Windy City Soccer

Fire Down Real España in the Big Easy

Sat, 4 Feb 2012 20:54:57 -0500

Chicago Fire 3-1 Real España

by Dan Gaichas

NEW ORLEANS, LA--The Fire extended their preseason record to 2-0-1 with a 3-1 win over Honduran side Real España at Tad Gormley Stadium in New Orleans.

The Fire opened the scoring in the 26th minute when Sebastien Grazzini intercepted a pass and threaded a pass to Dominic Oduro who beat Real goalkeeper Kevin Hernandez. The Honduran side equalized in the 38th minute as Edder Gonzales headed in Jairo Puerto’s free kick over the head of Jay Nolly. Nolly was the only Fire player to play all 90 minutes in this match.

The Fire regained the lead a minute before halftime when former Fire player and current trialist Ivan Guerrero lofted a ball to Patrick Nyarko who slotted the ball to Oduro in behind the España defense and then around Hernandez to restore the Fire’s advantage. The Fire had a chance to make it 3-1 before the break when they were given a penalty after Oduro was taken down in the box, but Federico Puppo’s chipped shot missed the net.

Ten changes were made by the Fire to start the second half. Three of those changes, Michael Videira, Victor Pineda, and Orr Barouch combined for the final goal of the evening in the 88th minute. Videira slotted Pineda into the box who then fed Barouch to seal things for the Fire.

The Fire will return to Chicago on Sunday for three days before beginning phase two of their preseason in Ventura, CA. Their next preseason match will be next Saturday against Chivas USA.

CHICAGO FIRE: Jay Nolly; Dan Gargan, Jalil Anibaba, Austin Berry, Ivan Guerrero*; Patrick Nyarko, Pavel Pardo, Marco Pappa; Sebastian Grazzini (Alex*, 41); Dominic Oduro, Federico Puppo

Second Half: Jay Nolly; Tony Walls**, Pari Pantazopoulos, Kwame Watson-Siriboe, Hunter Jumper**; Victor Pineda, Daniel Paladini, Corben Bone; Alex* (Michael Videira, 76); Kheli Dube (Kellen Gulley 82), Orr Barouch

Substitutes not used: Alec Kann*, Paulo Tornaghi*, Cory Gibbs
* - Trialist
** - MLS SuperDraft/Supplemental Draft selection

REAL CD ESPAÑA: Kevin Hernandez (Marcelo Macias, 46); Maynor Martinez, Sergio Boca, Daniel Tejeda, David Roura; Juan Acevedo, Edder Delgado (Henry Acosta, 57), Julio Rodriguez, Jairo Puerto (Gerson Rodas, 46’); Luis Lobo, Jonatan Hansen

Substitutes not used: Hilder Colon, Christian Martinez, Carlos Pavon, Johnny Calderon

SCORING SUMMARY CHI – Dominic Oduro (Sebastian Grazzini) 26
RCDE – Edder Delgado (Jairo Puerto) 38
CHI – Dominic Oduro (Patrick Nyarko) 44
CHI – Orr Barouch (Victor Pineda) 88

BOOKING SUMMARY
CHI – Patrick Nyarko (caution) 21
CHI – Pari Pantazopoulos (caution) 80

Referee: Jasen Anno
Referee’s Assistants: Greg Boles, Jeff Greason
Attendance: 6,234

Fire Defeat Florida Gulf Coast in Friendly

Wed, 1 Feb 2012 22:22:29 -0500

Chicago Fire 3-0 Florida Gulf Coast

by Dan Gaichas

AVE MARIA, FL--The Chicago Fire were easy 3-0 winners over Florida Gulf Coast University in a preseason friendly in Ave Maria, FL. The match was played in 3 30-minute periods with a different XI for the Fire each period.

Marco Pappa opened the scoring for the Fire in the 7th minute after poking in a rebound after Federico Puppo’s initial shot was saved by keeper Nathan Ingham. The lead was doubled in the 21st minute after Pappa fed Dominic Oduro for that shot that Ingham got a piece of, but was unable to keep out of the net.

Orr Barouch concluded the scoring at the hour mark tapping in a corner from Corben Bone.

Marco Pappa and Federico Puppo saw their first action for the Fire in this match. Logan Pause did not play as he flew home to be with his wife who gave birth to their first child on Tuesday night. Pause and goalkeeper Sean Johnson (US national team duty) will rejoin the team in Phase II of preseason in Ventura, CA.

The Fire’s next preseason friendly will be on Saturday in New Orleans as they take on Real Espana of Honduras.

Mexico to Play Bosnia in Soldier Field Friendly

Wed, 1 Feb 2012 20:09:20 -0500

El Tri sets friendlies prior to World Cup qualifying.

by Dan Gaichas

NEW YORK, NY--The Mexican national team will take on Bosnia-Herzegovina at Soldier Field on Thursday, May 31st at 8pm. This will be four days after the Mexicans take on Wales at Met Life Stadium in East Rutheford, NJ.

Bosnia-Herzegovina currently ranks 19th in the FIFA World Rankings and just missed out on a place in Euro 2012 losing a playoff to Portugal. Featured players include Edin Dzeko of Manchester City and Emir Spahic of Sevilla of Spain.

