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Chicago Fire (soccer)
Encyclopedia
Chicago Fire Soccer Club is an American professional soccer club based in the Chicago
suburb of Bridgeview, Illinois
. The team competes in Major League Soccer
(MLS), the top soccer league
in the United States
and Canada
. The organization is named for the Great Chicago Fire
of 1871, and was founded on October 8, 1997; the event's 126th anniversary.
In their first league season in 1998, the Fire won the MLS Cup
as well as the U.S. Open Cup
(the "double"). They have also won U.S. Open Cups in 2000, 2003, and 2006; in addition to the 2003 MLS Supporters' Shield
.
The Fire maintain an extensive development system, consisting of the Chicago Fire Premier
(Premier Development League and Super-20 League
teams), the Chicago Fire NPSL
team, the Chicago Fire Development Academy, and the Chicago Fire Juniors youth organization. They also operate the Chicago Fire Foundation, the team's community-based charitable division.
Toyota Park
is the Fire's home stadium. They are currently coached by Frank Klopas
.
. Since 2006, they reside in their own stadium, Toyota Park
at 71st and Harlem Avenue. The owners of the Fire are Andell Holdings
, who purchased the club in 2007. Andell Holdings director Andrew Hauptman acts as club chairman, while the current president is Julian Posada. The Fire are historically most successful in the U.S. Open Cup
; winning championships in 1998, 2000, 2003, and 2006. Chicago's chief rivals are the New England Revolution
. The Fire keeps a close connection with the Chicago Sting
(its predecessor team in the NASL
) by holding frequent commemorative events, reunions, and wearing Sting-inspired shirts.
Many notable players have worn the Fire shirt, including U.S. internationals Chris Armas
, Carlos Bocanegra
, Frank Klopas
, DaMarcus Beasley
, Brian McBride
, Tony Sanneh
, Josh Wolff
and Eric Wynalda
. Some of the club's other notable American professional players include C.J. Brown, Cory Gibbs
, Jesse Marsch
, Ante Razov
, Chris Rolfe
, and Zach Thornton
. The Fire also has a reputation for importing international talent, from established veterans like Piotr Nowak
, Cuauhtémoc Blanco
, Tomasz Frankowski
, Lubos Kubik
and Hristo Stoichkov
; in addition to younger players such as Patrick Nyarko
, Marco Pappa
, Damani Ralph
and Bakary Soumare
.
, on the anniversary of the Great Fire
, the Fire immediately tapped into the diverse ethnic makeup of the city. The team brought in Polish players Piotr Nowak
, Jerzy Podbrozny
, and Roman Kosecki
; the Mexican Jorge Campos; and the Czech Lubos Kubik
. While all showed their talent while playing for Chicago that first year, American players (Zach Thornton
, Chris Armas
, C.J. Brown) proved most integral to the Fire's continued success. Under the club's first head coach, Bob Bradley
– and against all expectation – the team completed the double in its first competitive year, beating D.C. United
in the 1998 MLS Cup Final
, and defeating the Columbus Crew
in Chicago to win the 1998 U.S. Open Cup a week later.
The team's momentum continued, reaching the 2000 MLS Cup final
(losing to Kansas City) and winning the 2000 U.S. Open Cup
. Internationally experienced players such as Hristo Stoitchkov joined the Fire, while young American talents such as DaMarcus Beasley
developed. The Fire quickly became cemented as one of the league's preeminent teams.
, Illinois
in 2002. That same year, Bob Bradley abruptly departed the team to lead the MetroStars
, from his home state of New Jersey
. The Fire then selected the U.S. men's national team's
top assistant, Dave Sarachan
, to assume the vacant post.
Chicago qualified for the league final
while also capturing the Supporters' Shield
and 2003 U.S. Open Cup
along the way. The team returned to Chicago and the renovated Soldier Field midway through the 2003 season.
After that season, longtime captain Piotr Nowak
retired to take a position in the front office. He departed a year later to become manager of D.C. United
. In this period new talent emerged, including Jamaican striker Damani Ralph
. Still, stagnating performances and the building strength of the Eastern Conference made Chicago's league position ever more tenuous. In 2004, the team missed the league playoffs for the first time in their history.
by then-owners AEG
, a move decried by fans, many players, and club staff. This came as a shock, given his brokering of a $100m deal to build the Fire a stadium in the collar suburb of Bridgeview
. He was immediately replaced by Metrostars
executive John Guppy
.
Competitively, the season was most notable for the blockbuster visit of Milan
from Italy's
Serie A
, and the surprising 4–0 away defeat of D.C. United
in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
2006 arrived, and the Fire moved from Soldier Field into its new stadium in Bridgeview, on the southwest side of Chicago: Toyota Park
, located at the corner of 71st Street and Harlem Avenue. In its first season, it played host to an unspectacular league campaign; but victory in the 2006 U.S. Open Cup
marked a continuation of the club's successes and promise for the future.
The anxiety to win another league title continued to grow, however. Sarachan
entered 2007 (his fifth season in charge) under intense pressure from fans and the administration to produce a league championship. Tension mounted further on April 3, 2007, when the Fire signed Mexico
and América
star Cuauhtémoc Blanco
to a Designated Player contract. After a perfect three matches to open the year, they won only one of their next eight, and Sarachan was dismissed. Following a brief search, Millionarios manager Juan Carlos Osorio
was named the club's third head coach.
More change came soon afterward. On September 6, 2007, Andell Holdings
, a Los Angeles-based private investment firm controlled by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Andrew Hauptman, acquired AEG
's interests in both the Chicago Fire Soccer Club and Toyota Park
. Reports estimated the purchase price to be upwards of $35 million.
On the field, behind Blanco and Wilman Conde, Osorio's central defender at Millionarios, the Fire went on an extended unbeaten run to close the season, easily qualifying for the playoffs but were defeated at New England
in the Eastern Conference Final. On December 10, 2007, the Fire announced Osorio's resignation. He was named manager of the New York Red Bulls eight days later. Hauptman filed tampering charges with the league in protest, and the Fire were compensated by the Red Bulls with cash and draft picks.
Changes came quickly in Osorio's wake. On January 17, 2008, former Fire star Frank Klopas
was named Technical Director in charge of player personnel, and longtime Fire assistant Denis Hamlett
was appointed manager. While the Fire struggled at home in 2008
the team found unusual success on the road, gathering 22 out of a possible 45 away points. Momentum grew with the long-anticipated signing of Chicago native Brian McBride
on a free transfer in July 2008. After disposing of the Red Bulls 5–2 in the season's final game, they decisively conquered New England in the first round of the playoffs with a 3–0 victory at home. This was Chicago's first playoff advancement over the Revolution in four consecutive seasons. But triumph only lasted for a week, as they again missed the league final with their 2–1 Eastern Conference Final loss to eventual champion Columbus
.
The 2009 season
saw few alterations to the previous year's roster. The story of the season was much the same, as continued poor home form offset excellent performances away from Toyota Park. This led to a second place Eastern Conference finish behind Columbus. Despite this, Real Salt Lake
managed to upset the Crew in the quarterfinals, meaning Chicago would host the semifinal for the first time in six years. Chicago's nearly flawless home playoff history meant little in the end, as they lost to Salt Lake 5–3 on penalties after 120 scoreless minutes. Shortly thereafter, manager Denis Hamlett was dismissed.
, Chicago hired Carlos de los Cobos
as head coach, previously manager of El Salvador
. Cuauhtémoc Blanco
, Chris Rolfe
and Gonzalo Segares
all departed. More changes came in the summer transfer window with the trade of Justin Mapp
to Philadelphia, the acquisition of Mexican international striker Nery Castillo
, and the trade for former Swedish international midfielder Fredrik Ljungberg
. Defender Gonzalo Segares
returned to the Fire, leaving Apollon Limassol
after only six months away. Despite these reinforcements, the Fire failed to qualify for the playoffs for only the second time in club history. Former US international Brian McBride
and club original C.J. Brown retired at season's end, followed closely by the departures of Wilman Conde, Ljungberg, and Castillo.
2011
began much in the way of 2010, with foundering performances both home and away. After nine winless matches, Carlos de los Cobos
was let go on May 30. Technical Director Frank Klopas
was named interim head coach. Behind summer reinforcements Pavel Pardo
and Sebastián Grazzini
, as well as forward Dominic Oduro
's 12 goals after being acquired in a trade from Houston
, the Fire qualified for the US Open Cup Final
(lost at Seattle
) and narrowly missed making the playoffs after gaining 24 points in their last 12 league matches.
After the season's conclusion, Klopas was given the permanent manager job on November 3.
The official club colors are red and white. Over its history, the Fire have also employed navy blue, sky blue, and black as alternate colors.
The Chicago Fire logo is derived from the standard shape of a fire department's crest (also shown by the Chicago Fire Department
), also known as a Florian's cross. This style was chosen by the original general manager, Peter Wilt, to establish a timeless image evocative of both classic American sports (as in the logos of the NHL Original Six
) and the traditions of European soccer.
The logo features a stylized 'C' at its heart (representing Chicago
), similar to the logos of the Bears
and Cubs
. The six points in a ring around the center allude to the six-pointed stars in the Municipal Flag of Chicago
, specifically the star commemorating the Great Chicago Fire
of 1871.
Nike
, the Fire's original equipment supplier, intended for the team to be named the Chicago Rhythm. The Rhythm identity featured a turquoise, black and green color scheme, and a logo adorned with a cobra
. Team officials ignored Nike's work, and privately developed the Fire identity with the help of Adrenalin, Inc., a well known sports-specific branding agency.
The original Fire shirts were chosen because of their resemblance to a Chicago fireman's coat, featuring broad horizontal stripes across the torso and sleeves. In the first year, the home jersey was red and white with a silver "FIRE" on the stripe; while the away shirts were white and black in the same style. The jersey has remained remarkably constant ever since, continually maintaining the same format of an all-red shirt with a white horizontal chest stripe, even though changes in equipment sponsor (from Nike
, to Puma
, and currently adidas
). Conversely, the Fire's secondary shirts have changed much over the years from white with black, to white with navy, to white with red, and the all-white style currently used. Third shirts have often been yellow (for the Chicago Sting, later for the partnership with Morelia. A popular light blue third shirt was worn in 2005, based on the Municipal Flag of Chicago
but was discontinued during the sponsorship change to Adidas
the next year.
