appeared in 31 matches from 1999-2000 before transferring to 2. Bundesliga side Arminia Bielefield the following season. Friedrich helped Die Blauen's promotion push to the Bundesliga during the first part of the 2001-02 season before transferring to Hertha Berlin that January. It was in the German capital where Friedrich made his biggest mark, going on to tally 231 league appearances and 14 goals from 2002-10. Prior to the 2002-03 Bundesliga campaign, Friedrich helped the club to the preseason DFB Ligapokal. During the 2004-05 campaign, he was named club captain, a role he held throughout the remainder of his tenure with Die Alte Dame. Following Hertha's relegation after the 2009-10 season, Friedrich transferred to VfL Wolfsburg where he appeared in 15 matches from 2010-11. In his time with the Fire, Friedrich served as a mentor to his centerback partner Austin Berry. Under the German's tutelage, Berry made 28 consecutive MLS Regular Season starts en route to 2012 MLS Rookie of the Year honors. Depending on his treatment, Friedrich is expected to return to Chicago later this summer and will be honored at an upcoming Fire home game. The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced Sunday that defender Arne Friedrich has retired from professional soccer. The two-time German World Cup veteran brings an end to a 14-year professional career that saw him compete at the top levels in Germany before joining the Fire. "This was a very difficult decision," said Friedrich. "After discussing it with the medical staff and my family, I've decided that it is the right time for me to retire from professional soccer. I was very excited to re-sign with the Fire following the 2012 season but unfortunately my injuries prevent me from returning to the game that I love. I have been truly blessed to represent my country at the highest level and play for world-class clubs. I would like to thank all of my teammates, coaches, the fans and my family for supporting me throughout my career." Friedrich joined the Fire March 7, 2012 and was instrumental in the Fire's return to the playoffs. Friedrich made 23 appearances for the Men in Red, tallying one goal across 1,832 minutes. The two-time German World Cup veteran patrolled the Fire backline that held opponents to 41 goals in the 2012 regular season, tied for second best in the Eastern Conference. In recognition of his efforts, Friedrich was selected as the club's 2012 Defender of the Year. The Men in Red went 14-5-4 in matches where Friedrich commanded the Fire's central defense. "We want to thank Arne for his contributions as a member of the Fire," said Chicago Fire President of Soccer Operations Javier Leon. "The experience and leadership that he brought to our team was invaluable. He was an integral part of or squad as we returned to the playoffs in 2012 and we wish him the best with his future endeavors." Hailing from Bad Oeynhausen, Germany, Friedrich represented the German national team 82 times since his first appearance in 2002. During that time, the 6-1 defender compiled an impressive international resume, playing 13 of a possible 14 games while helping Die Mannschaft to matching third place finishes at the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups. It was in the latter tournament that he scored, tallying in the 74th minute of Germany's 4-0 quarterfinal victory over Argentina July 3, 2010 in Cape Town, South Africa. The renowned defender also represented Germany at the 2004 and 2008 UEFA European championships. In 2008, Friedrich appeared in four matches, helping his country to a runner-up finish. Capable of playing centrally or on the right side of the backline, Friedrich helped his national side to a third-place finish at the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup in Germany. Friedrich began his professional career with German Regionalliga side SC Verl, where he appeared in 31 matches from 1999-2000 before transferring to 2. Bundesliga side Arminia Bielefield the following season. Friedrich helped Die Blauen's promotion push to the Bundesliga during the first part of the 2001-02 season before transferring to Hertha Berlin that January. It was in the German capital where Friedrich made his biggest mark, going on to tally 231 league appearances and 14 goals from 2002-10. Prior to the 2002-03 Bundesliga campaign, Friedrich helped the club to the preseason DFB Ligapokal. During the 2004-05 campaign, he was named club captain, a role he held throughout the remainder of his tenure with Die Alte Dame. Following Hertha's relegation after the 2009-10 season, Friedrich transferred to VfL Wolfsburg where he appeared in 15 matches from 2010-11. In his time with the Fire, Friedrich served as a mentor to his centerback partner Austin Berry. Under the German's tutelage, Berry made 28 consecutive MLS Regular Season starts en route to 2012 MLS Rookie of the Year honors. Depending on his treatment, Friedrich is expected to return to Chicago later this summer and will be honored at an upcoming Fire home game.