Bosnia-Herzegovina and Mexico last played each other last year in Atlanta with the Mexicans winning, 2-0. Mexico begins World Cup qualifying on June 8th and are in Group B with Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Guyana.

Fire Trade Conde Rights to New York

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:20:36 -0500

Defender fills Red Bulls void left by Tim Ream.

by Dan Gaichas

AVE MARIA, FL--The Chicago Fire traded the first refusal rights to defender Wilman Conde to the New York Red Bulls in exchange for allocation money. The Fire had held that right after protected the Colombian defender in the 2010 Expansion Draft.

“The club is pleased with the talent we’ve assembled,” said Fire head coach Frank Klopas. “We reviewed the situation and wanted to support Wilman’s return to MLS. The allocation money we received in return will help us continue to build our team.”

Conde played with the Fire between 2007 and 2010 scoring four goals and four assists in 77 appearances for the Fire. In January 2011, Conde signed with Mexican side Atlas.

With Tim Ream moving to Bolton Wanderers of the English Premier League, the Red Bulls went to fill the void by signing Conde.

Fire Sign Kheli Dube

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:17:51 -0500

Fire’s sole pick from Re-Entry Draft.

by Dan Gaichas

BRIDGEVIEW, IL--The Chicago Fire have signed their Re-Entry Draft pick forward Kheli Dube. Dube, 28, last played for the New England Revolution for four seasons before being let go after last season. Fire selected Dube in the Re-Entry Draft back on December 12th.

“Kheli has been an offensive threat since he came into the league,” said Chicago Fire head coach Frank Klopas. “He’s a gritty, hard working forward that plays for the badge. Since joining us in preseason Kheli has shown his desire to be part of our club.

Dube is the fifth player that the Fire have added this offseason excluding Super and Supplemental Draft picks: goalkeeper Jay Nolly, midfielder Rafael Robayo, forward Federico Puppo, and open tryout winner Fabrizio Pittaluga.

Pardo Re-Signs with Fire

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:27:17 -0500

Mexican international midfielder returns for 2012.

by Dan Gaichas

BRIDGEVIEW, IL--The Chicago Fire have re-signed midfielder Pavel Pardo after he was key in turning around the Fire’s season in 2011. Per league policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

“Pavel helped kick-start our turnaround at the end of last season,” said Chicago Fire head coach Frank Klopas. “He provides tremendous experience for us in the middle of the park, serves as a great example for our younger players and plays for the badge every time he steps on the field.”

Pardo, 35, played in 14 matches for the Fire scoring a goal and five assists while helping the Fire finish 7-2-1 in the last ten league matches of the 2011 season.

“I’m very happy to be back with the Fire,” Pardo told Chicago-Fire.com upon his arrival to Toyota Park Wednesday. “It’s an exciting time to come back in, start preseason and push towards a successful year.

“I’m starting with the team from the beginning of the year which I think is so important to how we develop as a group. I know the club well, I know my teammates and I think we have a great base heading into 2012 because we had so many new players last year. This season there will be less new faces and we’ll be starting off on a much stronger foot.”

Pardo and the rest of his Fire teammates will head to Ave Maria, FL to begin preseason training on Friday.

In other news, the Fire and new shirt sponsor Quaker Oats will showcase the new Fire jerseys on Thursday at Quaker Plaza (555 W. Monroe) from 2:45-4:00. Select Fire players and owner Andrew Hauptman are expected to attend along with Quaker executives and employees. The shirts go on sale at www.chicago-fire.com on Thursday at 9am.

Quaker Oats Becomes Fire’s New Shirt Sponsor

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:05:59 -0500

Local Pepsi subsidiary signs multiyear deal with club.

by Dan Gaichas

BRIDGEVIEW, IL--The Chicago Fire have a shirt sponsor for the 2012 season and it is a local brand. Quaker Oats have signed a multiyear deal with the club to become the shirt sponsor starting this coming season. The new shirts (as displayed on our front page) were unveiled on Tuesday and go on sale to the general public starting Thursday.

The home shirt is red with a dark blue stripe with the Quaker logo across the middle while the change strip (away) with dark blue with thin horizontal pinstripes that include the four stars of the Chicago flag along the way. The away shirts have been white since the club’s inception in 1998.

“It’s an honor to partner with a trusted Chicago-based brand like Quaker Oats that shares the same sense of community as the Chicago Fire,” said Chicago Fire owner Andrew Hauptman. “As a sports team, we know the importance of staying active, eating right and hope to inspire others to do the same. Our players are incredibly proud to don the Quaker name as they hit the field during the 2012 season.”

In addition to sponsoring the shirt, Quaker will also be the title sponsor for the Chicago Fire Juniors teams as well as have a “Quaker corner” at Toyota Park where fans can enjoy Quaker products in addition to a great view of the matches.

Quaker also becomes the official Breakfast Foods & Nutritious Snack Partner of the Chicago Fire as well as have a greater presence during the MLS All-Star Game, First Kick, and MLS Cup.

