CHICAGO FACE NEW YORK SATURDAY
The Chicago Fire (10-7-5, 35 pts.) return to TOYOTA PARK to take on the New York Red Bulls (8-6-8, 32 pts.) this Saturday, Sept. 6 (7:30 CT, FSC/FSE). This is the second of three meetings between the two clubs this season. Chicago won the first meeting 5-1 at Giants Stadium in May. The Fire are in third place in the Eastern Conference standings, three points behind New England (38 pts.) and five points behind conference-leading Columbus (40 pts.) The Fire lead the all-time regular season series against New York 16-10-6 which includes an 8-3-4 record in games played in Chicago.
THREE FIRE PLAYERS TO JOIN NATIONAL TEAMS FOR WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS ON SEPT. 6 AND 10
Cuauhtémoc Blanco (Mexico), Marco Pappa (Guatemala), and Gonzalo Segares (Costa Rica) have again joined their respective national teams this week in preparation for World Cup Qualifying matches to be played on Saturday, Sept. 6 and Wednesday, Sept. 10. The three players will miss the Fire match against New York on Sept. 6.
Blanco and the Mexican National team play Jamaica at 5 p.m. on Sept. 6 at Azteca Stadium and against Canada on Sept. 10 at 8 p.m. This will be Pappa's second call to the Guatemalan Senior National Team. Guatemala faces Trinidad and Tobago on the road at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain on Sept. 6 at 4:30 pm and Cuba on Sept. 10 at home in Guatemala City at 9 p.m. Segares and Costa Rica play Suriname at home in Estadio Ricardo Saprissa at 11:00 CT on Sept. 6, and travel to Port-Au-Prince to play Haiti on Sept. 10 at 5 p.m.
TOYOTA PARK TO HOST THREE INTERNATIONAL GAMES
CD GUADALAJARA AND CLUB AMERICA - SEPTEMBER 4
Mexican sides Club Deportivo Guadalajara and Club América, will add a new chapter to their storied rivalry as both clubs meet in
El Clásico Bud Light presented by En Vivo and the Chicago Fire
on Thursday, Sept. 4 at TOYOTA PARK (8:00 p.m. CT). The match, also known as "el Clásico de los Clásicos", was last played on U.S. soil on Oct. 31, 2006 at Glendale, Arizona's University of Phoenix Stadium where it ended in a 1-1 stalemate in front of over 40,000 fans. Tickets are on sale now and start as low as $30 dollars. Tickets can be purchased by visiting the TOYOTA PARK box office in person, via phone at 312-559-1212, or by visiting
Ticketmaster.com
.
U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM WORLD CUP QUALIFING MATCH - SEPTEMBER 10
On Wednesday, September 10, the U.S. Men's National Team will take on the national team of Trinidad & Tobago at TOYOTA PARK in the semifinal round of 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifying. Kickoff for the game is at 7 pm. Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com, or by calling 312.559.1212.
U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM FACES IRELAND - SEPTEMBER 20
The U.S. Women's National Team will take on Ireland in a three-match tour, hitting stops on the East Coast and Midwest after their return from the 2008 Olympic Games in China. The Fall Tour will consist of three exhibition matches with the last of these to be played at TOYOTA PARK on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. The U.S. Women advanced to the finals of the 2008 Olympics with a 4-2 victory over Japan and defeated Brazil for the gold medal on Thursday, Aug. 21.
FRANK KLOPAS 8TH ANNUAL FIREWORKS FOR KIDS GOLF OUTING
On Monday, Sept 8, the FireWorks for Kids Foundation will hold the 8th annual golf outing at Silver Lakes Country Club, in Orland Park, IL. Frank Klopas, Chicago Fire Technical Director, and former Fire player and coach, who also serves on the Board of Directors for the FireWorks for Kids Foundation, lends his name and support to this golf outing. Celebrities expected to attend include the entire Fire team and coaching staff, as well as members of other local sports teams. Every foursome will golf with a celebrity in a scramble format. The day includes 18 holes of golf with a chance to win a car, lunch, a cocktail reception, and will conclude with a buffet dinner and prizes. For more information, please contact Jessica Yavitz at
jyavitz@chicago-fire.com
or by phone (708) 496-6740.
DICK'S SPORTING GOODS TEAMS UP WITH THE FIRE AND MLS FOR UNDERPRIVILEDGED CHILDREN'S SHOPPING EVENT
Dick's Sporting Goods and Major League Soccer teams, including the Chicago Fire, are teaming up to help disadvantaged youth this Back to School season. A special shopping event, co-sponsored by MLS, will take place in the Chicagoland area on Sept. 9 at the Dick's Sporting Goods store in Lombard. Five Fire players will give approximately 30 underprivileged kids a special "personal shopper" experience as all of the participating children will be given a complimentary Dick's Sporting Goods gift card and then accompanied through the store by the players who will help them pick out merchandise to purchase with that gift card.
LOCAL CHICAGOLAND WENDY'S TO HOST CUSTOMER APPRECIATION NIGHT ON SEPTEMBER 17
Wendy's stores in the Chicago area are hosting Customer Appreciation Night to benefit the FireWorks for Kids Foundation, the charitable arm of the Chicago Fire. The event will be held on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.. Over 140 participating Wendy's stores across Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana will donate a portion of their dinner sales from the evening to the FireWorks for Kids Foundation.
FIRE LAUNCH ONLINE VOTING FOR ALL-DECADE BEST GAMES
As part of the Chicago Fire 10th Anniversary Celebration, the Fire has launched a new category in the All-Decade Sweepstakes for the Best Games in Fire history. Fans can choose their top 5 favorite games from throughout the Fire's previous 10 seasons for a chance to win great prizes in the 10th Anniversary Sweepstakes. The top five voted games will be announced at the Fire vs. Crew game on October 12 and members of the team from the selected games will be invited to attend the 10th Anniversary Gala on Friday, October 10. To vote please click
here
.
2009 NEW SEASON TICKET DEPOSITS
Chicago Fire 2009 Season Tickets are now on sale. With a deposit of $200 on new season tickets, individuals will receive one free Cuauhtémoc Blanco autographed picture and one free $50 Best Buy Gift Card. Call 1-888-MLS-Fire for more information.