Chicago Fire Tame Goonie Magic with 3-2 Comeback Victory over San Jose The Chicago Fire (6-7-3, 21 points) earned a hard-fought 3-2 comeback victory over the San Jose Earthquakes (5-8-6, 21 points) Wednesday evening at Toyota Park. Dilly Duka and Patrick Nyarko tallied for the Fire before Chris Rolfe led the Men in Red to their third consecutive MLS win with his 84th minute game-winning goal. In the 13th minute, Alex was whistled for a foul on Alan Gordon just inside the Fire's half. Sam Cronin served in the free kick that was cleared out by the Fire defense. Steven Beitashour collected the rebound and sent the ball back into the box, finding Alan Gordon at the penalty spot. Gordon headed the ball off the crossbar, pounced on his own rebound and headed the ball past Fire 'keeper Paolo Tornaghi to give the Earthquakes the lead. The Fire would pull level in the 36th minute when Bakary Soumare pushed the ball forward finding Nyarko on the left flank. Nyarko flicked the ball on for an onrushing Gonzalo Segares, who raced towards the end line and played a square ball to Duka 12-yards from goal. With his first touch, Duka popped the ball up and with the left-footed half volley, hit a bouncing ball just out of Jon Busch's reach for the equalizer. Just minutes into the second half the Fire took the lead when Segares played the ball over the top of the Earthquakes defense to Duka, who raced down the left flank to the touchline and with a quick cutback, sent Steven Beitashour sprawling and whipped in a cross to Nyarko on the penalty spot. With one touch, Nyarko fired his right-footed shot straight into the goal. Conjuring their Goonie magic, the Earthquakes equalized in the 72nd minute off of a Fire own goal. The Earthquakes sent in a corner kick, finding Jason Hernandez 10 yards from goal. Hernandez's shot took an odd skip and careened off Joel Lindpere to level the score 2-2. The Fire continued to press and in the 84th minute, Mike Magee sent a diagonal ball through the Earthquakes defense, finding Rolfe on the far post. The Kettering, Ohio native raced into the six-yard box and slotted a one-time, right-footed blast just in between Busch and the post for the game winner. The Fire return to action and host Sporting Kansas City in a match presented by Quaker on Sunday, July 7 at 2:00 p.m. CT (ESPN/La Ley 107.9). The first 7,500 fans in the stadium on Sunday will receive an Austin Berry Bobblehead. Tickets for both matches are available by calling 888-MLS-Fire or by visiting www.Chicago-Fire.com. Notes: - With the victory, the Fire move to 13-8-11 all-time in MLS regular season matches against the Earthquakes. - The Fire are now unbeaten in nine matches across all competitions. - With his assist on Chris Rolfe's 84th minute game-winning goal, forward Mike Magee has now tallied a goal or assist in eight consecutive matches across all competitions - Dilly Duka's goal in the 36th minute marked his second consecutive MLS goal for the Fire - This was the Fire's third consecutive comeback victory in MLS play - This is the Fire's 13th comeback victory since Fire head coach Frank Klopas took the reins in May 2011. - The win bumped Fire head coach Frank Klopas' record to 24-12-14 all-time in regular season matches played from June through October. Klopas' side is 7-11-5 in matches played from March through May. Quotes: Frank Klopas, Chicago Fire Head Coach On how the team performed today "I thought we played an excellent game. Regardless of the early goal, sometimes you get a little bit unlucky but that's part of the game. I thought we played good soccer. Tactically the guys followed the plan that we discussed and we talked about. We created chances, we were dangerous...It was an exciting game and again we found a way to create chances and score some goals. It was an exciting game from both sides. They left everything on the field. It was an important game for us, being at home again. It's been a tough stretch that we have to take one game at a time but starting with this one it is important to continue to play well and obviously getting the three points was big." On the team's tactical initiative "Zonally, the way San Jose defends, the one thing we talked about was looking to attack more out wide. Just looking to switch play all the time with movement from behind and if we could get moments on the switch where we could isolate Dilly [Duka] and Patrick [Nyarko] and have movement from behind to create numerical superiority, that's what we were looking to do. I thought we moved the ball well, we switched, we were dangerous, and the guys put everything on the field and worked hard. All the ideas we talked about were enforced and I give credit to the guys. They left it all on the field and played good soccer. It was exciting for the fans and the three points is huge." On what the Fire does to prevent teams like San Jose from coming back "San Jose did last year. They came back. They were up 1-0 and they came back. This is this year. The strikers that they have are a handful, they are very good in the air and you have to be very organized in the back. A lot of times, late in the game, they are a team that doesn't give up. They are very good in the air, they are very good at winning second balls, and they just seem to have that belief. They don't give up. We respect it and we talked about it, but it is never easy dealing with it in a game. Last year we gave up a late goal when they came back and scored in the 97th minute or something, but this time the team defended well all the way until the end." On the way San Jose's late personnel changes effected his planning "It was just two guys, pretty much [that we found out about late]. We knew the guys that were missing with their national teams so we knew that. Obviously with [Shea] Salinas being suspended, we found out today, so it was just basically two positions. [The plans] really didn't change. Whether you start Lenhart or Jahn or Gordon I think they are pretty similar with their ability to be very good in the air and the direct play that they like to play. Some of the personnel was different but their approach to the game wasn't going to change. So it was just one or two positions we weren't really sure of until we got the game sheet." On Dilly Duka's impressive performances in the last few games "Players need time. It doesn't happen overnight. Dilly has a lot of qualities and ability. You have seen some of the qualities that he has but right now he is doing so well. Not only his ability to make good decisions, hold the ball, and be dangerous. He is a great one-on-one player where he can beat defenders but now his ability, like the goal he scored, on the weak side making those runs, getting in position and following the play...but he's only going to get better. I think it's a matter of time to get his confidence, to get acquainted with the players, and all that cohesion that you develop. It doesn't happen overnight. You have seen the qualities that he has and now we need to keep pushing his consistency. I expect a lot bigger things from him." On Patrick leaving the game because of his hamstring "His hamstring was tight and he wanted to go a little more but we pulled him out. He didn't tweak it or anything like that but we will have a better idea in the next couple