"Best of U.S. Soccer" Awards Once Again Have a Heavy Taste of Chicago
U.S. Soccer has announced the finalists for each of the 11 awards that make up the 2005 "Best of U.S. Soccer" series, and the Windy City once again has heavy representation among the nominees. Voting for the fourth annual awards has already begun at ussoccer.com, with fans this year having the opportunity to make their selections through a sharp multimedia voter interface once a day through Friday, Dec. 16. The 2005 "Best of U.S. Soccer" awards will be decided entirely by online fan votes submitted over the next month.
The Fire is represented in this year's awards by forward Chad Barrett, who made the cut as one of six nominees in the "Best Goal Celebration" category for his sprint to the sidelines and the subsequent mobbing by his teammates after he scored the lone goal in the U.S. Men's U-20 National Team's 1-0 upset victory over Argentina in the FIFA World Youth Championships on June 11. The celebration got more mileage, as a snapshot of Barrett carrying seemingly half the squad after his decisive tally is also one of 10 choices in the "Best Picture" category.
Three soccer-fueled Chicago businesses are up for nominations in a pair of categories. Ginger's Ale House will look to make it a three-peat in the "Best Soccer Bar" category, but will face stiff competition from a fellow Lakeview establishment, The Globe Pub. Chicago Soccer has once again been nominated in the "Best Soccer Store" category, making it a top-10 finalist in all four years of the award. Chicago is also among the top six nominees in the "Best U.S. Atmosphere" category, as the 47,637 fans in attendance at Solider Field on May 28 made for a memorable experience (and a pretty neat commercial) while urging on both sides in the U.S.'s 2-1 loss to England in the first game played between the two countries since 1994.
Don't Miss Out at Bridgeview - Get Your "Home Opener Holiday Pack" Today!
When the Fire steps onto the lush new field in its state-of-the-art stadium in Bridgeview next season, don't expect there to be an empty seat in the house. To guarantee your spot at next spring's historic first game at Bridgeview Stadium - and to keep you warm during the off-season - the Fire is now offering two "Home Opener Holiday Pack" packages just in time for the holiday season. For a limited time, the Fire is offering a $200 package that includes four Premier level tickets for opening day and two Firehouse vouchers to be used for regular season Fire games, along with a Fleece Pack that includes a set of red fleece gloves, scarf, and an ear band that displays the Chicago Fire logo. The club is also offering a $160 package that includes four Corner Kick level tickets for opening day and two Firehouse vouchers to be used for regular season home games along with the Fleece Pack. As a bonus, the first 200 fans to order either package will receive a complimentary red fleece Chicago Fire blanket, perfect for bundling up for the upcoming winter chill - or next year's late-season games! For more information regarding the "Home Opener Holiday Pack," or any other ticket packages available for the 2006 season at Bridgeview Stadium, please call 1-888-MLS-FIRE or visit www.Chicago-Fire.com.
Everything Must Go During Fire's Annual Garage Sale This Saturday at Argo Community High School
The Fire will hold its annual "Garage Sale" this Saturday, Dec. 3 in the West Gymnasium at Argo Community High School, located at 7329 W. 63rd Street in the Chicago Southland community of Summit - less than a mile north of the Fire's future, permanent home of Bridgeview Stadium. The sale will be open to the public from 12:00-4:00 p.m. CT, but Fire 2006 Season Ticket holders will get first crack at all merchandise during an exclusive pre-sale from 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. This year's "Fire sale" will be the most expansive yet, as Fire merchandise and official team gear by PUMA and Nike from the 1998-2005 seasons will be priced to move to make room for the squad's switch to adidas next season. Game-worn and replica jerseys, shorts, warm-ups, jackets, polos, hats, shoes and several other items will be available at heavily discounted prices, making a visit to the sale a perfect opportunity to pick up holiday gifts for soccer and Fire fans alike. Those who purchase items at the sale will also be getting into the spirit of giving, as a portion of the proceeds earned during this year's Garage Sale will be donated to the Fire's charitable arm, the FireWorks for Kids Foundation. For more information on the Fire's Garage Sale, please call the Fire office at 312-705-7200.
Season Tickets for Inaugural Season at Bridgeview Stadium 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.
Chicago Fire Juniors Girls U-18 Red Squad Represents Well in Raleigh
The Chicago Fire Juniors, the Fire's official youth development club, saw its tournament season for the calendar year end in impressive fashion two weekends ago, as the CFJ's U-18 Girls Red squad, which included a selection of players from both the Chicago Fire Juniors and West Michigan Fire Juniors, went 2-1-0 during the 2005 CASL Shootout and Showcase Tournament in Raleigh, NC from Nov. 18-20. Despite not playing together before as a unit, coaches Scott Meineke and Paul Cadwell helped the U-18s bring it all together to register a 2-1 victory over Stonybrook (NY) Impact and a 1-0 triumph over Charlotte (NC) United Gold before falling 1-0 in an evenly played finale to Premier (FL). The trip not only allowed the Girls U-18 Reds to play in a tournament that featured over 80 of the country's best club teams, but it also gave the group of high school seniors a chance to visit the campuses of Duke University in Durham and the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, the latter where the team saw one of collegiate sports' most dominant programs, the UNC Women's Soccer team, post a dominating victory in NCAA Tournament play.
Fire Continues With Bridgeview Chamber of Commerce 16th Annual Holiday Food and Toy Drive
The Chicago Fire and other Chicago Southland area businesses are working to benefit the less fortunate living in Bridgeview this holiday season by accepting food and toy donations for the Bridgeview Chamber of Commerce's 16th Annual Holiday Food and Toy Drive. Collection boxes are located at the new Chicago Fire Bridgeview satellite office, located at 7773 S. Harlem Avenue, inside the Bridgeview Court Shopping Center on the corner of Harlem Avenue and 79th Street. In addition to the office located in Bridgeview, a second collection box site is located inside the Fire's main office at 980 N. Michigan Avenue, in downtown Chicago. For those who are interested in donating, please note that food donations must be in canned or non-perishable form and toys must be unopened and suitable for children ranging from infant age to 15 years old. All food and toy items are requested to be in original factory packaging to ensure safety. Both the Fire's main office and satellite office will be accepting all items from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, through the end of the drive on Tuesday, Dec. 13.
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