History to be Made Saturday as Fire Travel to Toronto

BRIDGEVIEW, IL (May 11, 2007) – Expansion franchises Chicago Fire (3-1-1 10 pts.) and Toronto FC (0-4-0 0 pts.) meet in Toronto, Ontario, Canada for the first time in Major League Soccer regular season action Saturday afternoon at BMO Field (2:30 p.m. CT, Fox Soccer Channel). The Fire are entering the third of a three-game road stretch after falling 3-1 to New England in Foxborough on Sunday. Toronto should be well-rested for the match, as the club had a bye throughout Week 5. The Fire currently stand fourth in the Eastern Conference with 10 points, just one point behind both New York and New England, and two points behind the conference-leading Kansas City Wizards. The broadcast from Toronto will be televised live nationally via Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Soccer Channel en Español, and the MLS Direct Kick Package, as well as Chicagoland radio stations WRTO-AM 1200 (Spanish) and WNVR 1230 AM (Polish).

Chicago Fire @ Toronto FC :: Fire Match #6 – MLS Match #34

Saturday, May 12 @ 2:30 p.m. CT :: BMO Field – Toronto, Ontario, Canada

TV: Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Soccer Channel en Español

Sat: KU BAND AMC 1, Tr. 16A Lower, U/L:14306.5(H), D/L:12006.5(V), Symbol Rate: 6.1113, Data rate: 8.448, FEC:3/4

Audio: WRTO 1200 AM (Spanish), WNVR 1230 AM (Polish)

Game Guide: http://www.sportssystems.com/novell/efx%5Cfax%5CMLS%5C06704E01.pdf

Chicago Fire/AthletiCo "Recovery Room" (as of May 8)

Robinson, Dasan – L index finger sprain – PROBABLE

Segares, Gonzalo – R ankle tendonopathy – PROBABLE

Woolard, Daniel – R shoulder subluxation – PROBABLE

Red-Hot Rolfe

Fire forward Chris Rolfe is in career-best form, producing three goals and three assists in Chicago's first five games to start the 2007 campaign. The University of Dayton product has tallied at least a point in five-straight MLS games, beating his mark of three goals and an assist in the first five games played in 2006. In the 2007 season opener at TOYOTA PARK, Rolfe's pass to Justin Mapp led to a cross into the box for midfielder Logan Pause to deflect in for a 1-0 result. In Week 2, it was Rolfe's helper that freed forward Chad Barrett behind the Rapids backline for the game-tying goal in the 85th minute to grab a late one-pointer. On April 21, Rolfe's assist led to Barrett's game-tying goal in the 36th minute and the 24-year-old forward got his first tally of the 2007 season with a game-winning penalty kick goal in the 73rd minute. Rolfe scored the game's only goal in the 60th minute for a 1-0 win at Houston on April 29, and followed that with a lone tally just before halftime in the Fire's 3-1 loss at New England on Sunday.

One for the Road(s)

With a lone 45th minute goal scored by forward Chris Rolfe in the 3-1 loss at New England on Sunday, Chicago has continued a streak of scoring just one goal in now three-straight road tests during the 2007 regular season campaign. Rolfe also tallied in the 60th minute in the Fire's 1-0 win at Houston on April 29, while the "Men in Red" needed a late goal from Chad Barrett in the 85th minute on April 15 to salvage a 1-1 tie at Colorado in the Fire's first away match. Chicago hope to improve road scoring production as the team wraps up its three-game road stretch in the club's first trip to BMO Field in Ontario, Canada to face Toronto FC this Saturday.

"Chicago Fire Soccer Weekly" Radio Show Begins

"Chicago Fire Soccer Weekly", a half-hour weekly soccer talk show, aired its first broadcast Tuesday night via WXAV 88.3 FM from the campus of Saint Xavier University (SXU), the first of many subsequent broadcasts throughout the rest of the Fire's 2007 MLS campaign. The show's host Angelo Bonadonna spoke with Fire Head Coach Dave Sarachan and team captain Chris Armas, recapping Sunday's New England game and previewing the upcoming match-up at Toronto. Fans of the "Men in Red" are encouraged to call in every Tuesday night at 708.429.0463 to talk all things Fire-related - all live over the airwaves and the internet. Podcast archives are available through the Chicago Fire or WXAV subscriptions on iTunes. For more information visit www.wxav.com or www.chicago-fire.com.

Blanco Watch

Cuauhtémoc Blanco, the Chicago Fire's Designated Player signing, is with Mexican First Division side Club América as it enters the playoff stretch of the 2007 Clausura campaign. América is set to play Atlas in a home-and-home series beginning this Thursday, May 10 at Atlas' Estadio Jalisco before the return leg on Sunday, May 13 at Estadio Azteca. In Week 17, Blanco scored the game-tying goal in the 34th minute in a 2-1 América win over Monarcas Morelia, Chicago's partner club. Overall, the native of Mexico City, Mexico has tallied 5 goals and 5 assists throughout the 2007 Clausura with the "Aguilas". Blanco will become an official member of the "Men in Red" on July 1 and will be eligible to play that day in Chicago's match-up with the Colorado Rapids (6:00 p.m. CT, Comcast SportsNet) at TOYOTA PARK.

Quick Kicks vs. Toronto FC

· Chicago goalkeeper Matt Pickens, defender Gonzalo Segares, and midfielders Chris Armas and Ivan Guerrero have started and played every minute for the "Men in Red" this season.

· Toronto FC goalkeeper Greg Sutton played in three Fire games (two starts) in 1999 for a 1.46 goals against average (GAA) and again in 2000, starting and playing the full 90 minutes in two games for a 4.00 GAA.

· Pickens tallied a season-high six saves last Sunday in his 17th-consecutive start dating back to last season.

· Toronto assistant coach Mike Matkovich, former head coach for the Chicago Fire Premier (2002-2006), is a Naperville North High School graduate and former coach with the Chicago Power of the National Professional Soccer League (1990-94)

· Rookie Fire goalkeeper Nick Noble made his professional debut for the Fire Reserves on Sunday, replacing veteran Jon Busch in the second half to notch 45 minutes of action in the 1-0 loss.

· Caution watch – Chad Barrett (2), C.J. Brown (1), Calen Carr (2), Diego Gutierrez (2), Jim Curtin (1), Gonzalo Segares (1).