The club and their fans make frequent use of the symbols of Chicago, as a show of civic pride. Most prominent are the six-pointed Chicago stars, but the light blue color associated with the city, the municipal device, and the city skyline appear regularly on materials produced by the club and its fans. The municipal flag of Chicago is also favored by fans of the club and often seen at the stadium, in a manner akin to the use of the flag of Catalonia
for FC Barcelona
fans, but without a nationalist subtext.
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Chicago plays its home games at Toyota Park
in the Chicago suburb of Bridgeview, Illinois
. The soccer-specific stadium
opened on June 11, 2006 and was developed at a cost of around $100 million.
For its first years in the league the Fire played at Soldier Field
, the 61,500-capacity home of the Chicago Bears
of the NFL and one of the main venues of the 1994 FIFA World Cup
. While that stadium was undergoing a $632 million renovation, the Fire played at Cardinal Stadium in Naperville, Illinois
, on the outskirts of the Chicago metropolitan area. They returned to Soldier Field toward the end of 2003, remaining there through the end of 2005.
and ultras
groups occupy a standing area directly behind the north goal, in the Harlem End of Toyota Park
. This area is referred to as Section 8, originating from the numbering of the corresponding section at Soldier Field
and the American military designation
of mentally unfit soldiers. Section 8 Chicago
, the Independent Supporters' Association for the Fire, oversees the activities of these numerous groups. While incorporating a worldwide variety of styles with a Chicago bent, groups as part of Section 8 generally fall under the ultras designation. Additionally, an associated spinoff group called "Sector Latino" congregates in Section 101 at the stadium's South end.
The Section 8 Chicago
ISA, an umbrella organization for all Fire fans, is a non-profit organization recognized by the state of Illinois
.
Match atmosphere is known for organized displays of stadium-wide support, particularly for matches of prime competitive importance. Call-and-response cheering amongst the crowd is commonplace. Fans at Toyota Park for Fire matches periodically choreograph tifo
presentations both to show their pride and inspire the players on the field. Toyota Park remains one of the few American environments to conduct such fan-driven presentations on a large scale.
. Announcers are Dan Kelly
and former Fire midfielder Evan Whitfield. Select matches are also nationally broadcast on ESPN
, Fox Soccer Channel
, or Telefutura
via the league's television agreements.
games, but are not part of the senior roster.
Chris Armas
(1998–2007) DaMarcus Beasley
(2000–04) Cuauhtémoc Blanco
(2007–09) Carlos Bocanegra
(2000–03) C. J. Brown
(1998–10) Jon Busch
(2007–10) Jorge Campos (1998)
Wilman Conde, Jr.
(2007–10) Tomasz Frankowski
(2008) Iván Guerrero
(2005–07) Diego Gutiérrez
(1998–01), (2006–08) Frank Klopas
(1998–99) Roman Kosecki
(1998–99) Dema Kovalenko (1999-02) Luboš Kubík
(1998–2000)
Freddie Ljungberg (2010) Justin Mapp
(2003–10) Brian McBride
(2008–10) Piotr Nowak
(1998–2002) Jerzy Podbrożny
(1998–99) Damani Ralph
(2003–05) Ante Razov
(1998–2000), (2001–04) Chris Rolfe
(2005–09) Tony Sanneh
(2005–06) Bakary Soumare
(2007–09) Hristo Stoichkov
(2000–02) Zach Thornton
(1998–03), (2005–07) John Thorrington
(2005–10) Paulo Wanchope
(2007) Josh Wolff
(1998–2002) Eric Wynalda
(2001)
(1998–2002) Dave Sarachan
(2003–2007) Juan Carlos Osorio
(2007) Denis Hamlett
(2008–2009) Carlos de los Cobos
(2010–2011) Frank Klopas
(2011–)
, only "Ring of Fire" members can select new inductees, and no more than one can be selected any year. Names and numbers (if applicable) are prominently displayed inside Toyota Park
.
There were no inductees in 2008, 2010, or 2011. In 2008, the members voted to honor two recently deceased fans (supporter leaders Dan Parry and Brandon Kitchens) but were overruled by club Chairman Andrew Hauptman. C.J. Brown was expected to be honored in 2011, but a new rule was established that inductees must have been away from the club for at least a calendar year.
10 Piotr Nowak
(inducted 2003) 41 Frank Klopas
(inducted 2004) 5 Luboš Kubík
(inducted 2005) Former General Manager & Club President Peter Wilt
(inducted 2006) Former Head Coach Bob Bradley
(inducted 2007) 14 Chris Armas
(inducted 2009)
* Won MLS Supporters' Shield
MLS regular season only, through 2011
Source: http://www.chicago-fire.com/history/honors
*Golden Boot is the team leader in goals (regular season games only).
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
suburb of Bridgeview, Illinois
Bridgeview, Illinois
Bridgeview is a village in Cook County, Illinois in the United States. It is located approximately from the Chicago Loop. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 16,446...
. The team competes in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
(MLS), the top soccer league
American Soccer Pyramid
The United States soccer pyramid is a term used in soccer to describe the structure of the league system in the United States. The country's governing body for the sport, the United States Soccer Federation , oversees the system but does not operate any of its component leagues—with one temporary...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The organization is named for the Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday, October 8, to early Tuesday, October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about in Chicago, Illinois. Though the fire was one of the largest U.S...
of 1871, and was founded on October 8, 1997; the event's 126th anniversary.
In their first league season in 1998, the Fire won the MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
as well as the U.S. Open Cup
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League...
(the "double"). They have also won U.S. Open Cups in 2000, 2003, and 2006; in addition to the 2003 MLS Supporters' Shield
MLS Supporters' Shield
The Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system...
.
The Fire maintain an extensive development system, consisting of the Chicago Fire Premier
Chicago Fire Premier
Chicago Fire Premier is an American soccer team based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 2001, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at...
(Premier Development League and Super-20 League
Super-20 League
The United Soccer Leagues Super-20 League is an American-Canadian soccer league for players 17 to 20 years of age. Introduced in 2006 it took the place of the U-19 age bracket in the Super Y-League....
teams), the Chicago Fire NPSL
Chicago Fire NPSL
Chicago Fire NPSL is an American soccer team based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 2007, the team plays in National Premier Soccer League , a national amateur league at the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Midwest Division.The team plays its home games on the turf...
team, the Chicago Fire Development Academy, and the Chicago Fire Juniors youth organization. They also operate the Chicago Fire Foundation, the team's community-based charitable division.
Toyota Park
Toyota Park (Bridgeview)
Toyota Park is a soccer-specific stadium located at 71st Street and Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview, Illinois. It is the home stadium of the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, members of Major League Soccer . Toyota Park was developed at a cost of around $100 million. The facility opened June 11, 2006...
is the Fire's home stadium. They are currently coached by Frank Klopas
Frank Klopas
Fotios "Frank" Klopas is a retired Greek-American soccer forward and midfielder. Klopas is currently the Head Coach for the Chicago Fire...
.
Overview
Founded on October 8, 1997, the club was originally based at Soldier FieldSoldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
. Since 2006, they reside in their own stadium, Toyota Park
Toyota Park (Bridgeview)
Toyota Park is a soccer-specific stadium located at 71st Street and Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview, Illinois. It is the home stadium of the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, members of Major League Soccer . Toyota Park was developed at a cost of around $100 million. The facility opened June 11, 2006...
at 71st and Harlem Avenue. The owners of the Fire are Andell Holdings
Andell Holdings
Andell Holdings is a Los Angeles-based private investment firm with global business and investment interests.Andell Holdings was named after Andrew and Ellen Hauptman, the two principal owners, using the first portions of each of their names . Andell is the principal investor in both the Chicago...
, who purchased the club in 2007. Andell Holdings director Andrew Hauptman acts as club chairman, while the current president is Julian Posada. The Fire are historically most successful in the U.S. Open Cup
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League...
; winning championships in 1998, 2000, 2003, and 2006. Chicago's chief rivals are the New England Revolution
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
. The Fire keeps a close connection with the Chicago Sting
Chicago Sting
The Chicago Sting was an American professional soccer team based in Chicago, Illinois. The Sting played in the North American Soccer League from 1975 to 1984 and in the Major Indoor Soccer League from in the 1982-83 season and again from 1984 to 1988...
(its predecessor team in the NASL
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
) by holding frequent commemorative events, reunions, and wearing Sting-inspired shirts.
Many notable players have worn the Fire shirt, including U.S. internationals Chris Armas
Chris Armas
Chris Armas is a retired American soccer player. He is currently the head women's soccer coach at Adelphi University. He was also a teacher of physical education at St. Anthony's High School in South Huntington, New York.-College:Armas is of Puerto Rican descent...
, Carlos Bocanegra
Carlos Bocanegra
Carlos Manuel Bocanegra is an American soccer player who plays for Scottish Premier League club Rangers and is the captain of the United States national team.-Chicago Fire:...
, Frank Klopas
Frank Klopas
Fotios "Frank" Klopas is a retired Greek-American soccer forward and midfielder. Klopas is currently the Head Coach for the Chicago Fire...
, DaMarcus Beasley
DaMarcus Beasley
DaMarcus Lamont Beasley is an American soccer player who plays for Puebla of the Mexican Primera División. He plays mainly as a winger on the left side of the midfield, but has also been used as a forward and fullback...
, Brian McBride
Brian McBride
Brian Robert McBride is a retired American soccer player who finished his career for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer , but spent the majority of his time in MLS playing for the Columbus Crew. For much of his career he played in Europe, notably for Fulham in the English Premier League...
, Tony Sanneh
Tony Sanneh
Anthony "Tony" Sanneh is an American soccer player who most recently played for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:...
, Josh Wolff
Josh Wolff
Joshua David "Josh" Wolff is an American soccer player currently playing for D.C. United of Major League Soccer.-College:...
and Eric Wynalda
Eric Wynalda
Eric Boswell Wynalda is a retired American soccer player, and former sports broadcaster. He was the co-host of Fox Football Fone-In on Fox Soccer Channel and is currently employeed as the president of international operations at Mexican third division club Murcielagos.Wynalda scored the first goal...
. Some of the club's other notable American professional players include C.J. Brown, Cory Gibbs
Cory Gibbs
Cory Gibbs is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer.-College and amateur:...
, Jesse Marsch
Jesse Marsch
Jesse Marsch is a retired American soccer midfielder who will be the head coach of the Montreal Impact for their entrance in MLS in 2012, having previously been an assistant for the U.S. national team. He spent fourteen seasons in Major League Soccer, winning three league and four U.S. Open Cup...
