In the summer of 2014, it seemed that most of mainstream America caught the soccer bug at the same time.

Overnight the entire country became a soccer nation. Work schedules were altered and tasks postponed (both business and personal) to accommodate viewing of the U.S. Men’s National Team in the 2014 World Cup. Suddenly those apparently soccer-crazed crowds Americans so often saw on television from other countries were appearing right here on our streets. What happened? What became of the America that rejected soccer as a foreign, long-haired sport that other nations played but “we” ignored or laughed at?

One commentator even went so far to say that the popularity of soccer and the World Cup was a sign of the decay of America.

No city seemed to capture the newfound interest in soccer more than Chicago. The Windy City was constantly pictured during USMNT broadcasts with large crowds gathering for viewing parties in Chicago’s famous Grant Park. By the time the Round of 16 came along, the anticipated crowd was so big that historic Soldier Field was opened up to accommodate the 40,000 people who wanted to watch the game. Pictures of that crowd went all over the world, proving that America has become a soccer nation. What was it about Chicago that, more than anywhere else, showed the popularity of the beautiful game?

Now in my middle age, I have seen decades of soccer in my town. The Chicago Mustangs and Chicago Sting came and went as did other attempts to create a professional league here in the U.S.  Over the years I have attended international matches at Soldier Field or Toyota Park only to see the U.S. supporters often vastly outnumbered by fans of the visiting team.  Some of that came from the fact that Chicago is a U.S. city with a rich heritage of being a destination point for new immigrants to America. Growing up in the 60’s, on weekends I saw the local park hosting soccer games from pub leagues formed by various recent European immigrants. Meanwhile young American-born males were only playing baseball and the other traditional American sports.

With Chicago being the home base for the U.S. Soccer Federation, the men’s national team were a frequent visitor to the Windy City. A great crowd would be assured if Mexico, Poland, England, or Brazil were the team being hosted by the U.S.  However the crowd would be about two-thirds in favor of the visiting team. I estimated that at almost every match, the pro-USA fans numbered no more than 15,000. Even a 2010 World Cup Qualification match against Honduras saw a pro-Honduran majority in Soldier Field, which is walking distance from the USSF’s South Chicago Loop home.

But something changed just last year. At the 2013 Gold Cup final in Soldier Field, a near capacity crowd saw the U.S. defeat Panama. Now, the large crowd was not necessarily a surprise. It was thought a U.S.-Mexico final was going to take place, and the large Mexican population of Chicago was expected to buy a good number of seats in advance. In 2007, I saw the U.S.-Mexico Gold Cup Final where the Soldier Field crowd was near capacity and the U.S. fan contingent was only about 15,000. That leaves approximately 45,000 Mexico fans in the stadium. However at the 2013 final, the crowd was over 50,000 with the game nationally televised on FOX. And it was an all-American crowd. I was almost in tears. Where had all these U.S. fans come from?

One new element was a large contingent from the American Outlaws. Their previous appearances in Chicago were small, but they did always make an impact in the stadium despite their past small numbers. Talking to some of the crowd and on social media, it became clear that many fans came to the game from out of town. All of this was for a “B” team tournament a year before the World Cup. Local media did pick up on the clearly pro-U.S. crowd and how it was a change from the past. It was clear that, in many instances, the crowd was made up of Americans of Latin descent or origin, all supporting the USMNT. Another point was that many of the other supporters were young twenty-something Americans born and raised in the U.S. who had grown up playing soccer in the vast youth leagues and their high school programs.

Fast forward to June 2014, and we see the packed crowds in Grant Park and Soldier Field watching the U.S. team in this year’s World Cup. How did it happen? How did Chicago suddenly lead the nation in support for the national side? I would like to think MLS had something to do with it. But even I, a Chicago Fire Season Ticket holder, cannot give MLS credit. The Fire has a good loyal following and plays in beautiful Toyota Park, but it’s a modest following. The supporters group Section 8 are a model for MLS Supporters. However, the best years of attendance for the Fire where when the legendary Mexican star Cuauhtémoc Blanco was on the team.

So what did it? What packed Grant Park? What led to the opening of Soldier Field? What captured the public imagination? The answer seems to me that the “soccer generation” of American youth players finally grew up. All those sons and daughters of the soccer moms of America have an affinity for the game. They are now on their own. And in Chicago, many have left the suburbs they grew up in and live in the downtown Chicago area that is adjacent to Grant Park and Soldier Field. It was made to order for the U.S. Soccer Federation. A pro-soccer crowd in walking distance to the biggest soccer party in years. The perfect storm, so to speak.