“Quaker Oats has been providing nourishing breakfasts and snacks to families for more than a century. This partnership exemplifies our commitment to promoting a healthy, active lifestyle,” said Jose Luis Prado, President, Quaker Foods and Snacks North America. “We are excited to work with the Chicago Fire to make a positive impact in the community and across the country.”

The Fire were without a shirt sponsor in 2011 after Best Buy ended their three-year partnership with the Fire after the previous season. According to Crain’s Chicago Business, the deal with Quaker could be worth up to $8 million over three years though both the club and Quaker declined to discuss specific terms.

Fire Pick Four in Supplemental Draft

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:51:07 -0500

Fire pick one of each position in Supplemental Draft.

by Dan Gaichas

BRIDGEVIEW, IL--The Chicago Fire selected four players in the 2012 Supplemental Draft. They started with a forward with the ninth pick overall in Evans Frimpong of Delaware. Frimpong scored 15 goals and six assists in his two years with the Blue Hens and led them to the Colonial Athletic Association title last season. Prior to joining the Blue Hens, he played for Texas-Brownville of the NAIA scoring eight goals in 18 matches in 2009.

With the 15th overall pick, acquired from Seattle, the Fire selected goalkeeper Karl Woszczynski of Alabama-Birmingham. Woszczynski made 63 appearances for the Blazers tallying 18 clean sheet and a 35-18-7 record. He helped the Blazers to the Conference USA regular season title and first ever NCAA berth during his senior season.

The next pick for the Fire was in the third round (47th overall) and they picked midfielder Tony Walls of UW-Green Bay. Walls made 79 appearances for the Phoenix scoring 18 goals and 11 assists during his time there and was Horizon League Player of the Year last season. Walls is also an alum of the Chicago Fire Premier having played for the PDL side in 2010.

Finally, the Fire selected defender Justin Chavez in the fourth round (66th overall) from Tulsa. Chavez is a two-time NSCAA All-Region honoree and two-time Conference USA first-team selection. Chavez made 77 appearances for the Golden Hurricane scoring five goals and four assists.

“We’ve taken four players in Evans, Carl, Tony and Justin that we feel can come in and challenge for a roster spot,” said Fire head coach Frank Klopas. “All four players have performed well at the collegiate ranks and we’re looking forward to welcoming them into training camp this week in Florida.”

All four picks are expected to join the team when the begin preseason training in Ave Maria, FL on Friday.

Report: Fire Nearing Deal for Kit Sponsor

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:59:38 -0500

Quaker Oats could be 2012 kit sponsor.

by Dan Gaichas

BRIDGEVIEW, IL--A report today in Crain’s Chicago Business is reporting that the Chicago Fire are close to finalizing a deal with Quaker Oats in becoming the kit sponsor in 2012. The Fire have been without a kit sponsor since Best Buy left in at the end of the 2010 season.

A spokesman for the Fire would not comment “on any negotiations regarding a jersey sponsor.” According to Ed Sherman from Crain’s, the deal would start this season and would be worth $1.3 to $1.5 million a year. Quaker Oats is a Chicago-based subsidiary of PepsiCo, Inc.

Best Buy paid $2.5 million to be the kit sponsor which began in the 2008 season. As of now, the Fire are one of three teams without a shirt sponsor (Colorado and Kansas City).

Thoughts: It would be a big boost for the Fire if they can finalize a kit sponsor for this season, let alone a local one. That Pepsi is one of Major League Soccer’s major sponsors is a plus as well.

Notes on Monday: Fire, Chaves Part Ways

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 10:25:37 -0500

Plus, Fire Premier send 11 to MLS.

by Dan Gaichas

FIRE, CHAVES PART WAYS: A report today on a Chilean website is reporting that the Chicago Fire and Diego Chaves have mutually parted ways and that the Uruguayan strikes has signed with Chilean side Palestino. Chaves scored six goals and one assist during in 29 matches with the Fire last season including a pair of late winners against DC United and Columbus back in October.

“Diego Chaves was signed for the 2011 campaign,” said Fire head coach Frank Klopas. “We had conversations with Diego throughout the offseason, however, with recent signings of Rafael Robayo and Federico Puppo coming into the fold it became difficult to bring him back. We wish him the best with his new club.”

FIRE PREMIER SEND 11 TO MLS: Eleven players who played with the Chicago Fire’s PDL squad were drafted into Major League Soccer teams at this year’s SuperDraft including the Fire’s first round pick Austin Berry. Here are the remaining Fire Premier alums who were taken in this year’s draft:

Ethan Finlay (Columbus)
Aaron Maund (Toronto FC)
Andrew Duran (Seattle)
Tommy Meyer (Los Angeles)
Callum Mallace (Montreal)
Tyler Polak (New England)
Chris Estridge (Vancouver)
Brendan King (Portland)
Greg Jordan (Philadelphia)
Kenney Walker (Los Angeles)

The eleven is a new record for a USL Premier Developmental League squad eclipsing the Fire PDL’s ten back in 2010. Previous Fire Premier alums include Jay DeMerit (Vancouver), Jonathan Spector (Birmingham City), Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Dasan Robinson (LA Galaxy), Ned Grabavoy (Real Salt Lake)