of days. When he walked off and I talked to him he seemed to feel like he didn't tweak anything but he was really tight to the point where maybe another sprint [could have made it worse]. You can see the second half he wasn't really himself when he was sprinting or with his ability to recover back. It was bothering him and I think we took him out in time. I think we will see in the next couple days." On Paolo Tornaghi's play tonight "That position is never easy, especially when you need rhythm, you need games. I thought Paolo did well. It's difficult when you don't play in a long time to step in. I thought his ability to communicate and talk to the guys and stuff [was good]. He made some good saves. I thought he was good. He's going to get better, obviously, with more minutes played. It's a difficult position when you don't have rhythm to go in and play. He's an experienced guy even with his young age and I thought he did very well. He does communicate very well with the guys in the back and I think that helps." Mike Magee, Chicago Fire forward On the result: "Our soccer hasn't been great at times, obviously we've been shooting ourselves in the foot, but we continue to get points since I've gotten here." On his player of the month award: "I'm so excited that we got this win tonight, that's all that matters. We're two points out of a playoff spot with a game in hand. I know it's too early to be counting points, but I feel like we are in control of our own destiny, so a win tonight is massive." On preparing to face Kansas City on a short rest: "We need to get our rest. Tomorrow we have off, we'll enjoy our Fourth and hit it hard preparing on Friday." Dilly Duka, Chicago Fire midfielder . On his recent play: "I feel like everything is just going well right now. In a sports career it's all about moments, it's a marathon so you have to stay positive and keep going. I feel like we're just in a good situation right now and playing confidently." On his goal and assist in tonight's game: "I think it was a goal we needed and a goal that was coming. We put a lot of pressure on them, it finally came and it was a huge relief." Chris Rolfe, Chicago Fire forward On his confidence scoring in back-to-back games: "Scoring goals is always good for an attacking player. The game against Orlando was huge for all of us. I think Dilly [Duka] had great game then also, which translated into his play tonight. He had a great game, I think Jeff [Larentowicz] played a solid game and overall I think it was probably our most complete game so far this year." Patrick Nyarko, Chicago Fire midfielder On another comeback performance: "It makes it exciting for our fans but we don't need to put ourselves in that position to have to try and comeback. We didn't mean for it to happen again, it was a broken play right in to their hands. We need to find consistency in not giving up the first goal." On Chris Rolfe and Dilly Duka's recent play: "It opens up everything for everyone because they have to worry about everyone. They can't double team because it leaves a guy open. We got a lot of chances out wide today because they're focused on everyone. If they sensed the outside was crowded they'd double team the outside, then Chris [Rolfe] and Mike [Magee] got open. We played a beautiful game today from the stand point of executing our game plan and breaking down the opponent. We just hope to keep that confidence going for everyone."
Chicago Fire Fall 2-1 to Sporting Kansas City The Chicago Fire (6-8-3, 21 points) fell 2-1 to Sporting Kansas City (8-5-6, 30 points) Sunday afternoon at Toyota Park. Sporting KC got two quick goals from Benny Feilhaber and Graham Zusi in the 6th and 8th minutes before Mike Magee's MLS-leading 11th strike of the season in the 38th minute pulled the Men in Red within one. The visitors would get on the board in just the sixth minute when Matt Besler sent a long throw-in into the Fire's penalty area. The ball took a couple deflections and fell to Feilhaber, who from just steps inside the 18-yard-box and slammed his right-footed shot off the post and into the bottom left corner to put the visitors up. Sporting KC would double the lead just two minutes later after a bending Graham Zusi shot from distance curled past Fire 'keeper Paolo Tornaghi and into the top right corner. The Men in Red would cut the lead in half in the 38th minute. From just inside Sporting KC's half, Jeff Larentowicz headed the ball forward, finding Magee 40-yards from goal. Magee turned and headed towards goal, and slipped his right footed shot from 18-yards out under Sporting KC 'keeper Jimmy Nielsen into the bottom left corner. In the 57th minute, left back Gonzalo Segares was shown his fifth yellow card of the season for a foul on Zusi. The Costa Rican will miss the Fire's next match at Vancouver Whitecaps FC on July 14. In the waning moments, midfielder Daniel Paladini was shown a straight red card in the 93rd minute for a hard tackle from behind on Dom Dwyer, forcing the Men in Red to finish the match down a man. The Fire welcome Liga MX champions Club America in an International Friendly presented by TrueCar at Toyota Park on Wednesday, July 10 at 7:30 p.m. CT (ESPN2/ESPN Deportes). Tickets for the match are available by calling 888-MLS-Fire, by visiting www.Chicago-Fire.com or Ticketmaster. The international friendly will serve as Bonus Game 1 in the Fire Season Ticket and Ten Game packages. The first 5,000 fans in the gates will receive a TrueCar car magnet. Notes: - With the loss, the Fire moved to 23-12-10 all-time against Sporting KC, and 15-4-2 in matches played at home. - Left back Gonzalo Segares will miss the Fire's next game against Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BC Place on Sunday, July 14 due to yellow card accumulation. - Also missing the Vancouver match will be Daniel Paladini, who will be serving the requisite one-game suspension for a red card. - Mike Magee's goal in the 38th minute of the match was his 11th overall this season in league play. Magee now sits tied with Marco Di Vaio for first place in the tightly-contested Golden Boot race - Major League Soccer announced Sunday that Magee has been named to the 2013 MLS All-Star Fan XI. The MLS All-Stars will face Italian giants AS Roma at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan. on Wednesday July 31 in the 2013 MLS All-Star Game at 8:00 p.m. CT (ESPN2/UniMas). Quotes: Frank Klopas, Chicago Fire Head Coach On how the team performed today "It was all in the start. We needed to have a good start to the game. It's very difficult when you fall behind that early 2-0 because on a hot day like this you have to put in a lot of energy to come back. We got the one goal, which was important, but then in the second half we got some good chances and we weren't able to come back, so obviously the start wasn't what we wanted and falling behind 2-0 made it very difficult to come back. The guys put a lot into the game but we just have to move on now and just focus on the next game, regroup, see where the guys are, and get ready to go on the road." On if the loss was due to an inexperienced keeper "He wasn't inexperienced last year when he stepped in and played so I don't look at it like that. I think it's a position where you need games and rhythm