So will the Windy City become a Soccer City? Well, let me say that the other American sport on the fringe is hockey. Despite decades of bad Hockey in Chicago, an estimated 3 million people gathered in June of 2013 for the Chicago Blackhawks victory celebration. So Chicago, like all of America, loves a winner! That’s the lesson for me: Win in America and you’ll be loved.

Photo by Lou Bruno

Most of us know that Saturday’s final score between Chicago Fire and Manchester United was 3-1 in the favor of the reigning champions of the English Premier League. Although this was not the first time that the Red Devils have visited Chicago, it was a world of difference from the last time just about five years ago. The local newspapers carried front page stories about the team’s tour of the US every day of the week. Chicago Fire team personal gave appearances on media outlets that would hardly give soccer a care unless the US reached a World Cup Final. The sports sections carried more than one story every day regarding preparations for the game. “Man United mania” was alive and well in Chicago, building up to a sold-out attendance which did not happen on their last visit.

The front office of the Chicago Fire did a wonderful job to sell the game and gave the fans a spectacular time at the game and in the pre-game events and activities. Giveaways were abundant and it was hard not to come away with a sponsors T-shirt or bag or water bottle. It was clearly party time seeing England’s best come to Chicago to play the Fire on Lake Michigan.  Not only Man United fans responded but I saw more Fire fans show up for a game judging by crowd noise and team shirt wearing than this Fire season ticket holder has ever seen. While the weather was not the best (heavy rains and flooding in the early morning followed by steam bath conditions at game time) the fans were in a carnival mood by game time.  The home team responded with a great effort in the first half and held a 1-0 lead at half-time. The Fire’s poor MLS record seemed to be forgotten by all and Fire fans felt on top of the world at the end of the 45 minutes.

Eventually when Wayne Rooney and company became serious about the game, no one in the stands felt let down. It was a great show and well worth the ticket price.

I know the MUFC summer tour is designed to sell the Man United brand and plenty of shirts, but many people in Chicago and Fire fans in general came away with the feeling that Fire soccer, the MLS, and the game of world football was the real winner. The game story was the lead in the sports pages and a subject for conversation by many. I proudly put on my game purchased T-shirt the morning after and was greeted by more than one person wanting to know if I made it to the game.

Let me say this, I am not a Man United fan per-se but I have respected the job done by Sir Alex Ferguson to keep his team at the top. Seeing a team in person allows one to much better judge the coaching job and you have to be impressed by how Man United plays the game. They are professionals in every sense of the word.  Their movement on the field especially off the ball is the best I have seen, and I have seen in-person the national teams of United States, Mexico, Poland, England, Canada and more plus clubs including Real Madrid, AC Milan, Everton and Chivas of the Mexican League, not to mention various MLS squads. MUFC has earned my respect. None of which stopped me and a good portion of the stadium from booing Wayne Rooney when he tied the game in the second half.

Manchester United proved to be a better salesman then they could have imagined and coming immediately after the attention to the game of soccer in the US from the Women’s World Cup, the world’s game may be close to being a top draw in Chicago’s crowded sports market. Thank you for the visit and come again soon please. In the meantime soccer fans in Chicago, come out to Toyota Park and see the Fire and MLS.

The Labor Day weekend featured the Fire at Toyota Park on Saturday afternoon September 3, 2010 for a match up against Western Conference leaders LA Galaxy. In what was an excellent showcase for the “MLS 2.0” edition (post World Cup and new signings) the teams battled into extra time and drew one all.

The result deprived a Fire team that played well with 10 men most of the game (red card to Segaras in the 20th minute) and with their star midfielder Freddie Ljungberg out from the start from three points at home. The Fire took the lead in the 88th minute only to see LA tie the game a minute later. Another packed house at Toyota Park left disappointed but not unsatisfied. The quality of play throughout the day was top notch and featured Fire rookie goal keeper Sean Johnson stop Landon Donovan on a penalty kick. A rare feat indeed.

For Fire fans the bottom line was the one point at home after two road defeats including a heartbreaking last minute defeat a week earlier to Seattle. No matter how much the Fire’s new additions have improved the team and the insertion of Sean Johnson in the net have helped the Fire, they are still far from a playoff spot with only 10 games remaining in this season. With the top two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference beyond the reach of Chicago it comes down to the Fire reaching 8th place in the overall league standings to qualify for the post-season. As we are well aware of from last season just making the playoffs is the important thing. The MLS title will be open to any of the final eight teams and home field advantage in the early rounds does not seem critical to a Fire team that historically has played well on the road.