, Ante Razov
Ante Razov
Ante Razov is a retired American soccer player of Croatian descent who last played for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Club:...
, Chris Rolfe
Chris Rolfe
Chris Rolfe is an American soccer player who currently plays for AaB in the Danish Superliga.-College:...
, and Zach Thornton
Zach Thornton
Zach Thornton is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:...
. The Fire also has a reputation for importing international talent, from established veterans like Piotr Nowak
Piotr Nowak
Piotr Nowak is a Polish former professional soccer player. He is currently the head coach of the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer.Nowak enjoyed a successful playing career in Europe, playing for Polish clubs such as Zawisza Bydgoszcz and Widzew Łódź, before going on to play in Turkey,...
, Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Cuauhtémoc Blanco Bravo is a Mexican professional footballer currently signed for Irapuato in the Mexican Liga de Ascenso.Known for his aggressive yet charismatic personality on the field, playing most of his career as a deep-lying forward and his last years as an attacking midfielder...
, Tomasz Frankowski
Tomasz Frankowski
Tomasz Frankowski is a Polish footballer who plays for Jagiellonia Białystok.Frankowski achieved his greatest success at Wisła Kraków of Poland, where he helped fire them to a collection of domestic honours...
, Lubos Kubik
Luboš Kubík
Luboš Kubík is a Czech former professional footballer and former manager of Torquay United, who played sweeper for the Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic national teams, winning 56 caps in total, and a number of notable clubs...
and Hristo Stoichkov
Hristo Stoichkov
Hristo Stoichkov Stoichkov , sometimes Stoitchkov; born 8 February 1966 in Plovdiv) is a retired Bulgarian footballer. He is regarded as one of the best footballers of his generation and the greatest Bulgarian footballer of all time. Nicknamed The Dagger , The Dog , The Modern Left...
; in addition to younger players such as Patrick Nyarko
Patrick Nyarko
Patrick Nyarko is a Ghanaian footballer who currently plays for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer.-College:...
, Marco Pappa
Marco Pappa
Marco Pablo Pappa Ponce is a Guatemalan footballer who plays for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer since 2008 and is a member of the Guatemala national team.-Club career:...
, Damani Ralph
Damani Ralph
Damani Ralph is a Jamaican football player, who last played for Russian team FC Rubin Kazan in Russia.- Amateur/College :...
and Bakary Soumare
Bakary Soumare
Bakary Soumaré is a Malian international footballer who plays professionally for US Boulogne in France's Ligue 2, as a defender.-Early life:Born in Bamako, Mali, Soumaré grew up in Paris and New York City.-Youth and College:...
.
Club foundation and initial success
Founded in 1997 at Navy PierNavy Pier
Navy Pier is a long pier on the Chicago shoreline of Lake Michigan. It is located in the Streeterville neighborhood of the Near North Side community area. The pier was built in 1916 at a cost of $4.5 million, equivalent to $ today. It was a part of the Plan of Chicago developed by architect and...
, on the anniversary of the Great Fire
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday, October 8, to early Tuesday, October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about in Chicago, Illinois. Though the fire was one of the largest U.S...
, the Fire immediately tapped into the diverse ethnic makeup of the city. The team brought in Polish players Piotr Nowak
Piotr Nowak
Piotr Nowak is a Polish former professional soccer player. He is currently the head coach of the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer.Nowak enjoyed a successful playing career in Europe, playing for Polish clubs such as Zawisza Bydgoszcz and Widzew Łódź, before going on to play in Turkey,...
, Jerzy Podbrozny
Jerzy Podbrozny
Jerzy Podbrożny is a former Polish football striker, one of the top scorers in Polish football history.Podbrożny led the Polish league in scoring: in 1992 with 20 goals and in 1993 with 25 goals, both times for Lech Poznań. After winning the championship both those years, he transferred to Legia...
, and Roman Kosecki
Roman Kosecki
Roman Kosecki is a former Polish soccer striker.In his club career, Kosecki played for RKS URSUS, Gwardia Warsaw, Legia Warsaw, Galatasaray, CA Osasuna, Atlético Madrid, Nantes, Montpellier, and the Chicago Fire...
; the Mexican Jorge Campos; and the Czech Lubos Kubik
Luboš Kubík
Luboš Kubík is a Czech former professional footballer and former manager of Torquay United, who played sweeper for the Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic national teams, winning 56 caps in total, and a number of notable clubs...
. While all showed their talent while playing for Chicago that first year, American players (Zach Thornton
Zach Thornton
Zach Thornton is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:...
, Chris Armas
Chris Armas
Chris Armas is a retired American soccer player. He is currently the head women's soccer coach at Adelphi University. He was also a teacher of physical education at St. Anthony's High School in South Huntington, New York.-College:Armas is of Puerto Rican descent...
, C.J. Brown) proved most integral to the Fire's continued success. Under the club's first head coach, Bob Bradley
Bob Bradley
Robert "Bob" Bradley is an American soccer coach and the current manager of the Egypt national football team, taking over in September 2011. He previously managed the United States men's national soccer team...
– and against all expectation – the team completed the double in its first competitive year, beating D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
in the 1998 MLS Cup Final
MLS Cup 1998
The 1998 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 1998 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 25, 1998, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. The Chicago Fire beat D.C. United 2-0, bringing to an end United's reign as two-time defending MLS champions. The Fire great Peter Nowak was...
, and defeating the Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
in Chicago to win the 1998 U.S. Open Cup a week later.
The team's momentum continued, reaching the 2000 MLS Cup final
MLS Cup 2000
The 2000 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2000 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 15, 2000, at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. between the Kansas City Wizards and the Chicago Fire. Kansas City took advantage of an early breakdown by Chicago to net the game's only goal...
(losing to Kansas City) and winning the 2000 U.S. Open Cup
2000 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
-Schedule:Note: Scorelines use the standard U.S. convention of placing the home team on the right-hand side of box scores.-First round:Four PDL and four USASA teams start.-----Second round:...
. Internationally experienced players such as Hristo Stoitchkov joined the Fire, while young American talents such as DaMarcus Beasley
DaMarcus Beasley
DaMarcus Lamont Beasley is an American soccer player who plays for Puebla of the Mexican Primera División. He plays mainly as a winger on the left side of the midfield, but has also been used as a forward and fullback...
developed. The Fire quickly became cemented as one of the league's preeminent teams.
Nomadic times
With Soldier Field undergoing massive renovations, the Fire moved to the western Chicago suburb of NapervilleNaperville, Illinois
Naperville is a city in DuPage and Will Counties in Illinois in the United States, voted the second best place to live in the United States by Money Magazine in 2006. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 141,853. It is the fifth largest city in the state, behind Chicago,...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
in 2002. That same year, Bob Bradley abruptly departed the team to lead the MetroStars
Red Bull New York
The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer team based in Harrison, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The team competes in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
, from his home state of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. The Fire then selected the U.S. men's national team's
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
top assistant, Dave Sarachan
Dave Sarachan
Dave Sarachan is a former U.S. soccer coach and player. He spent two seasons in the North American Soccer League and four in Major Indoor Soccer League before retiring in 1982...
, to assume the vacant post.
Chicago qualified for the league final
MLS Cup 2003
The 2003 MLS Cup was a soccer match that took place on November 23, 2003 at the The Home Depot Center in Carson, California to determine the champion of the 2003 Major League Soccer season. The San Jose Earthquakes defeated the Chicago Fire 4 - 2 with a goal from Richard Mulrooney in the 50th...
while also capturing the Supporters' Shield
MLS Supporters' Shield
The Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system...
and 2003 U.S. Open Cup
2003 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
-Schedule:Note: Scorelines use the standard U.S. convention of placing the home team on the right-hand side of box scores.-First round:Four PDL and four USASA teams start.------Second round:Six PSL and two PDL teams enter.-----...
along the way. The team returned to Chicago and the renovated Soldier Field midway through the 2003 season.
After that season, longtime captain Piotr Nowak
Piotr Nowak
Piotr Nowak is a Polish former professional soccer player. He is currently the head coach of the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer.Nowak enjoyed a successful playing career in Europe, playing for Polish clubs such as Zawisza Bydgoszcz and Widzew Łódź, before going on to play in Turkey,...
retired to take a position in the front office. He departed a year later to become manager of D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
. In this period new talent emerged, including Jamaican striker Damani Ralph
Damani Ralph
Damani Ralph is a Jamaican football player, who last played for Russian team FC Rubin Kazan in Russia.- Amateur/College :...
. Still, stagnating performances and the building strength of the Eastern Conference made Chicago's league position ever more tenuous. In 2004, the team missed the league playoffs for the first time in their history.
Turmoil, and a permanent home
The 2005 season began with the unexpected dismissal of popular club president Peter WiltPeter Wilt
Peter Wilt , is a soccer executive who was the first President and General Manager of the Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer, led an effort to bring an expansion MLS franchise to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and maintains strong connection to the sport of soccer in the Midwest, Chicago in particular...
by then-owners AEG
Anschutz Entertainment Group
The Anschutz Entertainment Group is a sporting and music entertainment presenter and a subsidiary of The Anschutz Corporation. It is the world's largest owner of sports teams and sports events, the owner of the world’s most profitable sports and entertainment venues, and under AEG Live the world's...
, a move decried by fans, many players, and club staff. This came as a shock, given his brokering of a $100m deal to build the Fire a stadium in the collar suburb of Bridgeview
Bridgeview, Illinois
Bridgeview is a village in Cook County, Illinois in the United States. It is located approximately from the Chicago Loop. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 16,446...
. He was immediately replaced by Metrostars
Red Bull New York
The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer team based in Harrison, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The team competes in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
executive John Guppy
John Guppy
John Guppy is the owner of Gilt Edge Soccer Marketing, a soccer-specific marketing agency.He was formerly the president and CEO of the Chicago Fire, until agreeing to part ways with new team owners, Andell Holdings on April 11, 2008....
.
Competitively, the season was most notable for the blockbuster visit of Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
from Italy's
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
, and the surprising 4–0 away defeat of D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
2006 arrived, and the Fire moved from Soldier Field into its new stadium in Bridgeview, on the southwest side of Chicago: Toyota Park
Toyota Park (Bridgeview)
Toyota Park is a soccer-specific stadium located at 71st Street and Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview, Illinois. It is the home stadium of the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, members of Major League Soccer . Toyota Park was developed at a cost of around $100 million. The facility opened June 11, 2006...
