Chicago Fire vs. Houston Dynamo :: Fire Match #16 – MLS Match #98
Thursday, July 12 @ 8:00 p.m. CT :: TOYOTA PARK – Bridgeview, Ill.
TV: ESPN2
Satellite: ESPN2 C-Band
Audio: WRTO-1200 AM (Spanish)
Game Guide: http://www.sportssystems.com/novell/efx%5Cfax%5CMLS%5C06704Q01.pdf
Chicago Fire/AthletiCo "Recovery Room” :: July 10
Armas, Chris – Hip pain – PROBABLE
Banner, Mike – R groin strain – DOUBTFUL
Carr, Calen – L foot contusion – PROBABLE
Monteiro, Jerson – R hip strain – PROBABLE
Robinson, Dasan – L groin strain – PROBABLE
Rolfe, Chris – L ankle sprain – OUT
Russolillo, Jordan – spondylolisthesis (back pain) – OUT
Telesford, Osei – L groin strain – OUT
Osorio Takes Over as Head Coach
Juan Carlos Osorio was officially introduced as the new head coach for the Chicago Fire at a news conference held Monday morning. President/CEO John Guppy announced that Osorio has signed a multi-year deal to coach the club. Specific terms of the contract were not disclosed due to Major League Soccer policy. Osorio takes over for interim head coach Denis Hamlett, who guided the Fire to a 1-1-2 overall record (0-1-2 MLS mark) after Dave Sarachan was let go on June 20. Osorio will make his MLS coaching debut this Thursday when the Fire plays host to the Houston Dynamo on ESPN2 Primetime Thursday at TOYOTA PARK. Archived video of the complete Osorio press conference from Monday is available on www.chicago-fire.com.
Chicago Fire Soccer and the FireWorks for Kids Foundation (FWFK) – the Fire’s charitable arm – welcome this year’s annual “Kids Night Out,” a soccer evening organized by the Fire and the FWFK for underprivileged children in Chicagoland this Thursday night as the “Men in Red” host the Houston Dynamo at TOYOTA PARK. Nearly 10,000 local kids will have the opportunity to attend Thursday’s Fire match as a result of this program. Dozens of generous contributors, sponsors and businesses have teamed up for the fourth consecutive year in an effort to help celebrate “Kids Night Out”. Several local youth-based organizations throughout the Chicagoland area such as Christopher House, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Chicago Scores and Big Brothers and Big Sisters, among others, have benefited from the more than 18,000 tickets that have been donated in the first three years of the program.
· Chicago defenders C.J. Brown and Gonzalo Segares are the only “Men in Red” to have played in every regular season game for the Fire through the 2007 campaign, though Brown will not play Thursday as he serves a one game suspension.
· With a goal from forward Chad Barrett in last Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Toronto, he is now tied with Eric Wynalda and Jerzy Podbrozny for 15th place all-time on the Fire career goals scored with 10 tallies.
· Barrett’s tally in the 1-1 draw with Toronto also broke three streaks: 1) 173 minutes without a shot on goal (7/01 vs. COL – Gonzalo Segares 87’) 2) Snapped MLS scoreless streak of 286 minutes (6/16 @ D.C. United – Jerson Monteiro 54’’) 3) Broke 262 MLS scoreless minutes at home (6/03 vs. CLB – Chad Barrett 78’)
· The broken 286 minutes scoreless streak beats a previous Fire team record streak of 282 minutes dating back to a April 4, 1998 – April 25, 1998 scoreless stretch.
· Houston midfielder Ricardo Clark, a product of the Chicago Fire Premier system, played for the Chicago-based PDL side during the 2002 season alongside Chicago goalkeeper Matt Pickens (2002-2003).
· Fire 2007 SuperDraft selection and forward Jerson Monteiro is a Houston, Texas native.
· Caution Watch – Chad Barrett (2c), C.J. Brown (5c), Calen Carr (3c), Jeff Curtin (2c, 1e), Jim Curtin (2c), Diego Gutierrez (3c, 1e), Logan Pause (1c), Dasan Robinson (2c), Gonzalo Segares (4c), Bakary Soumare (1c, 1e), Thiago (2c).