Currently the Fire are in 11th place overall in the MLS table. They total 25 points and Toronto, Kansas City, and San Jose are all ahead of them in the playoff race. New England is only a point behind the Fire, and Houston is a point behind the Revs with 23 points. The Fire have the advantage of games in hand over most of the MLS field having played only 20 games on the season. Most notably San Jose however have only played 20 games. Games in hand only become an edge if you win them and nothing about the Fire’s ultimate performance the last few weeks would make wins expected.

Please Fire fans don’t get me wrong, but with only one point in the last 3 games we can expect nothing from this team no matter how improved. I have been greatly impressed by the improved quality of the Fire with the recent signings as well as the entire league since the new signings have come on board. Yet the bottom line for the Fire right now is winning games and making the playoffs and the likes of Castillo and Ljungberg have not made the bottom line look any better. Sellout crowds (at least on the weekends) come to see the home team win and that is just not happening. That does not mean I am discontented nor should other fans be. In fact I am ready to do the early renewal plan for my season tickets for next year and encourage all MLS fans to get their tickets early for the 2011 season which should be a memorable season with new teams in the league.

Taking each game one at a time is an old sports adage and clearly is true for the Fire. They have a must win home game this very week against Toronto. Three points have to be earned. This will be no easy feat with steady midfielder Marco Pappa not expected to play and defender Gonzalo Segares lost due to a red card in the Galaxy game. Freddie Ljungberg should be back to assume his midfield role and Nery Castillo appears finally to be ready to play a full game for the Fire after his late July signing. Sean Johnson continues to improve in goal and can certainly claim a confidence boost from his penalty kick stop on Landon Donovan. Having to win midweek and then travel to play the Union on the weekend is a tall order and the Fire have to fill it. It would be a shame if Brian McBride’s final season ended with his hometown team being on the sidelines come playoff time.

Wednesday August 18, 2010 saw the New England Revolution return to Toyota Park for a MLS match-up versus the Fire. Just last month New England had visited the Fire in a Super Liga fixture that saw the visitors seal the fate of the Fire in the tournament. Both teams came in desperate for a win, each having just 21 points on the season and therefore both currently outside of the playoff picture. The Fire were not the team that the Revs beat last month but a new side effectively with the likes of Swedish star Freddie Ljungberg, the Mexican National Team standout Nery Castillo, and the return from Europe of the Fire defender Gonzalo Seagares all in a Fire uniform for the first time. Additionally, Fire rookie Sean Johnson has taken over in the net for the Fire with outstanding results since the teams last meeting.

The streaking Revs came into the game not having lost in their last eight outings in all competitions and took the early lead with a goal in the 15th minute of play after a turnover of the ball by Chicago defender Wilman Conde. There was little Sean Johnson could do after Revs forward Marko Perovic picked the up the ball after the Conde error and tapped the ball into the net past an on rushing Johnson. In the 31st minute Chicago’s own Bagio Husdic made the University of Illinois at Chicago proud by picking up a deflected ball from a Brian McBride shot and evening the score at one all for his fourth goal of the season. The Fire and the lively Fire crowd seemed to be energized by the score and begin thereafter to take control of the game. Chicago having come off of a ten day lay-off appeared to have energy to burn and the Revs seemed to be fading as the first half ran down. The thought of their next two games on the road and then a return home to play the Galaxy had to be creating a real sense of a must win for the Fire. Despite the Fire’s command of the game the last part of the first half the score remained all even at halftime.

The second half opened with Mike Banner coming in for Nery Castillo who is still not ready for a full ninety minutes of action. Freddie Ljungberg clearly became the man in charge of the Fire offense and lead an early charge that kept the ball in the offensive zone for most of the first minutes ten minutes of the second half. The New England veteran keeper Matt Reis kept Chicago off the scoreboard despite the pressure from the Fire. The game settled into pattern of harmless midfield action as the 70th minute mark was reached. As the game moved past the 80th minute it was clear the Chicago needed to score and New England would be happy with the road draw to keep their unbeaten spell alive.

Finally in the 86th minute often injured Calen Carr put a shot in from the top of the box past Matt Reis for his first goal of the campaign. To his credit Carr gave praise to Freddie Ljungberg for finding him prior to his run for the winning goal. The last few minutes of the game saw a frantic New England team using hard play to get an equalizer. Despite the increased physical nature of the game which continued past the final whistle the Revs went home the loser. Chicago had a badly needed three points before the weekend trip to Texas to face the Dynamo in Houston.