to play and things that that will happen. We just have to move on." On the first half of the season and where the team is expected to go "The start [of the season] wasn't what we wanted, but I think you can see we are right in the mix of things. The team has been playing really well and the results have showed that. Even in a game like today I think we fell behind and sometimes it's difficult, especially on a hot day like this [to come back]. There are a lot of games left to play and you can see when you put two three games together when you can have some success, and get points, then you are right there in the mix of things and I feel it's going to come all the way to the end. There are a lot of games left to play. Obviously this was tough, being at home with a great crowd behind us, but we weren't going to go undefeated the whole season so we just have to regroup and go on another run like we did." On giving up goals on second balls and set pieces "I think before the ball goes out we have opportunities to stop plays. [We could] maybe make better decisions with the ball, but when you do give it up everybody has to focus and concentrate and just stick with their assignments. Sometimes in a game, [mistakes] happen, Zusi tries to cross the ball and it goes upper 90. For sure that is an area as a team [we can work on]. It's always difficult coming back. We talk about it, but now we have to make sure that we do have better starts to games where we don't fall behind. That's something we have to keep working on and talking about. Also [we need to start] going out there with the mentality to start the game from the beginning." Austin Berry, Chicago Fire defender On allowing set piece goals: "We need to have the mentality of being the first to challenge for the ball and not let it bounce and sticking with your marks - that's just not for the first ball, but the second ball, too, and clearing it out. The older guys and leaders need to make sure everyone is ready to go, and I think we were. We just weren't tight enough, just not sharp enough for the first 10 minutes." Paolo Tornaghi, Chicago Fire goalkeeper On why the team has started games so poorly: "That's the million dollar question, I don't know. That's a tough question to answer. We come out hoping for a good start and a good result. In recent games we're giving up too much in the beginning and trying to comeback. Last game we did, but of course today it was a lot harder." On the benefits of playing more: "Today I felt a lot better than I did in the game before. The game in the beginning I was a little nervous because it had been several games since the last time I played, but now I'm rolling and it will get better game after game." Mike Magee, Chicago Fire forward On lack time of possession: "I wish I knew why [the Fire had such a small time of possession]. I think we felt the game was tied or we were winning, we were just going to sit back and be content. Unfortunately we were down 2-1, so it wasn't a very good game plan." On coming back from being down two goals: "It's déjàvu. We've been saying it after every game that eventually it was going to catch up to us. Obviously tonight it did." On his All-Star selection: "I'm still fuming over the game today. Yesterday I really wanted it, but today all I'm thinking about is how badly this loss feels at home in front of our biggest crowd that we've had since I've been here. We literally laid down."
Chicago Fire Fall 3-1 to Vancouver Whitecaps FC The Chicago Fire (6-9-3, 21 points) fell 3-1 to Vancouver Whitecaps FC (9-5-5, 32 points) at BC Place Sunday afternoon. After a scoreless first half, the Whitecaps' Camilo Sanvezzo scored two goals in five minutes and Whitecaps rookie Kekuta Manneh tallied an 84th minute strike before Patrick Nyarko pulled one back for the Fire in second half stoppage time. In the fourth minute of the match, Mike Magee received the ball inside the Whitecaps half and sent a long, looping cross to Chris Rolfe inside the 18-yard-box. Rolfe took a touch to settle and with a quick turn, unleashed a left-footed half-volley onto frame but Whitecaps 'keeper Brad Knighton was able to push it away. The two sides would trade chances and in the 41st minute the ball fell to Kenny Miller 25 yards from goal but his left-footed volley went just wide. Miller would again get a good look on goal just minutes into the second half. The Whitecaps captain received the ball at the top of the arc and nailed his right-footed shot off the right post. The home side would open scoring in the 66th minute when Knighton sent the ball downfield to Camilo. The Brazilian danced in towards goal and with a quick, right-footed shot, sent the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal. The Whitecaps would double their lead in the 71st minute when Knighton again found Camilo, who broke in towards goal. Paolo Tornaghi got down and was able to push to ball off his foot, but the Brazilian striker regained the ball and tucked his driven, right-footed shot inside the post to double the lead. In the 84th minute Manneh would make it 3-0 for the home side. Nyarko blocked his initial shot but Manneh was able to recover and tucked his right-footed shot inside the near post. Nyarko would tally the Fire's lone goal of the evening in the 94th minute. From the left flank, Joel Lindpere lofted his cross to Maicon Santos in front of goal. Santos' header clanged off the post and fell again to Lindpere, whose cross found Nyarko seven yards out. Nyarko out jumped his defender and sent a looping header just out of Knighton's reach as the match ended 3-1. The Fire return to action when they host D.C. United at Toyota Park on Saturday, July 20 at 7:30 p.m. CT (My50/La Ley 107.9). Tickets for the match are available at www.Chicago-Fire.com or by calling 1-888-MLS-FIRE. Notes: - With the result, the Fire move to 1-2-1 all-time in MLS Regular Season matches against the Whitecaps - Fire defender Shaun Francis made his first competitive appearance for the Fire since joining the club on Wednesday, July 10. The Jamaican international started at left back in place of Gonzalo Segares, who was serving a one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation. - Nyarko's goal in the 94th minute was his third goal of the 2013 MLS campaign - Lindpere's assist on Nyarko's goal was his third helper of the 2013 season Quotes: Frank Klopas, Chicago Fire Head Coach Thoughts on the match "I felt that we had a good start to the game and for 45 minutes we had a lot of good opportunities in the final third that I think we should have taken advantage of but the second half was different. In a game like this it's disappointing for us with I think the way we played and the chances we had in the first half not to walk away with points from here but the game is 90 minutes and I felt that little things in the second half, just seconds balls and those things that kind of turned the game their way and they were able to put their chances away." On how the team will respond to losing two successive matches: "It's important how you respond from situations like this. We have a tough stretch coming up right now, we have away games and we need to find a way to get results and points. It's a crucial month and a half with a lot of important games coming