Major League Soccer today unveiled its 2006 schedule and national television broadcasts, which feature the Chicago Fire a total of seven times on national television beginning with the League's First Kick 2006 season opener on Saturday, Apr. 1 against FC Dallas from Pizza Hut Park (3:00 p.m. CT, ABC). The Fire will play the first nine matches of its ninth MLS campaign on the road before returning home to open its brand new, 20,000-seat world-class stadium in Bridgeview. The "Men in Red" will be the toast of the town when they host the stadium's Grand Opening match against the MetroStars on Sunday, June 25 at 6:00 p.m. from the brick and steel structure that beckons in Chicago's Southland region.
"We are very excited to be able to host all 16 MLS home matches during our inaugural campaign at our new home," said Fire President/CEO John Guppy. "This summer will no doubt be the most exciting time for our team, our organization and our fans as Bridgeview Stadium shines in the spotlight of the soccer community not only in Chicago, but nationwide as well."
Prior to the Fire's Grand Opening match, the club will stage a limited-capacity, public safety match on Sunday, June 11 against the New England Revolution in a rematch of last season's Eastern Conference Championship. The June 11 match will be open exclusively to Fire season ticket holders and Bridgeview residents. The Fire will quickly enjoy the comforts of its new home by hosting nine straight games in Bridgeview beginning with the June 25 Grand Opening. The homestand will feature plenty of other highlights, including the Fire's first-ever Fourth of July home contest against the Kansas City Wizards and the return match of the "Brimstone Cup" series against FC Dallas on July 15.
Besides the season opener on ABC, the Fire will be featured six times on ESPN2's national broadcasts, the appearances split evenly between home contests against FC Dallas (July 15), Columbus Crew (Aug. 5) and D.C. United (Sep. 17) and road matches at Columbus (Apr. 15), Houston 1836 (May 20) and the regular season finale at D.C. United (Oct. 15). The Fire will release its 2006 regional television schedule in the near future.
Along with its 32-game MLS regular season schedule, the Fire will also be competing for its fourth title in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2006. U.S. Soccer will announce the format and schedule of the 2006 U.S. Open Cup in the upcoming weeks.
Located 15 minutes southwest of downtown Chicago, Bridgeview Stadium, an outdoor, multipurpose entertainment facility, will become the epicenter of the Chicago soccer community. During its inaugural season, the stadium will host all 16 of the Fire's MLS home matches, international exhibition matches and special events, the fourth annual edition of the "Ring of Fire," the commemoration of the 135th Anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, and the 90th Year Anniversary Banquet of the Illinois State Soccer Association, as well as festivities to recognize the 25th anniversary of the Chicago Sting's NASL championship.
Funded entirely by the Village of Bridgeview and operated by AEG - the Fire's parent company - the stadium sits on about 100 acres and includes a state-of-the-art turf heating system, 48 luxury suites, 1,102 clubs seats, a 9,000 sq. ft. banquet hall designed to host special events, food courts, a media conference center, training rooms and locker rooms. While the stadium's soccer and sporting events capacity is 20,000, the capacity for concerts is 28,000. The Fire will be the stadium's primary tenant, and the site will house the team's offices and official training center.
Season ticket packages for the Fire's first season at Bridgeview Stadium are available now and can be purchased by calling 1-888-MLS-FIRE or by visiting the Chicago Fire offices at 980 N. Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. CT. Fans can scout out which seats they would like by checking out the Bridgeview seating chart in the Ticket section at www.Chicago-Fire.com.
