RED ALERT! Could Chicago Be "Titletown?" Fire's Focus Turns to Sunday's Eastern Conference Championship at New England
For the second time in three seasons, the Chicago Fire (1-0-1 in postseason, 15-13-4 in regular season) will take on the New England Revolution in the MLS Eastern Conference Championship, this time for the right to advance to MLS Cup 2005. The third-seeded Fire and top-seeded Revolution will do battle at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA for the East's crown this Sunday, Nov. 6 at 2:00 pm. CT in a contest that will be aired nationally on ESPN2. Fire fans can also follow the action on Chicagoland radio stations WRTO-AM 1200 (Spanish) and WNVR-AM 1030 (Polish), with links to both broadcasts also available on the Fire's official website, www.Chicago-Fire.com. This season marks the fifth time in the Fire's eight-year history that Chicago will play for a berth in MLS Cup. Chicago has advanced to the League's final match of the season three of the previous four times it has made MLS' version of the "Final Four."
Fire Torches D.C. United 4-0 to Take Eastern Conference Semifinal Series
The Fire proved that home-field advantage is no guarantee in yesterday's decisive Game Two of its Eastern Conference Semifinal Series against D.C. United, as Chicago ensured a new champion would be crowned by putting together an emphatic 4-0 victory at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. that allowed the Fire to take the aggregate goals series by the same margin. Rookie defender Jack Stewart would end up with the eventual game-winner just 10 minutes into the match, while 2005 Fire/Honda MVP Ivan Guerrero showed why he was given such an honor, contributing two goals towards the end of the first half and an assist on midfielder Jesse Marsch's exclamation point strike midway through the second half. With the win, the Fire remained undefeated (4-0-1) against United in postseason play, with Chicago posting shutouts in all five playoff meetings against the four-time MLS Cup champions.
AthletiCo Injury Report
Armas, Chris - L ACL tear - Out
Buete, Scott - R 5th metatarsal fracture - Out
Capano, Craig - L ACL tear - Out
Griffin, Leonard - R knee surgery - Out
Mapp, Justin - L hamstring strain - Questionable
Pickens, Matt - L ankle sprain - Probable
Thorrington, John - L groin strain - Questionable
A "No Go" to Foxboro? Then Catch Sunday's Eastern Conference Championship at The Globe Pub
It's tough to coordinate a road trip to New England in one week's time, so if you can't make it out to Foxboro for this Sunday's MLS Eastern Conference Championship then do the next best thing - join your fellow Fire fans at the club's Official Fire Watch Party at The Globe Pub, located at 1934 W. Irving Park Road in Chicago. The Watch Party will begin with kick-off at 2:00 p.m. this Sunday, and fans in attendance will be able to enjoy food and drink specials while rooting their "Men in Red" on towards a spot in MLS Cup 2005. For more details on the Official Fire Watch Party, visit the "Fans" section of www.Chicago-Fire.com, and for more information on The Globe Pub, including directions on how to get to Chicago's premier soccer bar, visit www.theglobepub.com.
RED ALERT! Fire Playoff Fact: Thanks to his clean sheet in Sunday's 4-0 win at D.C. United, Fire goalkeeper Zach Thornton improved his own record for career MLS postseason shutouts to 13. Thornton has blanked the opposition in five of Chicago's last six playoff contests.
Series History vs. New England
They say you can throw the records out when it comes to the postseason - and the Fire wouldn't mind doing just that when it comes to its recent history against New England. After dropping the regular season series by posting a 1-3-0 record against the Revolution, Chicago is now 12-14-5 against the Eastern Conference's top seed when combining MLS regular season and MLS Cup playoff results. The numbers get worse for the Fire when it comes to games at Gillette Stadium, where the Fire has lost its last eight contests dating back to 2002 and has posted a 3-11-1 overall mark. Sunday's match will mark the eighth MLS Cup Playoff battle between the two rivals, a series which Chicago leads 4-3-0. The two sides met in the MLS Cup Quarterfinals in both 2000 and 2002, with Chicago taking the first series 2-1-0 (6 points to 3) and New England answering two years later with a similar series victory. The rubber match came in the MLS Eastern Conference Final at Soldier Field on Nov. 11, 2003, in which Fire captain Chris Armas scored the game's lone goal in overtime to give the Fire a 1-0 victory that sent the "Men in Red" to their third MLS Cup.
Captain Chris Armas to Go Under the Knife Wednesday
The Fire has announced that captain Chris Armas will undergo surgery on his left knee this Wednesday, Nov. 2 to repair a tear in his anterior cruciate ligament, a procedure that will be performed by U.S. National Team doctor Bert Mandelbaum, MD. The 33-year-old Armas, who suffered the tear during the second half of the Fire's 0-0 draw in Game One of the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series against D.C. United on Oct. 21, is expected to miss the next 4-6 months of action.
RED ALERT! 2006 Season Tickets at Bridgeview Stadium Now on Sale
The Fire has kicked off its public on-sale for 2006 Season Tickets at Bridgeview Stadium, giving fans the opportunity to choose their seats for the club's inaugural season at the new, world-class facility, located on the corner of 71st Street and Harlem in Bridgeview. Fans can pick out their seats by checking out the Bridgeview seating chart in the Ticket section at www.Chicago-Fire.com. For more information on the public on-sale and the Bridgeview Stadium project, please call 1-888-MLS-FIRE or visit www.Chicago-Fire.com.
RED ALERT! Fire Playoff Fact: The Fire's 6-0 win over the New England Revolution on Sept. 22, 2000 set the record for the largest margin of victory in MLS postseason history.
Fire Forward Chris Rolfe Named Finalist for Gatorade Rookie of the Year Honor
Fire forward Chris Rolfe is one of three finalists for the 2005 Gatorade Rookie of the Year Award, the which of which Major League Soccer will announce tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov. 1. The 22-year-old Rolfe is looking to become the third player in Fire history to garner the Gatorade Rookie of the Year honor, and an impressive 2005 campaign has the former University of Dayton and Chicago Fire Premier (PDL) product in position to stake a claim to this year's award. Rolfe earned playing time on the Fire's first team almost immediately, and he rewarded the decision by leading the "Men in Red" in numerous categories, including goals (8), shots (61), shots on goal (32) and games played (29). Rolfe's eight goals made him the first rookie in club history to lead the Fire in scoring, earning him the 2005 Fire/Budweiser Golden Boot award, while also placing him second among the League's rookies in the category. Kansas City Wizards forward Scott Sealy and New England Revolution defender Michael Parkhurst are the other two finalists named by MLS for the perennial honor.
Justin Mapp's "Run-and-Gun" Voted a Top 10 Finalist for Sierra Mist Goal of the Year Award
Fans have whittled the initial 40 candidates for the 2005 Sierra Mist Goal of the Year down to the top 10, and Fire midfielder Justin Mapp is among the players that have made the cut. The 21-year-old Mapp combined sparkling individual talent and late-game heroics with his "run-and-gun" effort on Sept. 4 at The Home Depot Center, first dashing past four Los Angeles Galaxy defenders on a 35-yard run towards goal before ending it with a clinical, low left-footed finish from 16 yards in the 92+ minute, giving the Fire a clutch 2-1 road victory. The 10 remaining Sierra Mist Goal of the Year candidates will be voted on by fans through Tuesday, at which time the top five strikes will move on to the final round of voting from Nov. 1-7. MLS will announce this year's winning strike on Friday, Nov. 11. To visit the 2005 Sierra Mist Goal of the Year voting site, fans can visit www.MLSnet.com.
Etc.