The Fire did what was needed. A defeat may well have proved fatal to their playoff chances. Even with the win they are still looking up at three teams in the Eastern Conference. The weekend sees them in Houston and then the following week it’s off to Seattle where the great Seattle fans are already waiting for the return of Freddie Ljungberg. Ljungberg has clearly made an impact on the offense and has given the rest of the team the freedom to roam the field as defenses seem to concentrate on him with or without the ball. He especially seems to work well with fellow EPL alumni Brain McBride and the veteran forward appears to have the step and leap back in his game after Ljungbergs arrival in the Windy City. Nery Castillo has to find himself with this squad for the Fire to be successful on the road trip ahead. One would have to think that Castillo must play a large part if the Fire are to come home with six points.

Ultimately in all sports it is defense that wins titles. While the front office must receive credit for Chicago’s recent upswing, the development of rookie keeper Sean Johnson has to be considered the key to Chicago’s recent success. Yes, he has made great saves but so did Andrew Dkystra earlier in the season. What was lacking was the field leadership from the net after the Fire released Jon Busch before the season started. It is remarkable the maturity and knowledge of the game that Johnson has shown in his very first year in the league. When the Fire returns to Chicago summer will be at it’s end, but it looks like Toyota Park will be host to a hot team this fall.

Sunday may be recalled as the day that the Chicago Fire’s 2010 season really started. The team roster had been reworked with the addition of Nery Castillo and Freddie Ljungberg, and Fire coach Carlos de los Cobos started a line-up that featured Collins John as a sole forward and rookie keeper Sean Johnson in his first ever MLS start.

But Castillo would not be ready to play for the Fire and the former Sounder Ljungberg would not start. The game started with an early scoring chance by Edson Buddle of the Galaxy in the 2nd minute being stopped by a great individual effort by the newcomer Johnson. The Fire seemed to be ignited by the early effort by Johnson and in the next 18 minutes scored 3 times on the Galaxy. It was All-Star Marco Pappa who started the scoring at the 4 minute mark, followed by an individual effort by the ex-EPL player Collins John taking the ball on his own for almost half of the field and going near post to score his second score of the year. The third and final Chicago score of the evening and what turned out to be the winning score was a tally by Mike Banner on a rebound from a Marco Pappa blast in the 19th minute.

The league leading Galaxy dominated the second half of play and had a goal in the first half by way of a Landon Donovan penalty kick that was the US World Cup hero’s 100th MLS goal. A second half handball on Chicago gave a second PK opportunity to Donovan which he drove into the back of the net in the 80th minute to make the last ten minutes and the extra time period a nervous one for Chicago. Another big save by Sean Johnson in the final ten minutes off of a rocket of a shot by Alan Gordon saved the badly needed 3 points for Chicago. It also marked the first time this season that the Galaxy had lost at home.

Freddie Ljungberg came on for Chicago in the 58th minute but had little impact on the game with LA dominating so much of the ball possession.

With the Fire achieving the road win in LA they brought their record even for the year at 5 wins, 5 defeats, and 5 draws. While the win keeps the Fire in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, the 20 points on the season only ties them with Houston in the Western Conference who is in 7th place in the tough MLS Western Conference. Chicago has played a league low 15 MLS matches so far and has three games in hand to play over Eastern Conference leading Columbus. The Crew having last night dropped a game 3-1 to Chivas USA. The Fire can directly aid their cause next week when in a Sunday night ESPN match-up they host the Thierry Henry lead New York Red Bulls who are currently 2nd in the East.

While Fire fans can take heart, the Chicago squad clearly caught the LA team at the right time on this first Sunday in August. LA has had a schedule that saw them have CONCACAF Champions League match on Tuesday followed by a number of players in the MLS All-Star game on Wednesday, and Donovan and Buddle still adjusting after the World Cup, before facing the Fire. The Fire were off last week after their early exit from the Super Liga and were clearly well rested. What the team will look like next week with Castillo and Ljungberg expected to play significant parts is something that Fire fans can dream about for a week.

In the meantime, it was a win badly needed by Chicago and one well earned.

On Friday evening came the shocking news from Bridgeview, Illinois that Swedish star Freddie Ljungberg has been traded from the Seattle Sounders to the Chicago Fire for a conditional draft selection. The former Arsenal star and Swedish international, a veteran of multiple World Cups, brings his talents in the midfield to a Chicago Fire team that needs help to even reach a playoff spot this season. The Seattle Sounders having just signed a second designated player to their roster in the form of Uruguayan midfielder Alvaro Fernandez avoid having to pay the MLS luxury tax by moving the Swedish international to the Windy City and move a player in Ljungberg who was clearly wanting out.

