C.J. Brown

Year after year, defender C.J. Brown continues to be an anchor for the Fire backline while at the same time entrenching himself deeper into the club's record books. Brown enters his team-record 13th season as the Fire's only remaining "Fire Original" and as career leader in MLS regular season games played, games started, as well as holding the squad's all-time lead in minutes played. The California Bay Area native has competed at the highest level for both club and country during his career, having played an integral part in all five of the Fire's domestic Cup titles (MLS Cup '98 and the 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups), three conference crowns, and the 2003 MLS Supporters Shield season. In addition, Brown earned 15 caps with the U.S. Senior Men's National Team from 1998-2003. Perhaps more important than his hard-nosed defending on the field, Brown has helped show the Fire's younger players the ropes of MLS, a role he'll continue to fill as the team's remaining "Fire Original" on the roster. The 2001 MLS All- Star selection has been an inspiration off the field as well, winning the 2001, 2002, and 2003 Fire/USSF Humanitarian of the Year awards for his efforts in the Chicagoland community.

MLS EXPERIENCE

2009: Served as 2009 Fire Captain…appeared in 18 games, starting 17… made 2009 debut on 3/28 @DC in 1-1 draw, wore captain's band… started first game on 5/31 in the 3-0 loss vs. DAL…holds Fire record for career minutes played with 23,398, and in games played at 270, and games started at 264… only "Fire Original" from '98 team on the current roster… MLS Cup Playoffs: Started and played 90 minutes in both of the team's Eastern Conference Semifinal matches against New England, helping the squad advance past the Revs 3-2 on aggregate goals….the Fire captain also played 120 minutes in the Fire's Eastern Conference Final loss to RSL in penalty kicks…scored on a penalty kick in the shootout… Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: Did not Play…SUPERLIGA: Started 4 games for the Fire as he captained them to a second place trophy at TOYOTA Park.

2008: Despite battling injury for most of the season, served as 2008 Fire Captain…appeared in 3 games, starting 2…missed first 8 weeks of action due to L Hip Tendonitis injury…made 2008 debut on 6/15 for 90 min. @ FCD in 1-0 loss, wore captain's band… started and played 77 min. @ CHV in 2-0 loss on 6/19…came of the bench for 27 min. in 2-1 win vs. TFC on 7/12… served a one-game suspension on 7/27 @ KC for a red card issued on 7/19 vs. RSL…holds Fire record for career minutes played with 21,917, and in games played at 251, and games started at 247…one of 2 "Fire Originals" (Gutierrez) from '98 team on the current roster… MLS Cup Playoffs: Did Not Play…Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: came off bench in 71st min. in 3-2 win vs. CLB in USOC play-in on 6/10…International Exhibitions: returned from injury to play 26 min. off bench vs. Wisla Krakow in 0-0 draw on 5/21…appeared in the last 45 min. of 2-0 win vs. Everton on 7/30… MLS Reserve Division: Appeared in 7 games, starting 5…scored one goal through 455 minutes.

2007: Set a Fire record for career minutes played with 21,750 … Finished first on the team in minutes played with 2,565, the highest number of minutes played in a season during his 10-year MLS career ... Started and played in all but one game … missed the 7-12 match vs. Houston with a one-game suspension due to yellow card accumulation … MLS Cup Playoffs: Played all 180 minutes in the Fire's two games vs. D.C. United in the 2007 Eastern Conference Semifinal Series … Played 90 minutes in the Fire's 1-0 loss to NE in the Eastern Conference Championship … Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: Started and played 90 minutes in the Fire's 1-0 loss to the Carolina RailHawks in Cary, N.C.