, located at the corner of 71st Street and Harlem Avenue. In its first season, it played host to an unspectacular league campaign; but victory in the 2006 U.S. Open Cup
2006 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
-Schedule:Note: Scorelines use the standard U.S. convention of placing the home team on the right-hand side of box scores.-Qualifying round:Teams from USASA and PDL start.-----First round:Teams from USASA, PDL, and USL-2.----...
marked a continuation of the club's successes and promise for the future.
The anxiety to win another league title continued to grow, however. Sarachan
Dave Sarachan
Dave Sarachan is a former U.S. soccer coach and player. He spent two seasons in the North American Soccer League and four in Major Indoor Soccer League before retiring in 1982...
entered 2007 (his fifth season in charge) under intense pressure from fans and the administration to produce a league championship. Tension mounted further on April 3, 2007, when the Fire signed Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
and América
Club América
Club América is a Mexican Professional football club based in Mexico City. It competes in the Primera División, the top professional league in the country. The team's nickname is Las Águilas ....
star Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Cuauhtémoc Blanco Bravo is a Mexican professional footballer currently signed for Irapuato in the Mexican Liga de Ascenso.Known for his aggressive yet charismatic personality on the field, playing most of his career as a deep-lying forward and his last years as an attacking midfielder...
to a Designated Player contract. After a perfect three matches to open the year, they won only one of their next eight, and Sarachan was dismissed. Following a brief search, Millionarios manager Juan Carlos Osorio
Juan Carlos Osorio
Juan Carlos Osorio The Recreationist , is a Colombian football manager and former football player who began his career in 1980 with Deportivo Pereira. He is currently managing Puebla FC in Mexico....
was named the club's third head coach.
The Hauptman era
Andell Holdings
Andell Holdings is a Los Angeles-based private investment firm with global business and investment interests.Andell Holdings was named after Andrew and Ellen Hauptman, the two principal owners, using the first portions of each of their names . Andell is the principal investor in both the Chicago...
, a Los Angeles-based private investment firm controlled by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Andrew Hauptman, acquired AEG
Anschutz Entertainment Group
The Anschutz Entertainment Group is a sporting and music entertainment presenter and a subsidiary of The Anschutz Corporation. It is the world's largest owner of sports teams and sports events, the owner of the world’s most profitable sports and entertainment venues, and under AEG Live the world's...
's interests in both the Chicago Fire Soccer Club and Toyota Park
Toyota Park (Bridgeview)
Toyota Park is a soccer-specific stadium located at 71st Street and Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview, Illinois. It is the home stadium of the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, members of Major League Soccer . Toyota Park was developed at a cost of around $100 million. The facility opened June 11, 2006...
. Reports estimated the purchase price to be upwards of $35 million.
On the field, behind Blanco and Wilman Conde, Osorio's central defender at Millionarios, the Fire went on an extended unbeaten run to close the season, easily qualifying for the playoffs but were defeated at New England
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
in the Eastern Conference Final. On December 10, 2007, the Fire announced Osorio's resignation. He was named manager of the New York Red Bulls eight days later. Hauptman filed tampering charges with the league in protest, and the Fire were compensated by the Red Bulls with cash and draft picks.
Changes came quickly in Osorio's wake. On January 17, 2008, former Fire star Frank Klopas
Frank Klopas
Fotios "Frank" Klopas is a retired Greek-American soccer forward and midfielder. Klopas is currently the Head Coach for the Chicago Fire...
was named Technical Director in charge of player personnel, and longtime Fire assistant Denis Hamlett
Denis Hamlett
Denis Hamlett is a Costa Rican former professional soccer player. He has also served as an assistant coach and manager in Major League Soccer....
was appointed manager. While the Fire struggled at home in 2008
2008 Major League Soccer season
The 2008 Major League Soccer season was the 13th season in league history. The season began on March 29 and ended with MLS Cup 2008, on November 23 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California.-Changes from the 2007 season:...
the team found unusual success on the road, gathering 22 out of a possible 45 away points. Momentum grew with the long-anticipated signing of Chicago native Brian McBride
Brian McBride
Brian Robert McBride is a retired American soccer player who finished his career for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer , but spent the majority of his time in MLS playing for the Columbus Crew. For much of his career he played in Europe, notably for Fulham in the English Premier League...
on a free transfer in July 2008. After disposing of the Red Bulls 5–2 in the season's final game, they decisively conquered New England in the first round of the playoffs with a 3–0 victory at home. This was Chicago's first playoff advancement over the Revolution in four consecutive seasons. But triumph only lasted for a week, as they again missed the league final with their 2–1 Eastern Conference Final loss to eventual champion Columbus
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
.
The 2009 season
2009 Major League Soccer season
The 2009 Major League Soccer season was the 14th season of Major League Soccer. The season began on March 19 and ended with Real Salt Lake winning the MLS Cup 2009, on November 22 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington-Changes from the 2008 season:...
saw few alterations to the previous year's roster. The story of the season was much the same, as continued poor home form offset excellent performances away from Toyota Park. This led to a second place Eastern Conference finish behind Columbus. Despite this, Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
managed to upset the Crew in the quarterfinals, meaning Chicago would host the semifinal for the first time in six years. Chicago's nearly flawless home playoff history meant little in the end, as they lost to Salt Lake 5–3 on penalties after 120 scoreless minutes. Shortly thereafter, manager Denis Hamlett was dismissed.
Recent struggles
Leading up to 20102010 Major League Soccer season
The 2010 Major League Soccer season was the 98th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 32nd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 15th in MLS history. It began on March 25 at Seattle's Qwest Field with Seattle Sounders FC defeating the expansion...
, Chicago hired Carlos de los Cobos
Carlos de los Cobos
Carlos de los Cobos Martínez is a Mexican former football player. He last coached the Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer.-Playing career:...
as head coach, previously manager of El Salvador
El Salvador national football team
El Salvador's national football team represents El Salvador in international football and is sanctioned by the Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol . In 1899, Santa Ana and San Salvador met for the first hosted football game in El Salvador...
. Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Cuauhtémoc Blanco Bravo is a Mexican professional footballer currently signed for Irapuato in the Mexican Liga de Ascenso.Known for his aggressive yet charismatic personality on the field, playing most of his career as a deep-lying forward and his last years as an attacking midfielder...
, Chris Rolfe
Chris Rolfe
Chris Rolfe is an American soccer player who currently plays for AaB in the Danish Superliga.-College:...
and Gonzalo Segares
Gonzalo Segares
Gonzalo Segares Gonzalez is a Costa Rican footballer who currently plays for the Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:...
all departed. More changes came in the summer transfer window with the trade of Justin Mapp
Justin Mapp
Justin Mapp is an American soccer player who currently plays for Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer.-Professional:...
to Philadelphia, the acquisition of Mexican international striker Nery Castillo
Nery Castillo
Nery Alberto Castillo Confalonieri , is a Mexican international footballer who currently plays for Aris.He began his career at Uruguayan club Danubio, moving to Greece at the age of 16 to play for Olympiacos....
, and the trade for former Swedish international midfielder Fredrik Ljungberg
Fredrik Ljungberg
Karl Fredrik "Freddie" Ljungberg is a Swedish footballer who currently plays as a right winger for Shimizu S-Pulse in Japan. Ljungberg was captain of the Swedish national team until he announced his international retirement after UEFA Euro 2008.Ljungberg was a model for Calvin Klein underwear...
. Defender Gonzalo Segares
Gonzalo Segares
Gonzalo Segares Gonzalez is a Costa Rican footballer who currently plays for the Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:...
returned to the Fire, leaving Apollon Limassol
Apollon Limassol
Apollon Limassol is a Greek Cypriot sports club, based in Limassol. It has football, basketball and volleyball teams. Founded in 1954, Apollon F.C...
after only six months away. Despite these reinforcements, the Fire failed to qualify for the playoffs for only the second time in club history. Former US international Brian McBride
Brian McBride
Brian Robert McBride is a retired American soccer player who finished his career for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer , but spent the majority of his time in MLS playing for the Columbus Crew. For much of his career he played in Europe, notably for Fulham in the English Premier League...
and club original C.J. Brown retired at season's end, followed closely by the departures of Wilman Conde, Ljungberg, and Castillo.
2011
2011 Major League Soccer season
The 2011 Major League Soccer season was the 99th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 33rd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 16th season of Major League Soccer. The season marked the arrival of two new league clubs, Portland Timbers and Vancouver...
began much in the way of 2010, with foundering performances both home and away. After nine winless matches, Carlos de los Cobos
Carlos de los Cobos
Carlos de los Cobos Martínez is a Mexican former football player. He last coached the Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer.-Playing career:...
was let go on May 30. Technical Director Frank Klopas
Frank Klopas
Fotios "Frank" Klopas is a retired Greek-American soccer forward and midfielder. Klopas is currently the Head Coach for the Chicago Fire...
was named interim head coach. Behind summer reinforcements Pavel Pardo
Pavel Pardo
Pável Pardo Segura , is a Mexican international footballer, who currently plays for the Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer.- Biography :...
and Sebastián Grazzini
Sebastián Grazzini
Sebastián Hugo Grazzini is an Argentine footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer.-Career:...
, as well as forward Dominic Oduro
Dominic Oduro
Dominic Oduro is a Ghanaian footballer who currently plays for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer.-College:Oduro started his playing career in Ghana, playing for both Prempeh College and the University of Ghana before transferring to Virginia Commonwealth University in 2004...
's 12 goals after being acquired in a trade from Houston
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...
, the Fire qualified for the US Open Cup Final
2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final
The 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final was played on October 4, 2011 in Seattle, Washington for the second consecutive year. The match saw the Seattle Sounders FC defeat the Chicago Fire 2-0 to be crowned champions in three consecutive years of the 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a tournament open...
(lost at Seattle
Seattle Sounders
Seattle Sounders may refer to:*Seattle Sounders , a North American Soccer League team*Seattle Sounders , a USL First Division team*Seattle Sounders Women , a USL W-League team...
) and narrowly missed making the playoffs after gaining 24 points in their last 12 league matches.
After the season's conclusion, Klopas was given the permanent manager job on November 3.
Colors and badge
The Chicago Fire logo is derived from the standard shape of a fire department's crest (also shown by the Chicago Fire Department
Chicago Fire Department
The Chicago Fire Department, also known as the CFD, is the principal fire suppression, prevention, and rescue agency of Chicago, Illinois, under the jurisdiction of the mayor of Chicago. The Chicago Fire Department is the second largest fire department in the United States after the New York City...