Ljungberg had publicly broken with his Seattle Sounders team and his agent had announced his intention to seek other options than remaining on the West Coast where he had not suited up for the Sounders since a Independence Day game against the league leading LA Galaxy. Press reports from Seattle painted a picture of Ljungberg as a player who had separated from the rest of his Sounders teammates. Last year the Swede was signed by the expansion Sounders as their marquee player despite his injuries. Even with injuries being a problem in Seattle he clearly excited the league and the large Seattle crowds as he was named to the MLS All-Star team last season. It has been a different story this season, no goals and reduced playing time with a Seattle team that is suffering from the frequent slumps experienced by second year expansion teams and who like the Fire are currently not in the MLS playoff picture.

As to Chicago, it is a team desperate to make the playoffs. Management would find it unacceptable to miss out on the second season for MLS as well making a early exit if they do reach the playoffs. Frank Klopas, Fire technical director, seems to be driven to improve the team. His first mid-season addition was Mexican scorer Nery Castillo, and Ljungberg gives him the solid veteran presence in the midfield he had been looking for. Frankly, it appears that Ljungberg was not the first choice of the Fire front office but was settled upon as a low risk solution after the team was turned down by one English midfielder according to published reports. On the other hand the Fire were true to their fans by bringing in another designated player as promised. Ljungberg should be able to serve the ball up well to the aforementioned Castillo and wing man Patrick Nyarko and thereby create more space for Chicago hometown product Brian McBride to execute his famous headers in front of the net.

Earlier last week the Fire sent seven year veteran midfielder Jusitn Mapp to the Philadelphia Union to free up salary space. The move was announced as part of the space needed to obtain Castillo but now seems to be a prelude to the Ljungberg deal. Mapp has never seemed quite to reach his potential in Chicago and this season was hampered by injuries.

There are also rumors circulating that the recent play of 2010 draft choice Sean Johnson in the net during the Super Liga may see keeper Andrew Dykstra hit the bench. While that seems unlikely in the short term with a couple bad outings in the Fire’s next two matches against the LA Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls, the Fire may be forced to go with the newcomer Johnson. The release of Jon Busch seems now to even more questionable if the Fire were serious about a title this year. While Dykstra has performed well at times the field generalship of a Jon Busch seems missing. If Freddie Ljungberg came at a small price can Frank Klopas still add a defender to his acquisition list and help the entire team from front to back? The verdict on his first two moves may be determined by if he has a third move to make.

Saturday July 17, 2010 will not be remembered by Fire fans as the day the Fire lost to the New England Revolution 1-0 at home in a Group B SuperLiga match-up but as the day help arrived to possibly save the 2010 Fire season. With the team clearly in a tailspin the Fire front office, true to their word to be active in the designated player market after the World Cup, added a former Mexican National team forward Nery Castillo to their line-up.

The Fire had promoted a player announcement to their fans during the intermission between the two SuperLiga games last night in Bridgeview. With their loyal fans having watched the Fire drop their fourth match in a row the crowd at least was put at ease now knowing that help in the form of a forward who can score was soon to arrive in the Windy City.

The 26 year old speedster with a touch for the ball when near the net comes to Chicago by way of a loan deal with Ukraine side Shakhtar Donetsk. The Fire will have an option to make the deal permanent however. Castillo is best known worldwide for his play in Greece with Olympiakos. Seven years in Greece saw him make over 100 appearances for that club and included him appearing in two Greek Cup winning sides and gain Champions League experience. In 2007 he was sold to the Ukrainian side where he was on board for a trip to the UEFA Cup while on their roster. He has notably had a brief loan spell with EPL side Manchester City.

To North American fans he is best remembered for his play in the 2007 Gold Cup. He was a spark plug for the Mexican team in that tournament being credited with getting the team to the Cup finals which took place in Chicago that year. The Mexican team lost to the US 2-1 in the final but Castillo made a name for himself with his home country. Most of his career has been in Europe as mentioned above and he does not bring along with him to Chicago a built in fan base from fans of a Mexican League club in Chicago’s large Mexican-American community. However, Chicago with coach Carlos de los Cobos and now Nery Castillo should be as popular with the Mexican –American fan base throughout the MLS as they were with Cuauhtémoc Blanco on the squad.

Speaking of Blanco, he has apparently decided to stay with a Mexican team for what must be his final days as a player. The rumor all along was that he would join the Fire again after the World Cup but that door now seems shut with his signing by the Mexican second division club Iraputo. While apparently serious negotiations did take place, no deal was done. I certainly do not know the real reason why Castillo became the choice but one must have to think the Fire made a good long term decision. The 11 year age difference is the most apparent feature but maybe Castillo can still have great years ahead of him while Blanco clearly has seen his best. In that event the MLS and the Fire may have made a decision that impacts the entire future of the league.