2006: Scored one goal and notched a pair of assists in 28 games played (all starts) … The 31-year-old defender finished second on the team in starts (28), games played (28) and minutes played (2,429) … 2,429 minutes played marked the third most in his nine-year career … Became 33rd player in MLS history to play in 200 games on 6-03 @ RSL, and only the fifth player in League history to hit the mark with one team … Made 200th career start on 6-25 vs. NY … Broke a 31-game streak without an assist by helping on Mapp's 36' tally on 8-30 vs. HOU … Scored first goal since June 1998 (6-24-98 vs. KC) on 9-09 @ CLB, the GWG in the Fire's 2-1 win … His 201 games goalless streak was the 2nd longest in MLS history (Robin Fraser, 250) … MLS Cup Playoffs: Played all 210 minutes of the Fire's two games vs. NE in their Eastern Conference Semifinal Series … Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: Played and started in three of the Fire's four games in the squad's run to a fourth USOC title … Started and went the full 90 on 9-27 vs. LA in the Open Cup Final, helping the squad to its fifth domestic championship.

2005: Finished season with 18 starts in 20 contests and added two assists, extending his streak of scoring either a goal or an assist in each of his eight MLS seasons … … Marked first season in which he committed less fouls (19) than games played (20) … Assists on 4-30 @ CLB (Mapp) and 7-9 vs. NE (Segares) both came on game-winning tallies … Missed seven games due to injury (hamstring strain) … MLS Cup Playoffs: Went the full 90 min. in all three of the Fire's postseason contests, helping the 'Men in Red" reach the Eastern Conference Final … Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: Appeared in two U.S. Open Cup matches in 2005, starting both and clocking 196 total minutes … Scored first goal in 127 overall matches on 8-10 @ NE, helping the Fire to a 3-2 OT win in a Fourth Round tilt … MLS Reserve Division: Used the MLS Reserve Division to regain match fitness from hamstring injury, going the full 90 min. in two matches with the Fire Reserves.

2004: Played in 24 MLS contests (all starts) and tallied one assist … Assumed captain duties for an injured Chris Armas and started the Fire's last 16 League matches after overcoming a tendonitis injury in both legs early in the campaign … Broke the Fire's all-time minutes played record on 9-18 @ DC in Chicago's 3-1 loss, moving past Zach Thornton's old mark of 14,735 minutes played in a Fire uniform in the game's 88th minute … Tied Thornton's club record for career games started (162) and Thornton's and Jesse Marsch's club record for career appearances in a Fire uniform (164) on 8-21 @ LA with a 90 min. performance in Chicago's 1-1 draw … Registered his lone assist on 9-4 vs. DC, notching his fourth career GWA on a Justin Mapp goal in a 3-1 win … Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: One of only four "Men in Red" to play all 398 minutes in the Fire's four matches in Open Cup play … Helped anchor a backline that allowed only two goals in the 2004 edition of the competition en route to the club's fourth appearance in the Final … CONCACAF Champions Cup: Started in all four matches for the Fire, helping Chicago reach the tournament's semifinal round.

2003: Appeared in 21 games (starting 19) while registering one point on one assist and helping the Fire to its first ever MLS Eastern Conference and Supporters Shield trophies … Started in 18 of the Fire's first 20 games … An Achilles injury to both feet limited his playing time towards the end of the season … Notched his lone assist on 7-12 vs. DC on Jesse Marsch's 6' goal … MLS Cup Playoffs: DNP in the Fire's four postseason contests … Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: Played and started in one of the Fire's four Open Cup contests en route to the club's third title in the tournament in six years.

2002: Started and played 24 games while registering a career-high three assists … Earned assists on 9-7 vs. LA, 7-13 @ MET, and 7-4 @ COL … MLS Cup Playoffs: Started and played in all three games in the MLS Cup Quarterfinals against New England … Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: Started and played 90 min. on 7-17 @ MIL (A), a third round 1-0 loss … CONCACAF Champions Cup: Started and played all 90 min. in three of the Fire's four matches (3-16 @ CSD Municipal, 6-30 @ Monarcas Morelia & 7-10 vs. Morelia).

2001: Finished the season with one assist after starting and playing in 22 of 27 games … Named to the MLS All-Star squad for the first time in his career and registered the game-tying assist in front of his hometown fans on Landon Donovan's 92+ min. goal on 7-28 in San Jose … Collected his lone assist of the season on 7-18 @ MIA … MLS Cup Playoffs: Started in all six postseason games … Played 563 minutes out of a possible 572 minutes in the playoffs … Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: Played in three of the Fire's four contests, helping the "Men in Red" to the semifinals.

