Posted by: Marty Groark in Games on
Jun 11, 2008
On Tuesday June 10th, the Fire traveled 3 hours south of Chicago to Bradley University in Peoria, IL where they met the Columbus Crew in a play-in game to the 2008 U.S. Open Cup. With a record crowd arriving on a warm, early evening at Bradley's Shea Stadium, the Fire took to the field looking like a team with something to prove after an embarrassing first round knockout in last year's Open Cup to the USL-1's Carolina Railhawks. Fielding a team with many underused players, Denis Hamlett seemed to want to use this game to further develop and blend his 2nd stringers and the players returning from injury.
Posted by: Ben in Untagged on
Jun 03, 2008
In case you haven't heard, the name of the Chicago's Women's Professional Soccer team was officially announced yesterday. And as the advisory fan poll indicated they might do, the team has been named the Chicago Red Stars.
Posted by: Tom Dunmore in Untagged on
Jun 02, 2008
When Andell Holdings, led by Chairman and CEO Andrew Hauptman, purchased the right to operate the Chicago Fire in 2007, they were not buying a blank slate. They were buying a team with a distinct tradition. It is an organization that honors this with its Ring of Fire, whose inductees represent those who have contributed significantly to the passion that defines the Fire community.
In the Ring of Fire are former President and GM Peter Wilt, former manager Bob Bradley, and former star players Lubos Kubik, Frank Klopas and Piotr Nowak. Fittingly, it has always been up to the inductees to select new members of the Ring of Fire, giving the club a red thread running through it that links it from its origin to the present. This is unique in American soccer.
This year, they chose to put in the Ring of Fire two supporters who tragically died within the past eighteen months, Dan Parry and Brandon Kitchens. Both represented everything that the Chicago Fire has stood for over the past decade, and in their own ways, each contributed much to that tradition.
Posted by: peter wilt in Untagged on
Jun 01, 2008
In March, the Ring of Fire members unanimously selected Dan Parry and Brandon Kitchens to join them as members of the Chicago Fire’s tribute of honor known as the Ring of Fire. Piotr Nowak, Frank Klopas, Lubos Kubik, Bob Bradley and i all believed Dan and Brandon exemplified the necessary characteristics of leadership, integrity and dedication to the Chicago Fire needed to join our exclusive club. We immediately notified the Fire and received positive responses lauding our selection from team President and General Manager John Guppy and Senior Director of Community Relations Donald Ortale. Our selection unfortunately was not communicated to ownership.
Posted by: Bahns in Section 8 On Tour on
May 31, 2008
There were things about the moment that caused it to be unforgettable – maybe it was the chain link fence that enclosed the court, or the all out game of pick-up basketball being played on the other side, or simply the fact that we were four Chicagoans in the heart of Brooklyn playing street soccer at 2 am.
Not to mention all this was happening after our beloved Fire executed a clinical beatdown of Osorio's Red Bulls in the decaying Swamplands of New Jersey. The roadtrip had given us many reasons for us to be pumped up -- but playing our own little soccer game after that victory was perhaps the highest point of a weekend that will be talked about amongst Section 8ers for years to come.
Keep reading for a full account of a memorable weekend.
Posted by: Ben in Section 8 on
May 28, 2008
We are trying to raise some money for Diego Gutierrez's Nothing But Nets campaign and we're offering a special deal to help you contribute (online only) and get some special Section 8 gear while you're helping fight malaria.
For those of you that don't know, Diego Gutierrez and Nothing But Nets are raising money to purchase mosquito nets to fight malaria across Africa and Section 8 Chicago would like to help. See the latest information on the program here.
The Deal
Our Collector's Scarf normally costs $20, and our Chicago Fire Flag is $10. For a limited time if you buy our Scarf/Flag combo it's $30 (plus $5 shipping) and we'll donate $10 to buy a net for every Scarf/Flag combo you purchase. So buy them together for $30 and get a net sent that will save a life.
If you already have a scarf or flag, why not end them as gift packages to relatives? (Father's Day is coming up soon, after all) Tell your neighbors, or buy them for the kid down the street. Actually, buy a set to decorate your favorite pub. GUILT TRIP ALERT: Wouldn't you feel good going into your favorite bar and seeing the scarf and flag on the wall, knowing it represents one more life saved?
Seriously though, it would be fantastic to raise $1000 for this cause. If you can give, we love you. If you can't, no worries. We'll still do all we can to get it done.