The reaction at Toyota Park was muted last night when the announcement was made. The early fan reaction judged from the Internet and other social media forums seems great but stating the need is a lot more. Technical Director Frank Klopas indicated that the Fire front office are not done with a player signings and at least the second designated player spot would be filled. The sights of the Klopas seem to be set on a midfielder but the rumored signing from an English team seems to have been ended by lack of interest of the player involved.

The Fire clearly need an anchor defender to aid a defense that has seemed badly disorganized at times. While Andrew Dykstra has generally performed well in the net he has not taken charge of the defense as Jon Busch did while in Chicago. He is in his first year as a starter and that will come but in the meantime a stable defense makes up for a keeper who is learning.

So, the team ownership has kept to their word and brought in a big name. This could not be soon enough as the Fire are 4th in the Eastern Conference and trail seven teams in points from the tough Western Conference of the MLS. Castillo will greatly aid the games of Patrick Nyarko, Marco Pappa, and Brian McBride and open room especially on the flanks for his teammates. If the Fire are going to even make the playoffs this season the next signing may be the most important decision that Fire management makes all season.

To sum it up: A work in progress, stay tuned for more.

The second half of the MLS season started in New England on Sunday for the Fire and saw the squad earn the three points they so desperately needed to start the march to the MLS playoffs.

A first half blast from 30 yards out by Marco Pappa after a swift move to escape his defender, scoring his 6th goal of the year allowed the Fire to take the lead which they never relented on this summer Sunday night in New England.

Both teams clearly had a disappointing first half of the season and in the case of the Revolution they were clearly expecting better things with the return of their standout goal keeper Matt Reis. The Fire dominated the play in both the first and second halves but amazingly New England had over twenty shots on the night without a goal.

The Fire line-up saw Brian McBride and Patrick Nyarko starting as forwards for the Fire. The pairing of the veteran McBride with the much younger Nyarko (3 years in the league) produced results for Chicago in quality chances on the net. Nyarko was taken off in the 70th minute and we saw the Chicago attack feature McBride and Deris Umanzor for an extended period until McBride came off for defensive purposes. The Chicago midfield provided the forwards with the ball where they liked it to create the opportunities that helped control the game for the Fire.

Chicago had to scratch Justin Mapp with an injury during warm-ups and an injury to Baggio Husidic after the 37 minute mark lead to a Chicago makeshift midfield that still as above mentioned performed well on the night. Michael Banner had a particularly good night coming on for Justin Mapp on the flank.

The Revs had two good opportunities in the second half which Andrew Dykstra the Fire keeper could have played better but ultimately kept the balls out of the net.

It was another clean sheet for the Fire net minder but he seems always to make things interesting for himself and the Fire even with the opponent being shutout. The Fire unable to score a second goal decided to play defense later in the game and kept the team packed in defensively and frustrated a desperate New England attack. Carlos de los Cobos the Fire coach seemed to have used the break well to find the right combination of players and it seemed to pay off on this fine summer evening against the Revolution. Both defensively and offensively the Fire eleven never seemed more in tune with each other this season then what they showed in New England.

The victory for the Fire was their fourth of the season and left them in 4th place in the Eastern Conference. Despite an unbeaten run of five matches the Fire are still trailing Columbus and New York by seven points and are one point behind third place TFC. The Fire can improve things considerably for themselves with a win over the Crew on the road next Saturday night. A defeat can leave title hopes seriously in doubt, especially with New York expected to announce a major player signing before long. The Fire may very well respond with a signing of their own but the conference title chance may be gone with a win in Ohio next week.

Fire Alarms
While home MLS games will be rare for the Fire during July with only Salt Lake visiting Toyota Park on July 8, the Fire will have US Open Cup action and Superliga action in Bridgeview to keep the home fans occupied. On June 29 the Fire take on the Charleston Battery in the Fire’s first US Open Cup action of the year. Then the attention will turn to Superliga with action at Toyota Park on July 14 vs. Monarcas Morelia, July 17 vs. New England, and July 20 vs. Pumas Unam. I happen to love Superliga but will it require a bit too much out of the team during hot summer nights? We shall see.

The Chicago Fire finally found the three points they had been looking for since April 24 with a 2-1 win over the expansion Philadelphia Union at Toyota Park on the first Saturday night in June.