up so we need to get points or we're going to fall behind." On losing two goals in quick succession: "It's always difficult when you fall behind. The important thing is just getting the next one but three behind makes it a little more difficult. When it's two you can get that one back; the pressure changes. We let things slip away from us." Shaun Francis, Chicago Fire Defender On Chicago not taking their chances early on: "It was an away game so we all knew that they were going to come out and put a lot of pressure on us at home. We weathered the storm and we did a good job in the first half and kept it at 0-0. We got a couple of chances and we didn't make use of our chances." On his team making mistakes: "The game is all about mistakes and who makes the most mistakes and the other team's going to capitalize on those chances. They capitalized on their chances and scored." Patrick Nyarko, Chicago Fire Midfielder On his goal: "It came out, we were trying to push at that time, it set up perfectly and I went up to get it." On recovering from two goals in five minutes: "It's hard, it was definitely hard. I think we let our foot off the gas a little bit for a couple minutes and they punished us and that decided the game. On outplaying Whitecaps FC in the first half: "Absolutely, I think we deserved a better result. When you play like that and you end up losing like this it hurts but we shot ourselves in the foot but we got to go back to the drawing board and figure out the mistakes we made." Mike Magee, Chicago Fire Forward On why Chicago lost the match: "We were good in spurts today, obviously we weren't good with our attacking chances and they made the most of theirs. The fans are great, it's a great atmosphere, the field is definitely not easy to get used to. But yeah, obviously they're a quality team." On having several chances either blocked or saved: "It just wasn't my day, I tried my best and sometimes they don't go in." Joel Lindpere, Chicago Fire Midfielder On his contributions as a substitute: "I tried to play smart, especially when you play away you got to keep the ball and give good passes to your teammates. I think I went in and did good, and did what I'm supposed to do: keep the ball, play good passes to my teammates and got an assist. I had two chances to score myself also, but I was happy I got a chance to play in the middle." On Vancouver's home-field advantage: "We played a great first half, but for us it doesn't matter if we're playing on turf or grass, I mean we played a very good first half, we had to realize in the second half a lot of our players didn't have the legs after spending so much time attacking in the first. We should've played a little smarter, kept possession for a little while, hold back and play smarter." On the effects of the midweek friendly versus Club America: "I played 60 minutes in that match and I would love to play 90 minutes normally. We've had a couple of practices since then and I've been feeling good so hopefully I get more minutes in these upcoming games. I was hoping to play even more today, it's not my decision but I'm ready to step in each game as necessary. Hopefully we bounce back at home next week, it's a crucial end of the month, we have a cup semifinal at home coming up, we need to get our confidence back after these two straight losses."
Chicago Fire Burn D.C. United with 4-1 Victory The Chicago Fire (7-9-3, 24 points) defeated long-time Eastern Conference foes D.C. United (2-14-4, 10 points) 4-1 Saturday evening at Toyota Park. Chris Rolfe's brace and Joel Lindpere's one goal, two assist performance led the Fire to victory. The Fire would open scoring just two minutes into the match when Mike Magee found Lindpere just inside the Fire's half. The Estonian international dribbled down the left flank and played a perfectly weighted ball in the air to Rolfe just outside the 18-yard-box. Without letting the ball bounce, Rolfe's leaped into the air and sent his right-footed volley over D.C. United 'keeper Joe Willis to give the Fire the early lead. The Men in Red would double their lead in the 11th minute when Jeff Larentowicz received the ball a few yards inside D.C.'s half and raced towards goal. With a quick cutback, Larentowicz nutmegged Daniel Woolard and found Lindpere at the top of the penalty box. Lindpere took a touch to settle and blasted his left-footed shot in the center of the goal. Rolfe completed his brace one minute into first half stoppage time when Lindpere played a perfectly-weighted ball over the top of the United defense. Rolfe raced in towards goal and tucked his left-footed shot past Willis for his second goal of the night. In the 55th minute, second half substitute Quincy Amarikwa received the ball and raced towards goal before getting hauled down in the box by Woolard. Magee stepped up for the ensuing penalty kick and drove his right-footed shot right down the center to give the Fire the 4-0 lead. The visitors would get on the board in the 58th minute when Perry Kitchen played a ball through traffic to Luis Silva 30-yards from goal. Silva took two touches to settle the ball and blasted his right-footed shot from distance past a diving Tornaghi to spoil the clean sheet. The Fire return to action when they head to the Lone Star State to take on the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday, July 27 at 8:00 p.m. CT (NBC Sports Network/ La Ley 107.9).
New Chicago Fire DP Juan Luis Anangono available for selection, but will have to play his way into lineup BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. – The Chicago Fire are a much different team than the one that lost to Philadelphia twice in a row back in May, and they may add another piece to bolster the side this weekend when the teams meet for the third time (8 pm ET, watch on MLS Live). Juan Luis Anangonó will be available for selection on Saturday after securing his P1 visa and ITC this week, but that doesn't mean the newly acquired Designated Player will start right away, coach Frank Klopas said. “It's just a matter now getting his fitness and getting used to his teammates,” Klopas said, adding that Anangonó's hamstring has been tight after the coaching staff pushed him hard in training. http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...nangono-available-selection-will-have-play-hi
Chicago Fire Earn Hard-Fought 2-1 Road Victory against Philadelphia The Chicago Fire (8-9-4, 28 points) defeated the Philadelphia Union (9-7-7, 34 points) 2-1 Saturday evening at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. Patrick Nyarko opened scoring in the 9th minute before the Union's Sheanon Williams found the equalizer in the 60th minute. Fresh off an appearance at the 2013 AT&T MLS All-Star Game, Fire forward Mike Magee tallied his league-leading 14th goal of the season in the 75th minute to give the Fire the full three points on the road. With the quick turnaround, the Fire host D.C. United at Toyota Park in the semifinal round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, Aug. 7 at 7:30 p.m. CT. Advance tickets for the match are available by calling 888-MLS-Fire, by visiting www.Chicago-Fire.com or Ticketmaster. Parking will be free to all Fire fans who attend. The Fire will also be discounting hot dogs to just two dollars.