2000: Appeared in 27 games (starting all), registering one assist … Recorded his lone assist of the season on 9-9 @ CLB, helping Chicago to a 3-2 win … MLS Cup Playoffs: Appeared in all seven games for Chicago, tallying one goal and one assist in helping the Fire to its second MLS Cup Final appearance … Played all 90 min. on 10-15 vs. KC in MLS Cup 2000, in Chicago's 1-0 loss … Scored his first career postseason goal on 10-6 vs. MET in the 3rd min. of Game 3 of the MLS Cup Semifinals, helping Chicago to a 3-2 victory and a 6-3 series win … Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: Started in all five of the Fire's Open Cup contests and played 455 of a possible 472 minutes in helping the Fire earn its second tournament title … Appeared in his second Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final in three years on 10-21 vs. MIA, playing for 90 min. in the Fire's 2-1 win.

1999: Started and played in 26 matches and recorded his first two career assists … Tallied his first career assist on 4-3 vs. MIA in the 77th min. of Chicago's 4-1 win … MLS Cup Playoffs: Started and played 90 min. in all three games in the Western Conference semifinals against Dallas … Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: DNP on 7-14 at ROC (A) … CONCACAF Champions Cup: Started and played all three CONCACAF Champions Cup matches.

1998: Finished the season starting and playing in 28 of 32 games, scoring a still career-high two goals (both game-winners, both headers off set pieces) in his debut season in MLS … Scored his first career goal on 5-23 vs. COL in a 5-0 victory … MLS Cup Playoffs: Recorded an assist while appearing in all five postseason games (all starts) on the way to the Fire's MLS Cup '98 crown … Played all 90 min. on 10-25 vs. DC at MLS Cup '98, helping the Fire to its first ever championship with a 2-0 win over United at the Rose Bowl … Recorded his first career postseason assist on 10-16 vs. LA on Peter Nowak's 31st min. goal in the Fire's 2-1 shootout victory in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals that gave Chicago a 6-0 series win … Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: Was the only member of the "Men in Red" to play all 399 minutes in the team's four victories in the tournament, helping give Chicago its first Open Cup title in its historic "Double" winning season.

CAREER
After two amateur years with the San Francisco Bay Seals (USISL) in 1995 and 1996, played professionally with the Seals during the 1997 season … In his first pro season, finished with 30 games played and one point on one assist and earned the Eduardo Yolde Award (MVP) … In his second amateur year with the Seals in 1996, appeared in 17 games, tallying one assist.

INTERNATIONAL
Has made 15 career appearances with the U.S. Men's National Team … Earned his 15th cap on 5-26-03 vs. Wales, playing all 90 min. and helping the U.S. to a 2-0 win … Named as an alternate for the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup ... Made his international debut on 1-24-99 vs. Bolivia … Was involved in one of the biggest surprises for the U.S. during the 1999 Confederations Cup in Mexico, playing 90 min. on 7-30 vs. Germany, in the U.S.'s 2-0 win … Appeared in two games for the U.S. in the 2000 Gold Cup, playing 18 min. as a second-half sub on 2-16-00 vs. Peru - a 1-0 win - and on 2-12-00, as the Americans downed Haiti 3-0 … Participated in the Olympic Festival in 1994 and 1995.

COLLEGE
Finished his career at San Jose University (1994-97) with 11 points (5g, 1a) … A two-time All-Conference Player in 1995 and 1996.

PERSONAL
Most rewarding soccer moments include winning the MLS Cup in 1998 … He and his wife, Kim, welcomed their first daughter, Canessa J-Lyn, on Feb. 24, 2004 … The couple's second daughter, Kali Anh Brown, was born exactly one year later on Feb. 24, 2005 … Would like to work with the community after his soccer career … Enjoys listening to hip-hop and R&B music … Married Kim on October 22, 2000, the day after winning the 2000 U.S. Open Cup Championship.