On a brisk spring night, soccer fans in Chicago watched as the Chicago Fire and University of Illinois-Chicago Flames battled at Flames Field. Austin Washington, Dasan Robinson and Stefan Dimitrov tallied for Chicago, giving the MLS side a 3-0 win in the annual benefit match.
"These games are a great opportunity for our second-string guys to get some playing time," Fire head coach Denis Hamlett said. "It's hard to get everyone minutes. Tonight's game was a good result. We were able to score some goals. Overall, we looked good."
Chicago fans were treated to Cuauhtemoc Blanco's stylings. The Mexican international played the whole match. And although he didn't tally a goal, Blanco showed his magic, with perfect passes and an assist.
"Any time that fans get to see a player like Blanco, it's a treat," UIC head coach John Trask said. "He's truly a one-of-a-kind player. And watching him play is truly entertaining."
Blanco started the scoring in the first half when Blanco and Dimitrov combined to find an open Washington. The defender blasted a short ball into the net for a 1-0 lead.
In the second half, Chicago doubled its lead when Robinson finished a Brandon Prideaux assist. In the 75th minute, Fire forward Chris Rolfe passed the ball to Dimitrov for the 3-0 final.
As for the UIC fans, they were treated to a few familiar faces on the field. Only this time, they were wearing the opposing team's uniform.
Baggio Husidic, the Fire's first-round selection in this year's SuperDraft out of UIC, played the whole match for the Fire. Former teammates Cesar Zambrano and Pat McMahon also entered the match as second-half substitutions.
"It was a great night for soccer in Chicago," Trask said. "With the weather, we weren't sure what to expect. But the fans came out and saw some good soccer. It was especially great to see Baggio, Cesar and Patrick all playing with the Fire."
While he has yet to see any playing time with the Fire in a competitive match, Husidic said that every day is a learning experience.
"Things are going well. I'm fitting in well with the team," Husidic said. "It's an adjustment, but I think it's going well."
Fire fans also had a chance to look at newly signed goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra, who played the second half. Dykstra was signed Monday as developmental player. Dykstra and Nick Noble shared the clean sheet for Chicago.
It's the third annual meeting for the two teams. And despite cold temperatures, the fans still came out to see some soccer. The charity match raised $5,300 for the Chicago Fire Foundation.
Kathryn L. Knapp is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