How to Help
Feel free to visit our store and select the option for "One Flag/Scarf/Net". Remember, buying the combo means we'll donate $10 towards Nothing But Nets.
store.section8chicago.com
Thanks to everyone who has already given to the cause. Spread the word and save a
Posted by: Tom Dunmore in Untagged on
May 26, 2008
Posted by: Tom Dunmore in Lider Marmol, Games on
May 22, 2008
Not since Rocky traveled to Russia to take down Ivan Drago has there been as bitter a match-up as this Sunday's Fire game in the New Jersey Swamplands.
In attendance should be all the characters who have provided Soccer By Ives with several million hits in the last six months: Juan Carlos Osorio, Wilman Conde and Lider Marmol will all be there, lined up on separate sides of the barricades despite the Red Bulls' best nefarious efforts to gather the Fire's fruit.
Osorio contrived to get himself sent-off in the Red Bulls previous match, a 1-1 draw with Kansas City, for berating officials. This means that the 60-70 Fire fans present will have to scour the crowd to direct their venom at him. Given the Red Bulls usual attendance on Sunday matches he should not be hard to spot, especially with the giant 666 Backdraft has learned he recently had tattooed on his forehead.
Read on for lineup news and bitter talk of revenge.
Posted by: Marty Groark in Untagged on
May 21, 2008
On Wednsday May 21st , the Chicago Fire will face one of Poland's oldest and most popular teams when they face Wisla Krakow in their first international friendly of 2008. With over 185,000 Polish speakers in the city of Chicago, it's not too far fetched to believe that there are many Krakow fans within its limits, but Chicago has an even closer connection with the team in Fire forward Tomasz Frankowski.
Tomasz actually started his playing career with the Polish team Jagiellonia Bialystok in 1991. It was not until 1998 that Tomasz joined Wisla Krakow and enjoyed much of the success which made him a starter on the Polish national team for the 2006 World Cup Qualifying rounds. Tomasz was leading goal scorer for the Polish team during qualifying but was left off the tournament roster by head coach Pawel Janas. During Tomasz's time at Wisla, he was able to help the team to 5 Polish Championship titles. Playing for Wisla from 1998 until 2005, Tomasz appeared in 173 matches for the Polish side and was top scorer in the Orange Ekstraklasa (Polish First Division) 3 times, including his last season with Wisla in 2005. Overall, Tomasz was able to find the net 115 times in his 8 years with Wisla, averaging 2 goals every 3 games.
Posted by: Marty Groark in Untagged on
May 21, 2008
Section 8 Chicago.com has written up a brief profile of former Wisla star, and latest addition to the Chicago Fire, striker Tomasz Frankowski. In honor of tonight's friendly with Wisla Krakow, the profile has been translated into Polish. The English verison is located here .
Section 8 Chicago.com prezentuje bylego gwiazdora Wisly i jednego z najnowszych nabytkow Chicago Fire, napastnika Tomasza Frankowskiego. W zwiazku z dzisiejszym towarzyskim meczem z Wisla Krakow, artykul zostal przetlumaczony na jezyk polski.
Oryginal w jezyku angielskim znajduje sie tutaj.
W srode 21 maja Chicago Fire zagra z Wisla Krakow, jedna z najstarszych i najpopularniejszych polskich druzyn pilkarskich. Bedzie to pierwsze miedzynarodowe spotkanie towarzyskie Fire w 2008 r. W samym Chicago jest ponad 185,000 osob mowiacych po polsku, mozna wiec bezpiecznie zalozyc, ze jest wsrod nich sporo kibicow Wisly. Fire ma jednak jeszcze blizsze powiazania z Wisla – napastnika Tomasza Frankowskiego.
Tomasz rozpoczal swoja kariere pilkarska w Jagiellonii Bialystok w 1991r. Do Wisly Krakow dolaczyl w 1998r. M.in. odniesiony tam sukces pozwolil mu wystapic w reprezentacji Polski w meczach rundy kwalifikacyjnej do Mistrzostw Swiata w 2006r. Tomasz zdobyl wtedy najwiecej bramek dla polskiej reprezentacji, jednak trener Pawel Janas nie powolal go do kadry na Mistrzostwa. Grajac w Wisle, Tomasz pomogl zespolowi zdobyc mistrzostwo 5 razy. Pomiedzy 1998 i 2005, Frankowski wzial udzial w 173 spotkaniach i 3 razy zostal krolem strzelcow Orange Ekstraklasy - polskiej I Ligii (trzeci raz podczas swego ostatniego sezonu w Wisle w 2005r.). Grajac w Wisle 8 lat, Tomasz strzelil w sumie 115 bramek (srednio 2 bramki co 3 mecze).
Backdraft 