Fire great Peter Nowak returned to Chicago with his Union team on Polish Night in Bridgeview to try to keep the Fire winless since their victory over Houston in April. The Fire scored once in each half with scores by Baggio Husidic and Marco Pappa to give Chicago their margin of victory. The first score by Husidic was set up by an excellent run to the goal by Patrick Nyarko which drew in the Union defense and opened the middle for Husidic. The second half goal by Pappa came after an outstanding save by Union keeper Chris Sietz of a blast by Justin Mapp which could not be cleared and lead to the Pappa score in the 74th minute. The Fire seemed to toy with the Union after the Pappa score feeling the three points where secured but an extra time goal by Danny Mwanga for the Union kept things interesting until the end.

The game was highlighted by excellent saves by both the Union keeper Sietz and Fire net minder Andrew Dykstra. Each team can point to work by their keepers that kept them in the game. The Fire however avoided the defensive mistakes that have plagued them in their winless streak. The midfield seemed solid if unspectacular except for Patrick Nyarko who continues to expose the opposition defense with his speed. Polish defender Krzysztof Krol gave another impressive performance both with his defense and his ability to contribute to the offensive effort as he moves the ball in the offensive zone with effect.

Fire coach Carlos de los Cobos realized the importance of the game and kept his starting eleven on the field for most the night. Knowing that a win was vital we saw veterans Brian McBride, defender C.J. Brown, and midfielder Justin Mapp stay on the field when one would have thought they would have been substituted for with a 2-0 lead at the 74th minute mark. This seemed all the stranger when you take into account that the Fire will host the Colorado Rapids on June 9 for the final game before the World Cup break. Will de los Cobos be forced to change his starting line-up for the Rapids match and start some of his bench players is a good question? It appears that former Fulham forward Collins John has fallen out of favor with the coach and is becoming only a rarely used substitute. When may know this for sure after the Rapids match.

With the win over the Union the Fire now are now 3-3-4 on the season with 13 points. While good enough for 4th place in the MLS Eastern Conference both Columbus and New York have 21 points and seem at this point to be difficult for the Fire to overtake unless both of them have a major breakdown or injury. The Fire have played two less games the New York which makes the Colorado game all the more critical. Especially since come July, New York and a few other MLS teams may be sporting new signings that can change the landscape of the MLS season. Three points before the World Cup break seem all so important.

Fire Alarms

With the weather threatening a crowd of 14,656 turned out to see the Unions first ever visit to Toyota Park. Those that did attend received an ESPN program guide to this year’s World Cup. World Cup viewing parties seem aplenty in the Chicago area with the Daley Center Plaza hosting an event for the opening game on June 11 and Soldier Field being the site for an all-day event on July 11 for the final. The Fire will host a watch party for the USA v. England game on Saturday at the Bull & Bear pub on Wells street in Chicago’s River North area.

The Chicago Tribune reported during the last week that Wrigley Field home of the Chicago Cubs may soon see the Fire host the well-known Mexican side Club America. Wrigley Field is no stranger to soccer having seen many a Chicago Sting game back in the days of the old NASL.

Food choice: It was Polish Night so it had to be a polish sausage.

This year’s Memorial Day weekend would certainly be well remembered by most Chicagoans and especially sports fans.

With the Stanley Cup finals starting in Chicago and the MLB St. Louis Cardinals visiting Wrigley Field, and a Presidential visit thrown in, the visit of AC Milan to Toyota Park took somewhat of a back seat. Yet for soccer fans it was the main event of the weekend.

Befitting his status as one of the world’s best known athletes, Ronaldinho stopped by Wrigley Field to perform one of the great honors in the City of Chicago and threw out the first pitch before the Cubs v. Cardinals game on Saturday. He was quoted as saying that all the people love him when he goes to another country. He did not know how right he was on that one.

While this writer has not been a fan of international friendlies, the very name of the Brazilian superstar and his AC Milan squad is such a draw to the soccer fan that watching it on Fox Soccer is not an option. It helps that Fire season ticket holders received the game as a bonus to their ticket package. A warm summer night at Toyota Park in any event is an attraction in and of itself.

The game was nationally televised on Fox Soccer Channel but yet the game became a sellout with over 20,000 fans in attendance. I will not bother with the game details they are unimportant to the story. Suffice to say, AC Milan won 1-0 on a goal early in the 2nd half by Clarence Seedorf.

The Italian side was clearly superior to the Fire and easily prevented what has been a weak offense for Chicago from posing any real threats until later in the game when substitutes abounded. Tactics wise AC Milan played a team defense that allowed the man with the ball to be double and tripled covered but yet did not open up a free man for a shot. Very impressive but you can do that with size and speed on your team that is world class. As for Ronaldinho himself, I must say he seemed a bit upset when his teammates did not get him the ball when he considered himself open. He did acknowledge the crowd who loved him all night and played well into the second half pleasing his army of fans.