), also known as a Florian's cross. This style was chosen by the original general manager, Peter Wilt, to establish a timeless image evocative of both classic American sports (as in the logos of the NHL Original Six
Original Six
The Original Six is a term for the group of six teams that composed the National Hockey League for the 25 seasons between the 1942–43 season and the 1967 NHL Expansion. These six teams are the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and the...
) and the traditions of European soccer.
The logo features a stylized 'C' at its heart (representing Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
), similar to the logos of the Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. The six points in a ring around the center allude to the six-pointed stars in the Municipal Flag of Chicago
Municipal Flag of Chicago
The municipal flag of Chicago consists of two blue horizontal stripes on a field of white, each stripe one-sixth the height of the full flag, and placed slightly less than one-sixth of the way from the top or bottom, respectively. Between the two blue stripes are four red, six-pointed stars...
, specifically the star commemorating the Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday, October 8, to early Tuesday, October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about in Chicago, Illinois. Though the fire was one of the largest U.S...
of 1871.
Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
, the Fire's original equipment supplier, intended for the team to be named the Chicago Rhythm. The Rhythm identity featured a turquoise, black and green color scheme, and a logo adorned with a cobra
Cobra
Cobra is a venomous snake belonging to the family Elapidae. However, not all snakes commonly referred to as cobras are of the same genus, or even of the same family. The name is short for cobra capo or capa Snake, which is Portuguese for "snake with hood", or "hood-snake"...
. Team officials ignored Nike's work, and privately developed the Fire identity with the help of Adrenalin, Inc., a well known sports-specific branding agency.
The original Fire shirts were chosen because of their resemblance to a Chicago fireman's coat, featuring broad horizontal stripes across the torso and sleeves. In the first year, the home jersey was red and white with a silver "FIRE" on the stripe; while the away shirts were white and black in the same style. The jersey has remained remarkably constant ever since, continually maintaining the same format of an all-red shirt with a white horizontal chest stripe, even though changes in equipment sponsor (from Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
, to Puma
PUMA AG
Puma SE, officially branded as PUMA, is a major German multinational company that produces high-end athletic shoes, lifestyle footwear and other sportswear. Formed in 1924 as Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik by Adolf and Rudolf Dassler, relationships between the two brothers deteriorated until the two...
, and currently adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
). Conversely, the Fire's secondary shirts have changed much over the years from white with black, to white with navy, to white with red, and the all-white style currently used. Third shirts have often been yellow (for the Chicago Sting, later for the partnership with Morelia. A popular light blue third shirt was worn in 2005, based on the Municipal Flag of Chicago
Municipal Flag of Chicago
The municipal flag of Chicago consists of two blue horizontal stripes on a field of white, each stripe one-sixth the height of the full flag, and placed slightly less than one-sixth of the way from the top or bottom, respectively. Between the two blue stripes are four red, six-pointed stars...
but was discontinued during the sponsorship change to Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
the next year.
The club and their fans make frequent use of the symbols of Chicago, as a show of civic pride. Most prominent are the six-pointed Chicago stars, but the light blue color associated with the city, the municipal device, and the city skyline appear regularly on materials produced by the club and its fans. The municipal flag of Chicago is also favored by fans of the club and often seen at the stadium, in a manner akin to the use of the flag of Catalonia
Senyera
The Senyera is a vexillological symbol based on the coat of arms of the Crown of Aragon, which consists of four red stripes on a golden background...
for FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
fans, but without a nationalist subtext.
Kit manufacturers
| Years | Kit Supplier |
|---|---|
| 1998–2002 | Nike Nike, Inc. Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area... |
| 2003–2005 | Puma PUMA AG Puma SE, officially branded as PUMA, is a major German multinational company that produces high-end athletic shoes, lifestyle footwear and other sportswear. Formed in 1924 as Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik by Adolf and Rudolf Dassler, relationships between the two brothers deteriorated until the two... |
| 2006–present | Adidas Adidas Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport... |
Stadium
Toyota Park (Bridgeview)
Toyota Park is a soccer-specific stadium located at 71st Street and Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview, Illinois. It is the home stadium of the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, members of Major League Soccer . Toyota Park was developed at a cost of around $100 million. The facility opened June 11, 2006...
in the Chicago suburb of Bridgeview, Illinois
Bridgeview, Illinois
Bridgeview is a village in Cook County, Illinois in the United States. It is located approximately from the Chicago Loop. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 16,446...
. The soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States, Canada, Australia and South Korea coined by Lamar Hunt, to refer to a sports stadium either purpose built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multipurpose...
opened on June 11, 2006 and was developed at a cost of around $100 million.
For its first years in the league the Fire played at Soldier Field
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
, the 61,500-capacity home of the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the NFL and one of the main venues of the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
. While that stadium was undergoing a $632 million renovation, the Fire played at Cardinal Stadium in Naperville, Illinois
Naperville, Illinois
Naperville is a city in DuPage and Will Counties in Illinois in the United States, voted the second best place to live in the United States by Money Magazine in 2006. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 141,853. It is the fifth largest city in the state, behind Chicago,...
, on the outskirts of the Chicago metropolitan area. They returned to Soldier Field toward the end of 2003, remaining there through the end of 2005.
Home stadiums
- Soldier FieldSoldier FieldSoldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
; Chicago, Illinois (1998–2001), (2003–2005) - Cardinal Stadium; Naperville, IllinoisNaperville, IllinoisNaperville is a city in DuPage and Will Counties in Illinois in the United States, voted the second best place to live in the United States by Money Magazine in 2006. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 141,853. It is the fifth largest city in the state, behind Chicago,...
(2002–2003) - Toyota ParkToyota Park (Bridgeview)Toyota Park is a soccer-specific stadium located at 71st Street and Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview, Illinois. It is the home stadium of the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, members of Major League Soccer . Toyota Park was developed at a cost of around $100 million. The facility opened June 11, 2006...
; Bridgeview, IllinoisBridgeview, IllinoisBridgeview is a village in Cook County, Illinois in the United States. It is located approximately from the Chicago Loop. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 16,446...
(2006–present)
Other stadiums
- Benedetti–Wehrli Stadium; Naperville, IllinoisNaperville, IllinoisNaperville is a city in DuPage and Will Counties in Illinois in the United States, voted the second best place to live in the United States by Money Magazine in 2006. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 141,853. It is the fifth largest city in the state, behind Chicago,...
(2004) 1 game in US Open Cup - Forest View Park; Arlington Heights, IllinoisArlington Heights, IllinoisArlington Heights is a village in Cook and Lake counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. A suburb of Chicago, it lies about 25 miles northwest of the city's downtown. The population was 75,101 at the 2010 census....
(2000) 1 game in US Open Cup - Milwaukee Sports Complex; Franklin, WisconsinFranklin, WisconsinFranklin, Wisconsin can refer to several places:*Franklin, Jackson County, Wisconsin, a town*Franklin , Jackson County, Wisconsin, an unincorporated community*Franklin, Kewaunee County, Wisconsin, a town...
(2001) 1 game in US Open Cup - McCully Field; Wheaton, IllinoisWheaton, IllinoisWheaton is an affluent community located in DuPage County, Illinois, approximately west of Chicago and Lake Michigan. Wheaton is the county seat of DuPage County...
(2001) 1 game in US Open Cup - Shea StadiumShea Stadium (Peoria, Illinois)Shea Stadium is a privately owned and managed facility located in Peoria, Illinois, less than a mile north of Bradley University and just to the west of the USDA National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research...
, Peoria, IllinoisPeoria, IllinoisPeoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
(2008, 2011) 2 games in US Open Cup Qualifying
Supporters
There is a noteworthy fan culture for the Fire, existing from the date the club was founded, and building on an enthusiasm throughout Chicago sports. At matches, supportersSupporters groups
Supporters groups or supporters clubs are independent fan clubs in association football, particularly in English speaking counties.Supporters groups in Europe are generally known as Ultras which derives from the Latin word deriving from ultrā, meaning beyond in English, with the implication that...
and ultras
Ultras
Ultras are a type of sports fans renowned for their fanatical support and elaborate displays. They are predominantly European followers of football teams...
groups occupy a standing area directly behind the north goal, in the Harlem End of Toyota Park
Toyota Park (Bridgeview)
Toyota Park is a soccer-specific stadium located at 71st Street and Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview, Illinois. It is the home stadium of the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, members of Major League Soccer . Toyota Park was developed at a cost of around $100 million. The facility opened June 11, 2006...
. This area is referred to as Section 8, originating from the numbering of the corresponding section at Soldier Field
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
and the American military designation
Section 8 (military)
The term Section 8 refers to a category of discharge from the United States military for reason of being mentally unfit for service. It also came to mean any serviceperson given such a discharge or behaving as if deserving such a discharge...
of mentally unfit soldiers. Section 8 Chicago
Section 8 Chicago
Section 8 Chicago is the independent supporters' association for the Chicago Fire. The organization encompasses a number of affiliated supporters groups, as well as independent fans...
, the Independent Supporters' Association for the Fire, oversees the activities of these numerous groups. While incorporating a worldwide variety of styles with a Chicago bent, groups as part of Section 8 generally fall under the ultras designation. Additionally, an associated spinoff group called "Sector Latino" congregates in Section 101 at the stadium's South end.
The Section 8 Chicago
Section 8 Chicago
Section 8 Chicago is the independent supporters' association for the Chicago Fire. The organization encompasses a number of affiliated supporters groups, as well as independent fans...
ISA, an umbrella organization for all Fire fans, is a non-profit organization recognized by the state of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
.
Match atmosphere is known for organized displays of stadium-wide support, particularly for matches of prime competitive importance. Call-and-response cheering amongst the crowd is commonplace. Fans at Toyota Park for Fire matches periodically choreograph tifo
Tifo
Tifo, originally the Italian word for the phenomenon of supporting a sport team, is mostly used as a name for any spectacular choreography displayed by supporters on the terraces of an arena or stadium in connection with a sport event, mostly a football match....
presentations both to show their pride and inspire the players on the field. Toyota Park remains one of the few American environments to conduct such fan-driven presentations on a large scale.
Club system
- Chicago Fire — MLS (First Team)
- Chicago Fire PremierChicago Fire PremierChicago Fire Premier is an American soccer team based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 2001, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at...
— USL Premier Development League (4th division) (U20 and U23 Collegiate Amateur Select Teams) - Chicago Fire NPSLChicago Fire NPSLChicago Fire NPSL is an American soccer team based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 2007, the team plays in National Premier Soccer League , a national amateur league at the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Midwest Division.The team plays its home games on the turf...
