Posted by: Tom Dunmore in Chicago Fire Academy on
Jul 21, 2008
Two Chicago Fire teams are top of the league -- did you know that? And that there's playoff action at Toyota Park this week?
The PDL and Super-20 teams both finished top of their respective midwest divisions this season. The PDL team made the playoffs for the eighth straight season (the only USL team to be able to boast that). On Tuesday, they will host the Kalamazoo Outrage at 4pm on the Toyota Park practice field. The game and parking are free, so come out and support our boys.
Meanwhile, the Super 20s -- created last season -- have the best record in North America since their founding, at an astounding 18-1-3. They head to Virginia Beach for the finals next week.
Many of these players are potential future Fire players, as the PDL/Super 20s program is now fully integrated within the Fire's developmental system. And they have been stunningly successful.
John Dorn, Director of the Fire's PDL and Super 20s program, told Backdraft of the team's effort and asked fans to come out to support the team this week.
"There will be a half dozen future pros -- hopefully Fire first teamers -- on the field on Tuesday and they sure could use some support," he said. "They have worked their butts off this summer wearing the Fire badge proudly and bringing home another Division Championship while remaining pretty much under the radar screen. We usually go on the road for the playoffs and encounter the Chicago taunts from opposing fans -- it would be awesome to hear some hometown fans pull for our boys."
So come out and support the PDL team on Tuesday, and follow Backdraft for news of the Super 20s playoff
Posted by: Michael Giacometti in Untagged on
Jul 16, 2008
"The Chicago Fire (7-5-3, 24 pts.) host Real Salt Lake (6-6-5, 23 pts.) in the second of two regular season meetings this Saturday, July 19, at TOYOTA PARK. Kickoff for the match is at 7:30 p.m. CT." That's what is it says on the Fire's homepage. So what is beyond that? What should the Fire expect from the newly crowned (if only for a week) top of the little brother conference?
Posted by: Mike Fotopoulos in Untagged on
Jul 13, 2008
What a difference three points makes. Somewhere around 84:30, there was a fair number of Chicago Fire fans ready to torch the entire organization, top to bottom. Denis Hamlett? Out by the All-Star break some would whisper while some of us tried to figure out what the roster would look like by the end of the transfer window. I found myself babbling on more than one occasion that Denis was merely the new Dave Sarachan, bringing the traditional brand of bunkering back to Toyota Park in full force, and it was anyone's guess if a handful of new players would get this team back on track.
Of course, Mapp to Thorrington in stoppage time changed all of this. The breaks finally went the Fire's way, and maybe they can build on the momentum, putting together a positive streak leading into the break.
Everyone, naturally, has his or her own opinion on what’s wrong with the Fire. Some blame a mysterious “mid-summer slump,” citing a similar run of poor form in June and July of last year. Others say the dressing room has been lost, and the players aren’t motivated and focused. Maybe the attacking players are unable to concentrate, knowing their futures are on the line for the impending McBride transaction. The one person who doesn’t seem to have a constructive idea for improving the team is, unfortunately, head coach, Denis Hamlet. The confounding part is that he used to.
Posted by: Marty Groark in Untagged on
Jul 11, 2008
The game is about to start. Flares are lit in front of the Harlem End and the stadium begins to look like a smoldering volcano awakening from a long nap. Smoke bellows of out Section 8 and surrounds Toyota Park in an almost dream like haze. The lineups are announced and more flares are lit while huge flags begin waving from all corners of the stadium. The visiting players make their way to the field and are taken back by how intimidating the atmosphere around them is. Scenes like these invoke images of games with teams like Fenerbanche in Turkey or AS Roma in Italy. Soon, with some help, this experience will come to life in the stands at Toyota Park as the Independent Supporters Association (ISA), on behalf of Section 8; have begun the long process though the legal maze to allow for a safe, organized, handheld flare display.
Posted by: JL Murtaugh in Untagged on
Jul 11, 2008
While if you were to mention the word "tifo" to a typical sideliner Fire fan, you're still likely to get blank stares or questions about your DVR, there has been a building awareness in the stadium that on important matchdays, there's usually something big going on before kickoff in the Harlem End. Home Openers, league matches with rivals, playoffs, cup finals -- they're all occasions to break out the good stuff and show the players on the field that the entire stadium stands behind them, to a one.