In Uruguay's Arevalo Rios, Chicago Fire ink dynamic central midfield Designated Player BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. – A picture of a Chicago Fire jersey with the name “Cacha” appeared on the Internet on Wednesday evening as rumors about the Fire signing Arévalo Ríos, known as “El Cacha,” picked up. The Uruguayan national team midfielder, who was under contract with Palermo, had plenty of options to play in Europe and Mexico, but he made it clear that coming to Chicago was his top option. Complications held off the deal until Wednesday night, but when he tweeted the picture of the jersey that Fire assistant coach Leo Percovich sent him shortly after he played in the Confederations Cup, the Fire could finally breathe easy. http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...ire-ink-dynamic-central-midfield-designated-p
Chicago Fire Quell Montreal Impact 2-1 Two teams with very different midweek, non-league results met on Saturday, but it was the Chicago Fire who came out on top at Toyota Park, using two first-half goals to get past the Montreal Impact 2-1. After a heartbreaking US Open cup loss to DC United, Chicago bounced back via goals from Joel Lindpere and Dilly Duka while Montreal, which knocked off San Jose in Champions League play on Wednesday, got a consolation goal from Felipe. Each team started a slightly abridged lineup in their third game in eight days, and Chicago's took an early edge. The Fire took a sixth-minute lead when Lindpere's shot from just outside the penalty area deflected off of forward Daniele Paponi to beat Troy Perkins to the near post. In the 23rd minute, some suspect defending and a persistent effort from Dilly Duka gave the Fire a 2-0 lead. Duka gathered the ball 40 yards away from goal and dribbled to the corner of the box, where the ball was poked away and deflected back to Duka, who found the lower corner. Montreal almost equalized in the 39th minute -- when Sanna Nyassi dribbled down the left side of the field and crossed to Paponi, who laid it off to a wide open Justin Mapp -- but Sean Johnson made a sprawling kick save to keep the shutout alive. In the 55th minute, Montreal coach Marco Schallibaum rotated in Felipe and forward Marco Di Vaio, and the Impact began to show attacking life. Felipe made his presence felt almost immediately, scoring from just outside the penalty area in the 57th minute when he placed a one-timed, left-footed shot into the lower corner. The Brazilian nearly equalized in the 84th minute, when Paponi found him just outside the six-yard box, but defender Austin Berry was able to block his attempt. Montreal looked to have equalized in stoppage time, but Matteo Ferrari's header off of a corner kick was cleared off the line by near-post defender Chris Rolfe. In their 22nd game, the Fire hit the .500 mark for the first time this season. They'll head to New England next week, where they may have a chance to squeak into an Eastern Conference playoff spot. The Impact have just one win in their last eight and slipped into fourth place in the Eastern Conference. They'll try to correct their path when they host D.C. United next weekend.
Match Recap: Chicago Fire 1, Sporting Kansas City 0 Jumper bags his first MLS goal as the Fire go on to beat Sporting Kansas City BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. – Sporting Kansas City out-passed and out-possessed the Chicago Fire on Friday, but Hunter Jumper's first career goal in the 13th minute, a diving header into an open net, was all Chicago needed in a 1-0 win. After Jumper's goal, the Fire held tight for their first shutout in their last 15 competitive matches. Sporting held the ball for 59 percent of the game and completed 80 percent of their passes to the Fire's 65, but the Eastern Conference frontrunners weren't able to put the ball in the back of the net in their fourth loss in five games. In the 13th minute, Mike Magee tipped a Jalil Anibaba cross across the goal to Jumper – making his first start at center back – who scored in an open net by diving for a header with the ball just a few inches above the ground. http://www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2013-08-23-CHI-v-SKC/recap
Chicago Fire Fall 2-1 to Seattle Sounders FC in High-Paced Affair In a game that had "draw" written all over it, an 89th-minute own goal by Gonzalo Segares proved to be the deciding score as the Seattle Sounders eked past the Chicago Fire 2-1 Saturday night at CenturyLink Field. The two teams traded first-half goals and weren't generating many chances in the second half. But in the waning minutes of regulation, Lamar Neagle gave a leading pass to Zach Scott, who was streaking in on the left side. Scott's centering ball failed to find its intended target, Andy Rose, but it hit off Segares and found the back of the net. Neagle had also scored the Sounders' first goal. It was a tough pill to swallow for the Fire, who had gone 4-1-2 in their past seven and were closing in on the fifth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Fire had grabbed an early lead on Mike Magee's league-leading 15th goal and were able to preserve it a bit longer after Sean Johnson saved an Osvaldo Alonso penalty. Magee's 26th minute goal came off a feed from Dilly Duka, as he slotted it past Michael Gspurning. The goal also ended the Sounders' season-long 316-minute shutout streak and marked the first goal they had allowed at home since July 28. That made up for an earlier chance from Chris Rolfe, who got an open look inside the penalty are in the sixth minute that Gspurning was able to save. The Sounders had a golden opportunity to tie the score just a few minutes later when Bakary Soumare was whistled for a hand ball in the penalty area off a Mauro Rosales corner kick. But Johnson made the correct choice on Alonso's penalty attempt, diving to his right to make the save on the well struck kick. The Sounders had not missed a penalty since 2011. Johnson has now made five penalty saves in his career, but this was his first of 2013. The Sounders finally broke through in the 40th minute on Neagle's seventh goal of the season. Obafemi Martins -- making his first appearance since Aug. 10 -- was able to control the ball and then split a pair of defenders before switching the field to Rosales, who took a couple dribbles and floated in a cross to the far post. Johnson came off his line to clear it, but couldn't get it past Marc Burch, who then was able to find an open Neagle in front of the goal. The Sounders (14-8-4) now occupy the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference, two points behind Real Salt Lake with two games still in hand, setting up a top-of-the-table matchup with RSL on Friday.. The Fire (10-11-5) remain two points behind the Houston Dynamo for the No. 5 spot in the East. Chicago next heads to Canada on Wednesday night to take on Toronto FC.