— similar to the PDL team, playing in the National Premier Soccer LeagueNational Premier Soccer LeagueThe National Premier Soccer League is a United States soccer league recognized by the United States Soccer Federation and FIFA as a Division IV league... - Chicago Fire Academy — U16 & U18 Teams in U.S. Soccer Development Academy; Statewide (U13 to U18 Youth Academy Teams)
- Chicago Fire JuniorsChicago Fire JuniorsThe Chicago Fire Juniors are the youth club affiliate of the Chicago Fire professional soccer club with branches in Chicago, NW Indiana, West Michigan, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida. Established in 2004 as the official youth soccer club of Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire, the Chicago Fire...
— Local (U8 to U23 Youth Club) with three Chicago branches; satellite clubs in Indiana, Florida, Michigan, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
Broadcasting
Matches are televised locally by Comcast SportsNet Chicago and WPWR-TVWPWR-TV
WPWR-TV, channel 50, is a MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station licensed to Gary, Indiana, and serving the Chicago, Illinois area. WPWR-TV is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, and is a sister station to Fox network outlet WFLD-TV...
. Announcers are Dan Kelly
Dan Kelly
Daniel, Danny or Dan Kelly may refer to:*Dan Kelly , brother of Australian Ned Kelly*Dan Kelly , American ice hockey defenceman*Dan Kelly , Australian musician...
and former Fire midfielder Evan Whitfield. Select matches are also nationally broadcast on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, Fox Soccer Channel
Fox Soccer Channel
Fox Soccer is an American television specialty channel, owned by News Corporation's Fox Entertainment Group, that specializes in soccer. It formerly broadcast rugby and Australian rules football, but is now dedicated strictly to soccer...
, or Telefutura
TeleFutura
TeleFutura is a U.S. Spanish-language broadcast television network owned by Univision with headquarters in Miami, Florida.-Overview:TeleFutura Is America’s #2 Spanish-Language Network in prime time...
via the league's television agreements.
Current roster
Last updated on October 27, 2011. Source: Chicago Fire Official RosterReserve team players
This list shows players who have played for the team in official 2011 MLS Reserve Division2011 MLS Reserve Division
The new MLS Reserve League was resurrected for the 2011 season, after not having played since 2008. Each team will play 10 games against divisional opponenets, with clubs being allowed schedule additional games against non-MLS opponents. The schedule begins March 20 and tentatively concludes Oct...
games, but are not part of the senior roster.
Notable former players
This list of former players includes those who received international caps while playing for the team, made significant contributions to the team in terms of appearances or goals while playing for the team, or who made significant contributions to the sport either before they played for the team, or after they left. It is clearly not yet complete and all inclusive, and additions and refinements will continue to be made over time.Chris Armas
Chris Armas
Chris Armas is a retired American soccer player. He is currently the head women's soccer coach at Adelphi University. He was also a teacher of physical education at St. Anthony's High School in South Huntington, New York.-College:Armas is of Puerto Rican descent...
(1998–2007) DaMarcus Beasley
DaMarcus Beasley
DaMarcus Lamont Beasley is an American soccer player who plays for Puebla of the Mexican Primera División. He plays mainly as a winger on the left side of the midfield, but has also been used as a forward and fullback...
(2000–04) Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Cuauhtémoc Blanco Bravo is a Mexican professional footballer currently signed for Irapuato in the Mexican Liga de Ascenso.Known for his aggressive yet charismatic personality on the field, playing most of his career as a deep-lying forward and his last years as an attacking midfielder...
(2007–09) Carlos Bocanegra
Carlos Bocanegra
Carlos Manuel Bocanegra is an American soccer player who plays for Scottish Premier League club Rangers and is the captain of the United States national team.-Chicago Fire:...
(2000–03) C. J. Brown
C. J. Brown
C. J. Brown is a former American soccer player who is currently an assistant head coach for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...
(1998–10) Jon Busch
Jon Busch
Jon Busch is an American soccer goalkeeper for the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
(2007–10) Jorge Campos (1998)
Wilman Conde, Jr.
Wilman Conde, Jr.
Wilman Conde, Jr. is a Colombian footballer who currently plays for Atlas.-Professional:Conde made his professional debut with Deportes Quindío during the 2000 campaign. His play at Quindío led to interest from the top Colombian sides, and in 2001 he joined Deportivo Cali and became a fixture at...
(2007–10) Tomasz Frankowski
Tomasz Frankowski
Tomasz Frankowski is a Polish footballer who plays for Jagiellonia Białystok.Frankowski achieved his greatest success at Wisła Kraków of Poland, where he helped fire them to a collection of domestic honours...
(2008) Iván Guerrero
Iván Guerrero
Iván Guerrero is a Honduran footballer.-Club:Guerrero began his career with Motagua in Honduras, playing with the team from 1996 until transferring overseas in 2000. He moved to the English Premiership to play for Coventry City along with compatriot Jairo Martínez...
(2005–07) Diego Gutiérrez
Diego Gutierrez (soccer)
Diego Gutiérrez is a retired Colombian American footballer, who spent his career between Chicago Fire and Kansas City Wizards, both of Major League Soccer, and is currently Head of Scouting and Player Development for Philadelphia Union.Born in Colombia, Gutiérrez was part of that country's youth...
(1998–01), (2006–08) Frank Klopas
Frank Klopas
Fotios "Frank" Klopas is a retired Greek-American soccer forward and midfielder. Klopas is currently the Head Coach for the Chicago Fire...
(1998–99) Roman Kosecki
Roman Kosecki
Roman Kosecki is a former Polish soccer striker.In his club career, Kosecki played for RKS URSUS, Gwardia Warsaw, Legia Warsaw, Galatasaray, CA Osasuna, Atlético Madrid, Nantes, Montpellier, and the Chicago Fire...
(1998–99) Dema Kovalenko (1999-02) Luboš Kubík
Luboš Kubík
Luboš Kubík is a Czech former professional footballer and former manager of Torquay United, who played sweeper for the Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic national teams, winning 56 caps in total, and a number of notable clubs...
(1998–2000)
Freddie Ljungberg (2010) Justin Mapp
Justin Mapp
Justin Mapp is an American soccer player who currently plays for Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer.-Professional:...
(2003–10) Brian McBride
Brian McBride
Brian Robert McBride is a retired American soccer player who finished his career for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer , but spent the majority of his time in MLS playing for the Columbus Crew. For much of his career he played in Europe, notably for Fulham in the English Premier League...
(2008–10) Piotr Nowak
Piotr Nowak
Piotr Nowak is a Polish former professional soccer player. He is currently the head coach of the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer.Nowak enjoyed a successful playing career in Europe, playing for Polish clubs such as Zawisza Bydgoszcz and Widzew Łódź, before going on to play in Turkey,...
(1998–2002) Jerzy Podbrożny
Jerzy Podbrozny
Jerzy Podbrożny is a former Polish football striker, one of the top scorers in Polish football history.Podbrożny led the Polish league in scoring: in 1992 with 20 goals and in 1993 with 25 goals, both times for Lech Poznań. After winning the championship both those years, he transferred to Legia...
(1998–99) Damani Ralph
Damani Ralph
Damani Ralph is a Jamaican football player, who last played for Russian team FC Rubin Kazan in Russia.- Amateur/College :...
(2003–05) Ante Razov
Ante Razov
Ante Razov is a retired American soccer player of Croatian descent who last played for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Club:...
(1998–2000), (2001–04) Chris Rolfe
Chris Rolfe
Chris Rolfe is an American soccer player who currently plays for AaB in the Danish Superliga.-College:...
(2005–09) Tony Sanneh
Tony Sanneh
Anthony "Tony" Sanneh is an American soccer player who most recently played for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:...
(2005–06) Bakary Soumare
Bakary Soumare
Bakary Soumaré is a Malian international footballer who plays professionally for US Boulogne in France's Ligue 2, as a defender.-Early life:Born in Bamako, Mali, Soumaré grew up in Paris and New York City.-Youth and College:...
(2007–09) Hristo Stoichkov
Hristo Stoichkov
Hristo Stoichkov Stoichkov , sometimes Stoitchkov; born 8 February 1966 in Plovdiv) is a retired Bulgarian footballer. He is regarded as one of the best footballers of his generation and the greatest Bulgarian footballer of all time. Nicknamed The Dagger , The Dog , The Modern Left...
(2000–02) Zach Thornton
Zach Thornton
Zach Thornton is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:...
(1998–03), (2005–07) John Thorrington
John Thorrington
John Thorrington is a South African-born American soccer player who currently plays for Vancouver Whitecaps FC in Major League Soccer....
(2005–10) Paulo Wanchope
Paulo Wanchope
Pablo César Wanchope Watson , more commonly known as Paulo Wanchope, is a Costa Rican former professional footballer. As of February 2009, Wanchope is the second most prolific goalscorer in the history of the national football team, behind Rolando Fonseca, with 45 goals in 73 international...
(2007) Josh Wolff
Josh Wolff
Joshua David "Josh" Wolff is an American soccer player currently playing for D.C. United of Major League Soccer.-College:...
(1998–2002) Eric Wynalda
Eric Wynalda
Eric Boswell Wynalda is a retired American soccer player, and former sports broadcaster. He was the co-host of Fox Football Fone-In on Fox Soccer Channel and is currently employeed as the president of international operations at Mexican third division club Murcielagos.Wynalda scored the first goal...
(2001)
- See also All-time Chicago Fire roster
Head coaches
Bob BradleyBob Bradley
Robert "Bob" Bradley is an American soccer coach and the current manager of the Egypt national football team, taking over in September 2011. He previously managed the United States men's national soccer team...
(1998–2002) Dave Sarachan
Dave Sarachan
Dave Sarachan is a former U.S. soccer coach and player. He spent two seasons in the North American Soccer League and four in Major Indoor Soccer League before retiring in 1982...
(2003–2007) Juan Carlos Osorio
Juan Carlos Osorio
Juan Carlos Osorio The Recreationist , is a Colombian football manager and former football player who began his career in 1980 with Deportivo Pereira. He is currently managing Puebla FC in Mexico....
(2007) Denis Hamlett
Denis Hamlett
Denis Hamlett is a Costa Rican former professional soccer player. He has also served as an assistant coach and manager in Major League Soccer....
(2008–2009) Carlos de los Cobos
Carlos de los Cobos
Carlos de los Cobos Martínez is a Mexican former football player. He last coached the Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer.-Playing career:...
