Fire - Wizards Return Leg Clash Saturday Night

 

BRIDGEVIEW, IL (August 24, 2007) – The Eastern Conference playoff race heats up Saturday as the Chicago Fire (6-9-5, 23 pts.) host the Kansas City Wizards (9-7-5, 32 pts.) at TOYOTA PARK in Bridgeview, Ill., their third meeting of the 2007 campaign and second in four days. Chicago hope to avenge a  3-2 loss Wednesday night to Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium, a game that witnessed a rare start for veteran goalkeeper Jon Busch. The Wizards will be missing defender Jose Burciaga Jr., their most potent offensive player from Wednesday night with a goal and two assists, who is unavailable due to yellow card accumulation. Kick-off for Saturday’s match-up is set for 7:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on television nationally on HDNet and locally over the airwaves on Chicagoland radio station WRTO-AM 1200 (Spanish).

 

Chicago Fire vs. Kansas City Wizards :: Fire Match # 21 MLS Match # 135

Saturday, August 25 @ 7:30 p.m. CT :: TOYOTA PARK – Bridgeview, Ill.

TV: HDNet

Satellite: KU BAND, Galaxy 17, Tr. 2 Lower, D/L: 11731(v)

Audio: WRTO-1200 AM (Oscar Guzman, “Batata” DaSilva, Enrique “Tico” Fernandez)

Game Guide: http://www.sportssystems.com/novell/efx%5Cfax%5CMLS%5C06704Y01.pdf

 

Chicago Fire/AthletiCo "Recovery Room” :: August 24

Curtin, Jim – R Shoulder labral tear – OUT FOR SEASON

Pickens, Matt – R groin strain – PROBABLE

Russolillo, Jordan – R hip labrum tear – OUT FOR SEASON

Telesford, Osei – L groin strain – OUT

 

Fire History vs. Kansas City Wizards

The “Men in Red” took the 2007 series’ first game 2-1 at TOYOTA PARK on April 21, courtesy of strikes from forward Chad Barrett (36’) and Chris Rolfe (73’), yet Kansas City split the series 1-1 with a 3-2 win over Chicago at Arrowhead Stadium on Wednesday night.  Chicago fared well against the Wizards through 2006, taking regular season series 2-1-1, capped by the Fire’s 2006 U.S. Open Cup Fourth Round 2-0 blanking of Kansas City on Aug. 14, 2006 to advance to the Quarterfinals.  Competing in 30 previous regular season meetings, the Fire now sit on a comfortable 18-8-4 regular series advantage, with a 20-10-3 overall mark against the Wizards across all competitions (MLS regular season, U.S. Open Cup & MLS Cup Playoffs). The Fire have historically taken care of business at home versus Kansas City, boasting a near-spotless 12-1-1 record in games contested in Chicagoland.

 

Six Point Series

The Chicago Fire saw its three-game unbeaten streak halted by the Wizards on Wednesday as defender Jose Burciaga Jr. factored in all three tallies, registering a goal and two assists.  The Fire opened a 1-0 first half lead when attacker Cuauhtémoc Blanco sent a through pass to forward Chad Barrett, who finished a left-footed shot from 10 yards out in the 46+ minute to notch his team-leading fifth goal of the season. Blanco was foiled on a penalty kick in the 13th minute by goalkeeper Kevin Hartman after a foul on midfielder Justin Mapp in the box in the 12th minute. The teams exchanged late goals as Burciaga struck in the 82nd minute, which was answered by a clean-up goal from Fire defender Dasan Robinson a minute later, after Blanco delivered a cross in the box that was punched out by Hartman.

 

“I think we created enough chances to be up 2-0 in the first half, but we lacked the final touch,” said Fire head coach Juan Carlos Osorio.  “The game went end-to-end in the second half.  I have to credit our players with their effort tonight, but we didn’t get the result we wanted.”

 

Blanco’s Blast Nets Goal of the Week Honors

Scoring his first MLS career goal in the 43rd minute against Real Salt Lake last Saturday, Blanco trapped the ball and ripped a long-range strike from 20 yards out into the upper-right corner of the goal. That game-winning goal beat out four other contenders for the Sierra Mist Goal of the Week in Week 20. Check out the “Blanco Blast” and the rest of the best goals scored in Week 20 at www.chicago-fire.com.

 

Quick Kicks vs. Kansas City

•           Chicago defender Gonzalo Segares has been the only member of the “Men in Red” to have played in every regular season game for the Fire through the 2007 campaign, but will miss Saturday’s contest after picking up two yellow card cautions Wednesday and being subsequently ejected. He will sit out the Fire’s next game as he serves a one-game suspension.

•           Midfielder Willian Oliveira was waived by the Fire on Monday, Aug. 20.

•           The Fire saw its shutout streak – which spanned three-plus games – snapped at 324 minutes.

•           The Fire own a 3-6-1 mark in regular season road games contested in 2007.

•           Fire midfielder Logan Pause celebrated his 26th birthday this Wednesday.

•           Kansas City midfielder Carlos Marinelli will be able to play Saturday after serving a one-game suspension Wednesday for yellow card accumulation. Wizards players Davy Arnaud and Jack Jewsbury are one caution away from suspension, as all three sit on four yellow

            card cautions.

•           Caution Watch – Chad Barrett (3c), C.J. Brown (3c), Calen Carr (4c), Diego Gutierrez (6c, 1e), Dasan Robinson (3c), Gonzalo Segares (5c, 1e), Bakary Soumare (3c, 1e), Thiago (3c).