Posted by: Tom Dunmore in Player news on
Jul 09, 2008
As most of you know, Blanco was sent-off last night and was apparently involved in further altercations on his way off the field, as the Fire fell 2-1 to DC United in extra time of their US Open Cup quarter-final.
The Washington Post is reporting the following:
In addition to his on-field conduct, which according to D.C. United defender Marc Burch included both punching and eye-gouging D.C. midfielder Clyde Simms, Blanco also allegedly head-butted a D.C. United operations employee as he was being escorted off the field, according to sources.
Here is D.C. United's comment on the situation: "As a result of incidents last night, Major League Soccer has requested video footage, which we are preparing and will be sending to the league," United spokesman Doug Hicks said. Hicks said MLS will have the video today.
It is highly unlikely, however, that MLS will take any action that would suspend him from MLS play, as the game was under the auspices of US Soccer, not MLS.
Fire spokesman Gregg Elkin said that "An MLS official told me today that it is a US Soccer issue because it happened in their “event”. He thought it would be left to them to make any disciplinary decisions, if any at all. He did add if there was a tape sent, that they would look at it."
Backdraft has also sent the following tape of the incident to MLS:
Posted by: Tom Dunmore in Video on
Jul 08, 2008
If a US Open Cup quarter-final takes place and nobody sees it, does it really happen?
Tonight, MLS' two most storied franchises face-off in yet another knockout grudge match, as the Fire travel to Maryland to take on DC United in the Open Cup.
Yet not only is the tie of the round not on television, online video streaming was not planned by the Fire, DC United or US Soccer (last minute efforts are being made by Section 8 Chicago to co-ordinate a webcast at the time of writing).
This blackout demonstrates short-sighted vision and a lack of planning by US Soccer, who did not respond when asked yesterday by Backdraft for comment. A tournament that could be central to showcasing the joy and drama of knockout soccer, and the depth of the game across the country, is dying due to failures of marketing and promotion such as that shown in this instance.
In the case of the Fire, it's particularly disappointing. For if there's one team and one set of supporters that has shown a commitment to the Open Cup deserving of its long history, it's Chicago, who have dominated the tournament in the modern era.
It's not as if online video streaming would be novel. The Fire's two previous Open Cup games, in Peoria and Chicago, were both streamed online. The previous game was broadcast by the Cleveland City Stars, a USL-2 team who were able to gather the resources to put together a webcast that was welcomed by many Fire fans unable to make it to the game.
What do the Fire have to say about this?
Gregg Elkin, their VP for Communications, told Backdraft that "The Fire wishes all of our games can be televised, unfortunately situations arise where a broadcast is not possible." Elkin added that, "Obviously, the technology exists today for games to be broadcast games via the internet. However, if the Fire is going to produce such a webcast, it would, and will be, of the highest quality. We are not going to put forth a product to our fans that is done with only one camera or does not have professional announcers."
"We wish tonight's game was available for people to watch," Elkin continued. "As an alternative, the game can be listened to in English and Spanish via the D.C. United stations and the action can be followed by the MLS Match Tracker system at mlsnet.com.
"As the organization looks to the future, webcasts and an overall improvement of our website is a priority," Elkin said.
Meanwhile, Section 8 Chicago has made it a priority to try and get video coverage of the game online tonight. Please check back here later for
Posted by: david kinsey in Untagged on
Jul 03, 2008
By the time the final whistle blew on June 30th, not only was the month of June about to end but the U-18 and U-16 Chicago Fire Academies were wrapping up their four-day stay in Greensboro, NC. They were taking part in the Summer Showcase featuring teams from all across the United States looking to punch their ticket to LA, if they had not already done so, and the finals competition July 12th through the 19th to be televised on the ESPN networks.
A full report on the exciting weekend's action follows.
Posted by: Marty Groark in Untagged on
Jul 02, 2008
The Chicago Fire successfully continued their run towards a record 5th Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday after a 4-1 pasting over the visiting Cleveland City Stars of the USL-2 league.