(2010–2011) Frank Klopas
Frank Klopas
Fotios "Frank" Klopas is a retired Greek-American soccer forward and midfielder. Klopas is currently the Head Coach for the Chicago Fire...
(2011–)
Club Presidents
- Robert Sanderman (1997-00)
- Peter WiltPeter WiltPeter Wilt , is a soccer executive who was the first President and General Manager of the Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer, led an effort to bring an expansion MLS franchise to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and maintains strong connection to the sport of soccer in the Midwest, Chicago in particular...
(2001–05) - John GuppyJohn GuppyJohn Guppy is the owner of Gilt Edge Soccer Marketing, a soccer-specific marketing agency.He was formerly the president and CEO of the Chicago Fire, until agreeing to part ways with new team owners, Andell Holdings on April 11, 2008....
(2005–08) - Javier León (2008), (2010) (both interim)
- Dave Greeley (2008–10)
- Julian Posada (2010–)
Assistant Coaches
- Denis HamlettDenis HamlettDenis Hamlett is a Costa Rican former professional soccer player. He has also served as an assistant coach and manager in Major League Soccer....
(1998–2007) - Mike JeffriesMike Jeffries (soccer)Michael Jeffries is a retired American soccer player and current soccer coach. He was the 1983 Hermann Trophy winner and played professionally in the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League...
(1998–2000, 2008–09) - Frank KlopasFrank KlopasFotios "Frank" Klopas is a retired Greek-American soccer forward and midfielder. Klopas is currently the Head Coach for the Chicago Fire...
(2000) - Daryl ShoreDaryl ShoreDaryl Shore is a retired U.S. soccer goalkeeper who is currently head coach of Fort Lauderdale Strikers in the second division North American Soccer League.-Player:...
(2000–09) - Tom SoehnTom SoehnTom Soehn is an American former soccer player and manager, who is currently the Director of Soccer Operations for the Vancouver Whitecaps in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:...
(2001–2003) - Craig Reynolds (2004–2007)
- Chris ArmasChris ArmasChris Armas is a retired American soccer player. He is currently the head women's soccer coach at Adelphi University. He was also a teacher of physical education at St. Anthony's High School in South Huntington, New York.-College:Armas is of Puerto Rican descent...
(2008–09) - Mike Matkovich (2009–10)
- Alvaro Briones (2010)
- Larry Sunderland (2010– )
- Aron Hyde (2010– )
- Leo PercovichLeo PercovichGalileo Galilei Percovich Lopes, known as Leo Percovich, is a former Uruguayan footballer and current assistant coach of the Chicago Fire.-Playing career:Percovich played for Nacional, notably winning theCopa Libertadores and Uruguayan First Division...
(2011– )
Ring of Fire
The "Ring of Fire" was established in 2003 by Chicago Fire Soccer Club and the Chicago Fire Alumni Association as permanent tribute to honor those who have made the club proud and successful over its history. Aside from the initial member Piotr NowakPiotr Nowak
Piotr Nowak is a Polish former professional soccer player. He is currently the head coach of the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer.Nowak enjoyed a successful playing career in Europe, playing for Polish clubs such as Zawisza Bydgoszcz and Widzew Łódź, before going on to play in Turkey,...
, only "Ring of Fire" members can select new inductees, and no more than one can be selected any year. Names and numbers (if applicable) are prominently displayed inside Toyota Park
Toyota Park (Bridgeview)
Toyota Park is a soccer-specific stadium located at 71st Street and Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview, Illinois. It is the home stadium of the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, members of Major League Soccer . Toyota Park was developed at a cost of around $100 million. The facility opened June 11, 2006...
.
There were no inductees in 2008, 2010, or 2011. In 2008, the members voted to honor two recently deceased fans (supporter leaders Dan Parry and Brandon Kitchens) but were overruled by club Chairman Andrew Hauptman. C.J. Brown was expected to be honored in 2011, but a new rule was established that inductees must have been away from the club for at least a calendar year.
10 Piotr Nowak
Piotr Nowak
Piotr Nowak is a Polish former professional soccer player. He is currently the head coach of the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer.Nowak enjoyed a successful playing career in Europe, playing for Polish clubs such as Zawisza Bydgoszcz and Widzew Łódź, before going on to play in Turkey,...
(inducted 2003) 41 Frank Klopas
Frank Klopas
Fotios "Frank" Klopas is a retired Greek-American soccer forward and midfielder. Klopas is currently the Head Coach for the Chicago Fire...
(inducted 2004) 5 Luboš Kubík
Luboš Kubík
Luboš Kubík is a Czech former professional footballer and former manager of Torquay United, who played sweeper for the Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic national teams, winning 56 caps in total, and a number of notable clubs...
(inducted 2005) Former General Manager & Club President Peter Wilt
Peter Wilt
Peter Wilt , is a soccer executive who was the first President and General Manager of the Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer, led an effort to bring an expansion MLS franchise to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and maintains strong connection to the sport of soccer in the Midwest, Chicago in particular...
(inducted 2006) Former Head Coach Bob Bradley
Bob Bradley
Robert "Bob" Bradley is an American soccer coach and the current manager of the Egypt national football team, taking over in September 2011. He previously managed the United States men's national soccer team...
(inducted 2007) 14 Chris Armas
Chris Armas
Chris Armas is a retired American soccer player. He is currently the head women's soccer coach at Adelphi University. He was also a teacher of physical education at St. Anthony's High School in South Huntington, New York.-College:Armas is of Puerto Rican descent...
(inducted 2009)
Championships
- MLS CupMLS CupThe MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
- Winners (1): 1998MLS Cup 1998The 1998 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 1998 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 25, 1998, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. The Chicago Fire beat D.C. United 2-0, bringing to an end United's reign as two-time defending MLS champions. The Fire great Peter Nowak was...
- Runners-up (2): 2000MLS Cup 2000The 2000 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2000 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 15, 2000, at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. between the Kansas City Wizards and the Chicago Fire. Kansas City took advantage of an early breakdown by Chicago to net the game's only goal...
, 2003MLS Cup 2003The 2003 MLS Cup was a soccer match that took place on November 23, 2003 at the The Home Depot Center in Carson, California to determine the champion of the 2003 Major League Soccer season. The San Jose Earthquakes defeated the Chicago Fire 4 - 2 with a goal from Richard Mulrooney in the 50th...
- Winners (1): 1998
- Supporters' ShieldMLS Supporters' ShieldThe Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system...
- Winners (1): 2003
- Lamar Hunt U.S. Open CupLamar Hunt U.S. Open CupThe Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League...
- Winners (4): 1998, 20002000 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup-Schedule:Note: Scorelines use the standard U.S. convention of placing the home team on the right-hand side of box scores.-First round:Four PDL and four USASA teams start.-----Second round:...
, 20032003 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup-Schedule:Note: Scorelines use the standard U.S. convention of placing the home team on the right-hand side of box scores.-First round:Four PDL and four USASA teams start.------Second round:Six PSL and two PDL teams enter.-----...
, 20062006 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup-Schedule:Note: Scorelines use the standard U.S. convention of placing the home team on the right-hand side of box scores.-Qualifying round:Teams from USASA and PDL start.-----First round:Teams from USASA, PDL, and USL-2.----... - Runners-up (2): 20042004 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup-Schedule:Note: Scorelines use the standard U.S. convention of placing the home team on the right-hand side of box scores.-First round:Eight PDL and eight USASA teams start.-----Second round:Six PSL and two A-League teams enter....
, 20112011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup FinalThe 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final was played on October 4, 2011 in Seattle, Washington for the second consecutive year. The match saw the Seattle Sounders FC defeat the Chicago Fire 2-0 to be crowned champions in three consecutive years of the 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a tournament open...
- Winners (4): 1998, 2000
Other
- MLS Eastern Conference
- Winners (Regular Season) (1): 2003
- Winners (Playoff) (1): 2003
- MLS Western Conference
- Winners (Playoff) (1): 1998
- MLS Central Division
- Winners (Regular Season) (2): 2000, 2001
- North American SuperLigaNorth American SuperLigaThe SuperLiga was an official North American association football competition between teams from the Primera División of Mexico and Major League Soccer of the United States and Canada, the top divisions in each country. The competition was sanctioned by CONCACAF, U.S...
- Runners-up (1): 2009North American SuperLiga 2009-Group B:---------------------Semifinals:-----Final:-Bracket:-Goalscorers:-External links:*...
- Runners-up (1): 2009
- Minor Trophies
- Brimstone CupBrimstone CupThe Brimstone Cup is a soccer trophy awarded to the yearly winner of the rivalry between the Chicago Fire and FC Dallas Major League Soccer teams. The Cup is awarded by the Brimstone Cup Committee to the team with the most points in games played between the two...
(1): 2001 - MLS Team Fair Play AwardMLS Fair Play AwardThe MLS Fair Play Award, also known as the Xbox 360 Fair Play Award, is an annual award in Major League Soccer. The award is given to an individual player and a team who receives a low number of yellow cards and red cards...
(1): 2009
- Brimstone Cup
Year-by-year
| Season | Regular Season | Playoffs | U.S. Open Cup Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League... |
CONCACAF CONCACAF Champions League The CONCACAF Champions League is the annual international club football championship for teams from the CONCACAF region .... |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 2nd, West | Champions | Champions | Did not qualify |
| 1999 | 3rd, West | Quarter-Finals | Round of 16 | 3rd Place |
| 2000 | 1st, Central | Final | Champions | Did not qualify |
| 2001 | 1st, Central | Semi-Finals | Semi-Finals | Not held † |
| 2002 | 3rd, East | Quarter-Finals | Round of 16 | Quarter-Finals |
| 2003 | 1st, East* | Final | Champions | Did not qualify |
| 2004 | 5th, East | Did not qualify | Final | Semi-Finals |
| 2005 | 3rd, East | Semi-Finals | Semi-Finals | Did not qualify |
| 2006 | 3rd, East | Quarter-Finals | Champions | Did not qualify |
| 2007 | 4th, East | Semi-Finals | Round of 16 | Did not qualify |
| 2008 2008 Chicago Fire season The 2008 Chicago Fire season was the club's 13th year of existence, as well as their 11th season in Major League Soccer and 11th consecutive year in the top-flight of American soccer. It began with a 3-1 away win over Real Salt Lake on March 29, 2008 and ended with a 2-1 loss to Columbus Crew in... |
2nd, East | Semi-Finals | Quarter-Finals | Did not qualify |
| 2009 2009 Chicago Fire season The 2009 Chicago Fire season was the club's 14th year of existence, as well as their 12th season in Major League Soccer and 12th consecutive year in the top-flight of American soccer... |
2nd, East | Semi-Finals | Round of 16 | Did not qualify |
| 2010 2010 Chicago Fire season The 2010 Chicago Fire season is the club's 15th year of existence, as well as their 13th season in Major League Soccer and 13th consecutive year in the top-flight of American soccer.- Squad :As of October 23, 2010-In:... |
4th, East | Did not qualify | Round of 16 | Did not qualify |
| 2011 2011 Chicago Fire season The 2011 Chicago Fire season is the club's 16th year of existence, as well as their 14th season in Major League Soccer and their 14th consecutive year in the top-flight of American soccer.- Squad :As of September 14, 2011.... |
6th, East | Did not qualify | Final | Did not qualify |
* Won MLS Supporters' Shield
MLS Supporters' Shield
The Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system...