VOTE: Final three of #cf97ThirdKit revealed cast your ballot through September 20 The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced Monday that the Chicago Fire and The Quaker Oats Company, a subsidiary of PepsiCo, Inc., have chosen the final three designs for the #cf97ThirdKit design contest. The club partnered with iconic jersey sponsor The Quaker Oats Company to launch the #cf97ThirdKit design contest, asking Fire supporters to submit designs for the jersey the Fire plans to unveil at the club’s Anniversary game in 2014. The club, along with Quaker Oats selected the five best entries, which through a fan vote on www.Chicago-Fire.com, were narrowed down to the final three designs. http://www.chicago-fire.com/cf97thirdkit
Chicago Fire Earn 3-2 Victory over New England Revolution The New England Revolution had a chance to take a commanding position in the playoff race on Saturday, but the Chicago Fire stole their top-five spot away in a 3-2 win. Alex's 86th -minute strike put the Fire in a tie for fifth place, the first time they've occupied a playoff spot all season. New England took the lead twice in the first half, courtesy of goals from Kelyn Rowe and Saer Sene, but goals from Juan Luis Anangono and Mike Magee erased both. Rowe bagged his fifth goal in as many weeks when his looping shot from 25 yards found its way over Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson and into the back of the net to open the scoring. Five minutes later, Juan Luis AnangonÃ" had a chance to equalize when Nyarko found him on the right side of the penaly area, but his shot was saved. AnangonÃ" wouldn't be denied in the 30th minute when Joel Lindpere found him at the edge of the penalty area, as his shot beat Revs defender Jose Goncalves and goalkeper Bobby Shuttlesworth. Moments after the Fire were left irate that a penalty wasn't called when Patrick Nyarko went down in the box "" while the Revolution were equally angry that no card was given for a dive, New England grabbed the lead again. The Revs' second goal arrived when Dimitry Imbongo found Saer Sene with a through pass on the left side of the box, and the Senegalese striker's left-footed shot beat Johnson. Chicago received a lucky break early in the second half, when Sene looked as if he had given New England a two-goal lead when he scored after Kelyn Rowe found him at the top of the penalty area. He was called offside, but the replay showed that the assistant referee may have been wrong. The Fire soon took advantage of the break. Patrick Nyarko found Mike Magee at the right side of the penalty area on a give-and-go, and the league's second-leading goalscorer notched his 16th of the season, though there was further controversy as AnangonÃ" appeared to return from an offsides position and interfere with New England defender José Gonçalves to set up the strike. Rowe almost scored a second, but his header was saved by an outstretched, diving Sean Johnson in the 83rd minute. In the 86th minute, a Chicago corner kick was half-cleared by New England, and Alex collected at the top of the Revs box before stroking a low shot through a crowd of bodies and into the lower corner of the goal. Chicago play Columbus next weekend, when they make up their game-in-hand on Philadelphia, with whom they're tied for fifth. New England are now two points behind Chicago and sit in seventh. They'll try to climb back into a playoff spot when they host D.C. United next weekend.
Ten Man Chicago Fire Fall 3-0 at Columbus Crew Saturday Night The Chicago Fire (11-12-6, 39 points) fell 3-0 at the Columbus Crew (11-14-5; 38 points) Saturday night at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Despite early dominance, it was the home side took the lead through Dominic Oduro in the 15th minute. The Fire were dealt an additional blow in the 29th minute as defender Bakary Soumare was shown a red card for a tackle on Crew forward Jairo Arrieta. Down a man, the visitors didn't relent and nearly equalized through Juan Luis Anangono's header off the cross bar in the 37th minute. The Fire continued to look for an equalizer in the second half only to see a Federico Higuain penalty kick make it 2-0 in the 70th minute before Bernardo Anor made it 3-0 six minutes later. The visitors continued to attack and came close once again when Chris Rolfe's deflected shot came off the post in the 79th but in the end couldn't convert after playing down a man for 61 minutes. The Fire reserves take on the Columbus Crew Sunday, Sept. 22 at 9:00am CT at Obetz Training Facility while the first team returns return to action when they welcome the Montreal Impact to Toyota Park on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 7:30pm CT (My50/La Ley 107.9 FM).