Club records
- Games:
United States C.J. Brown, 296 - Goals: United States Ante RazovAnte RazovAnte Razov is a retired American soccer player of Croatian descent who last played for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Club:...
, 76 - Assists:
Poland Piotr NowakPiotr NowakPiotr Nowak is a Polish former professional soccer player. He is currently the head coach of the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer.Nowak enjoyed a successful playing career in Europe, playing for Polish clubs such as Zawisza Bydgoszcz and Widzew Łódź, before going on to play in Turkey,...
, 48 - Shutouts: United States Zach ThorntonZach ThorntonZach Thornton is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:...
, 57 - Minutes Played: United States CJ Brown 25,738
MLS regular season only, through 2011
- All-Time regular season record: 185–146–98
International tournaments
- 2011 World Football Challenge2011 World Football ChallengeThe 2011 World Football Challenge was the second World Football Challenge event, a series of friendly football matches played in the United States and Canada in July and August 2011.- Participants :...
-
- Group Stage v.
Manchester United -- 1:3
- Group Stage v.
Team awards
| Year | |Team MVP | |Golden Boot* | |Defender of the Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | Goals | |||
| 1998 | Poland Piotr Nowak Piotr Nowak Piotr Nowak is a Polish former professional soccer player. He is currently the head coach of the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer.Nowak enjoyed a successful playing career in Europe, playing for Polish clubs such as Zawisza Bydgoszcz and Widzew Łódź, before going on to play in Turkey,... |
United States Ante Razov Ante Razov Ante Razov is a retired American soccer player of Croatian descent who last played for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Club:... |
10 |  Czech Republic Luboš KubíkLuboš Kubík Luboš Kubík is a Czech former professional footballer and former manager of Torquay United, who played sweeper for the Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic national teams, winning 56 caps in total, and a number of notable clubs... |
| 1999 | Czech Republic Luboš Kubík Luboš Kubík Luboš Kubík is a Czech former professional footballer and former manager of Torquay United, who played sweeper for the Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic national teams, winning 56 caps in total, and a number of notable clubs... |
United States Ante Razov Ante Razov Ante Razov is a retired American soccer player of Croatian descent who last played for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Club:... |
14 | Czech Republic Luboš Kubík Luboš Kubík Luboš Kubík is a Czech former professional footballer and former manager of Torquay United, who played sweeper for the Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic national teams, winning 56 caps in total, and a number of notable clubs... |
| 2000 | Poland Piotr Nowak Piotr Nowak Piotr Nowak is a Polish former professional soccer player. He is currently the head coach of the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer.Nowak enjoyed a successful playing career in Europe, playing for Polish clubs such as Zawisza Bydgoszcz and Widzew Łódź, before going on to play in Turkey,... |
United States Ante Razov Ante Razov Ante Razov is a retired American soccer player of Croatian descent who last played for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Club:... |
18 | United States Carlos Bocanegra Carlos Bocanegra Carlos Manuel Bocanegra is an American soccer player who plays for Scottish Premier League club Rangers and is the captain of the United States national team.-Chicago Fire:... |
| 2001 | Poland Piotr Nowak Piotr Nowak Piotr Nowak is a Polish former professional soccer player. He is currently the head coach of the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer.Nowak enjoyed a successful playing career in Europe, playing for Polish clubs such as Zawisza Bydgoszcz and Widzew Łódź, before going on to play in Turkey,... |
United States Eric Wynalda Eric Wynalda Eric Boswell Wynalda is a retired American soccer player, and former sports broadcaster. He was the co-host of Fox Football Fone-In on Fox Soccer Channel and is currently employeed as the president of international operations at Mexican third division club Murcielagos.Wynalda scored the first goal... |
10 | United States Zach Thornton Zach Thornton Zach Thornton is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:... |
| 2002 | United States Zach Thornton Zach Thornton Zach Thornton is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:... |
United States Ante Razov Ante Razov Ante Razov is a retired American soccer player of Croatian descent who last played for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Club:... |
14 | United States Zach Thornton Zach Thornton Zach Thornton is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:... |
| 2003 | United States Chris Armas Chris Armas Chris Armas is a retired American soccer player. He is currently the head women's soccer coach at Adelphi University. He was also a teacher of physical education at St. Anthony's High School in South Huntington, New York.-College:Armas is of Puerto Rican descent... |
United States Ante Razov Ante Razov Ante Razov is a retired American soccer player of Croatian descent who last played for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Club:... |
14 | United States Carlos Bocanegra Carlos Bocanegra Carlos Manuel Bocanegra is an American soccer player who plays for Scottish Premier League club Rangers and is the captain of the United States national team.-Chicago Fire:... |
| 2004 | United States Henry Ring Henry Ring Henry Ring is a soccer goalkeeper, who last played for the Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer.Ring attended the University of South Carolina where he played for the men's soccer team from 1997 to 2000. He was a third team All American both seasons... |
 Jamaica Damani RalphDamani Ralph Damani Ralph is a Jamaican football player, who last played for Russian team FC Rubin Kazan in Russia.- Amateur/College :... |
11 | United States Jim Curtin Jim Curtin Jim Curtin is a former American soccer defender known for his time with the Chicago Fire.-College:Curtin played college soccer at Villanova University... |
| 2005 |  Honduras Ivan GuerreroIvan Guerrero Ivan Guerrero, also known as the pseudonymous "whoiseyevan", is a filmmaker who has gained cult following from a series of mash-up trailers he created, called "Premakes"... |
United States Chris Rolfe Chris Rolfe Chris Rolfe is an American soccer player who currently plays for AaB in the Danish Superliga.-College:... |
8 | Honduras Ivan Guerrero Ivan Guerrero Ivan Guerrero, also known as the pseudonymous "whoiseyevan", is a filmmaker who has gained cult following from a series of mash-up trailers he created, called "Premakes"... |
| 2006 |  Costa Rica Andy HerronAndy Herron Andy Francisco Herron Aguilar is a Costa Rican footballer. He currently plays for Limón FC in Costa Rica.-Club career:... |
Costa Rica Andy Herron Andy Herron Andy Francisco Herron Aguilar is a Costa Rican footballer. He currently plays for Limón FC in Costa Rica.-Club career:... |
9 | United States CJ Brown |
| 2007 |  Mexico Cuauhtémoc BlancoCuauhtémoc Blanco Cuauhtémoc Blanco Bravo is a Mexican professional footballer currently signed for Irapuato in the Mexican Liga de Ascenso.Known for his aggressive yet charismatic personality on the field, playing most of his career as a deep-lying forward and his last years as an attacking midfielder... |
United States Chad Barrett Chad Barrett Chad Barrett is an American soccer player who currently plays for the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer.-College:... |
7 | Costa Rica Gonzalo Segares Gonzalo Segares Gonzalo Segares Gonzalez is a Costa Rican footballer who currently plays for the Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:... |
| 2008 | United States Jon Busch Jon Busch Jon Busch is an American soccer goalkeeper for the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:... |
United States Chris Rolfe Chris Rolfe Chris Rolfe is an American soccer player who currently plays for AaB in the Danish Superliga.-College:... |
9 |  Mali Bakary SoumareBakary Soumare Bakary Soumaré is a Malian international footballer who plays professionally for US Boulogne in France's Ligue 2, as a defender.-Early life:Born in Bamako, Mali, Soumaré grew up in Paris and New York City.-Youth and College:... |
| 2009 | United States Brian McBride Brian McBride Brian Robert McBride is a retired American soccer player who finished his career for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer , but spent the majority of his time in MLS playing for the Columbus Crew. For much of his career he played in Europe, notably for Fulham in the English Premier League... |
United States Brian McBride Brian McBride Brian Robert McBride is a retired American soccer player who finished his career for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer , but spent the majority of his time in MLS playing for the Columbus Crew. For much of his career he played in Europe, notably for Fulham in the English Premier League... |
7 |  Colombia Wilman Conde |
| 2010 | United States Logan Pause Logan Pause Logan Pause is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:... |
 Guatemala Marco PappaMarco Pappa Marco Pablo Pappa Ponce is a Guatemalan footballer who plays for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer since 2008 and is a member of the Guatemala national team.-Club career:... |
7 | United States CJ Brown |
| 2011 |  Dominic OduroDominic Oduro Dominic Oduro is a Ghanaian footballer who currently plays for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer.-College:Oduro started his playing career in Ghana, playing for both Prempeh College and the University of Ghana before transferring to Virginia Commonwealth University in 2004... |
Dominic Oduro Dominic Oduro Dominic Oduro is a Ghanaian footballer who currently plays for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer.-College:Oduro started his playing career in Ghana, playing for both Prempeh College and the University of Ghana before transferring to Virginia Commonwealth University in 2004... |
12 | Cory Gibbs Cory Gibbs Cory Gibbs is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer.-College and amateur:... |
Source: http://www.chicago-fire.com/history/honors
*Golden Boot is the team leader in goals (regular season games only).
Average attendance
regular season/playoffs- 1998: 17,887/22,677
- 1999: 16,016/8,197
- 2000: 13,387/8,431
- 2001: 16,388/11,239
- 2002: 12,922/9,434
- 2003: 14,005/14,961
- 2004: 17,153/missed playoffs
- 2005: 17,238/11,493
- 2006: 14,088/10,217
- 2007: 16,490/17,834
- 2008: 17,034/17,312
- 2009: 14,689/21,626
- 2010: 15,814/missed playoffs
- 2011: 14,553/missed playoffs
External links
- Chicago Fire official club website
- Chicago Fire – History official club history (with photos and uniforms)