Chicago Fire Defeat D.C. United 3-0 for Three Valuable Road Points Fighting for a postseason spot in a crowded Eastern Conference, the Chicago Fire started the season's final month off well with a 3-0 victory over D.C. United on Friday at RFK Stadium. The win, thanks in large part to a sterling effort by Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson, pushed Chicago (12-12-7, 43 points) into the Eastern Conference's fifth and final playoff spot, one point ahead of the Philadelphia Union and two ahead of both the New England Revolution and Columbus Crew. Last-place United, meanwhile, saw their league winless streak reach nine matches (0-7-2) in their first effort following Tuesday's emotional US Open Cup final victory against Real Salt Lake. Chicago captain Jeff Larentowicz and defender Bakary Soumare both scored in the first half and Quincy Amarikwa added a late tally to help the Fire to their second win in their previous seven games. Chicago swept D.C. (3-22-6, 15 points) this year, winning the three matches between the two clubs by a combined score of 9-1. United did, however, eliminate the Fire from the Open Cup with a 2-0 win in August. Johnson was busy early and often. He started by denying D.C. forward Conor Doyle on two occasions, one a diving effort. In the 29th minute, United midfielder Nick DeLeon sprung free and blasted a ball from close range that Johnson sprawled out to stop. Perhaps no save was better than Johnson's remarkable recovery effort in the 60th minute. He dove to deflect a cross into the penalty box by Dwayne De Rosario, but the rebound rolled directly to DeLeon. Just as DeLeon struck the ball, Johnson sprung to his feet and deflected it away. He again denied DeLeon, this time on a well-hit right-footed shot, in the 76th. In total, Chicago's athletic 'keeper made eight saves on the evening to record his fifth clean sheet of the year. The Fire, who won for the third time on the road this season, absorbed United's early pressure and opened the scoring in the 24th minute. On the near side of the 18-yard box, Juan Luis Anangono beat James Riley and then beat Daniel Woolard with a nimble cutback before slotting the ball to Larentowicz, who slipped it past United goalkeeper Joe Willis from a tight angle. The goal was Larentowicz's second of the season. Two minutes later, the Fire significantly quieted the raucous home crowd when center back Bakary Soumare blasted home a loose ball after Willis was drawn out of the goalmouth by a long free kick. The goal was Soumare's first of the year. Amarikwa came off the bench to ice the result with a diving header off a nifty cross from Dilly Duka in the 89th minute. Sporting a mix-and-match lineup in his team's third game in eight days, United coach Ben Olsen started Perry Kitchen and Sainey Nyassi on the back line for the first time this season and gave Homegrown rookie Collin Martin the nod at left midfield. United's John Thorrington left the match in the 41st minute after he injured his calf upon colliding with Anangogo. Chris Pontius entered in his place. Chicago will travel to Dallas next Saturday, while United host Philadelphia.
Re: Chicago Fire Defeat D.C. United 3-0 for Three Valuable Road Points Chicago Fire unveil new "Heart on Your Sleeve" fan-designed third kit for 2014 In July, the Chicago Fire were the latest team to hand the design process for their third kit over to the fans, and we must say the results are looking pretty slick. On Tuesday evening, the Fire revealed the winner of their #cf97ThirdKit design contest, as voted on by fans. Chicago architect Freddy Christiano claimed the honors with his municipal-themed "Heart on your Sleeve" design, a simple design that draws heavily upon the the white/sky blue stripes and red stars of the Chicago city flag. http://www.mlssoccer.com/sideline/n...our-sleeve-fan-designed-third-kit-2014-sideli
Chicago Fire Defeat Toronto FC 1-0 The Chicago Fire (14-12-7, 49 points) defeated Toronto FC (5-17-11, 26 points) 1-0 Saturday evening at Toyota Park. Mike Magee converted a penalty kick in the 64th minute to lead the Men in Red to victory. With the result the Fire moved to fourth place in the Eastern Conference. The Men in Red next head to the Big Apple to take on the New York Red Bulls on Sunday, Oct. 27 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ at 4:00 p.m. CT (My50/TWCSC Wisconsin/La Ley 107.9) for the regular season finale.
Re: Chicago Fire Defeat Toronto FC 1-0 Chicago Fire part ways with head coach Frank Klopas, president of soccer ops Javier Leon The Chicago Fire announced on Wednesday that head coach Frank Klopas and president of soccer operations Javier Leon have stepped down effective immediately. The club will begin the search for their replacements, but no timetable has been set for the new appointments, according to a statement posted on the Fire's official site. Chicago finished the 2013 season with a 14-13-7 record, overcoming a rough 2-7-1 start to surge back into postseason contention under the influence of May acquisitions Mike Magee and Bakary Soumare. http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...ch-frank-klopas-president-soccer-ops-javier-l
Fire Hire Frank Yallop Two-time MLS Cup Champion and MLS Coach of the Year to Lead Men in Red CHICAGO, Ill. (October 31, 2013) *– The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced Thursday that Frank Yallop has been named its new head coach and director of soccer. The Watford, England native and former Canadian international defender has won two MLS Cup Championships as a coach, and has twice been named MLS Coach of the Year. “In this league it’s all about competing and winning at a consistent level,” said Chicago Fire owner Andrew Hauptman. “Frank is a proven winner with a tremendous soccer pedigree as both a player and as a coach. He has won at the MLS level and coached on the interational stage. I look forward to him bringing his expertise to Chicago, not to mention a championship, as he has done in the past.” http://www.chicago-fire.com/news/20...ank-yallop-new-head-coach-and-director-soccer
Chicago Fire forward Mike Magee voted 2013 Volkswagen MLS Most Valuable Player Magee came to the Fire in a trade on May 25 from the LA Galaxy. In 22 games with the Men in Red, Magee scored 15 goals and tallied four assists. Prior to joining the Fire, Magee scored six goals with the LA Galaxy, bringing his season total to 21 goals, just one shy of Vancouver Whitecaps FC forward Camilo Sanvezzo, the 2013 MLS Golden Boot winner. Magee’s previous season-high was seven goals scored in his 2003 rookie season with the MetroStars. The eleven-year MLS veteran earned his first career MLS All-Star nomination when he was named to the 2013 MLS All-Star Fan XI and faced Italian Serie A side AS Roma in July. Magee was recently named to his first career MLS Best XI. http://www.chicago-fire.com/news/20...ins-2013-volkswagen-mls-most-valuable-player-