As I said above, Ronaldinho said he was loved and he was correct. In the 31st minute a fan in Milan gear ran onto the field and bowed on the ground to the Brazilian legend. There was some contact between the two and Ronaldinho flashed a big smile as the fan was pulled off the field by security. A second fan tried to get onto the pitch at the same time as the first fan but did not get far. Then in the 83rd minute another fan made it onto the pitch but failed to reach Seedorf. About the 71st minute mark a flare appeared in the north end zone stands the home of Section 8. This is not unheard of at a Fire game but the flare in the stand was followed by one thrown onto the pitch toward the Milan keeper. Luckily no one was hurt and the flare was picked up quickly by security personal that had a busy night. It is unknown whether the offender was caught. To say the least it brought back some bad memories.

The night was special from the beginning. A Brazilian band was playing for the crowd in the north end zone. A new Scottish themed pub had a group of ladies in some interesting tartan outfits on the grounds and almost every team and country jersey you can think of was on display. Germany, Italy, England, Brazil, Argentina, USA, Mexico, and Israel national shirts. Add to that Man U., Arsenal, Chelsea, Barcelona, Real Madrid, NE Revolution, LA Galaxy, and of course the visitors AC Milan and host Chicago Fire. As my friend, a former New York City police officer who was attending only his second soccer game ever with me said, the game was less about the soccer but more about the event. A good way to look at it if you ask me.

Fire Alarms

The first ever visit of the Philadelphia Union takes places next week on Saturday June 5. The Fire then make up a game moved earlier to accommodate the Sister City Cup with the Rapids on June 9. With friendlies included, it will be the 5th and 6th home games in a row for the Fire. After the June 9th game the Fire have only one league home game between then and August 1. The Fire will host a SuperLiga match up at Toyota Park on July 14 vs. Monarcas Morelia.

A recent Chicago fan poll published in the Chicago Tribune over the weekend found Fire fans increasing in number by 9% over a three year period. Good but not great. Needless to say Blackhawk fans increased the most.

Food choice: Too hot to eat. Ice cold lemonade helped.

“MLS icon,” “EPL veteran,” “USMNT standout,” the “best soccer player from the State of Illinois” are just a few of the ways to describe Chicago area native Brian McBride. With his team needing a spark, the ageless wonder took matters into his own hands and head. He started a play that lead to an open opportunity by Michael Banner in the 36th minute and then in the 40th minute after a fine lead by Justin Mapp, Brian McBride used his trademark header to tie the game up and ultimately earn the Fire a point on a picture perfect night at Toyota Park. FC Dallas who have dominated the Fire at Toyota Park took an early lead on a David Ferreira score in the 5th minute after a misplaced ball by Fire defender Wilman Conde.

FC Dallas coming to Bridgeview represented the only MLS game in four matches by the Fire in a two week period. You could not blame the Fire if they were looking ahead to Sunday’s visit by AC Milan to Toyota Park. Coach Carlos de los Cobos however was looking behind at the poor play by the Fire in the Sister Cities International Cup last week and poor efforts at Toronto and Kansas City earlier in the month of May. Trying to break a 3 game winless streak in league play and the lack of scoring in last week’s Sister Cities Cup we saw de los Cobos employ a 4-4-2 formation with Brian McBride and Patrick Nyarko upfront. Surprisingly, Collins John and Marco Pappa where placed on the bench and Michael Banner was moved into the starting line-up. Not until McBride began to take over in the 30th minute did the new line-up seem to make a difference.

It was a tie game at the half and a slow start to the second half by both teams. In the 58th minute de los Cobos surprised everyone again when Collins John came off the bench not for McBride but for Justin Mapp , who was returning to MLS action after three games out due to an injury. At the same time John came on FC Dallas midfielder Dax MCcarty had to come off due to an injury. The action however stayed slow down and then in the 68th minute Marco Pappa came on for the Fire and shortly thereafter Heath Pearce appeared on the field for Dallas. The Fire while having the better part of the action at this point in the game where not able to make a strong attempt at the Dallas net. Heath Pearce to his credit was effective on the field and created chances for FC Dallas even though he had just returned to the team after not making the US World Cup squad.

Pearce and his teammates dominated the last few minutes of play and the Fire where lucky to hang on for the tie. It was another disappointing result at home for the Fire. Where the Fire looking ahead to AC Milan, too tired after games last week on Wednesday and Saturday, or just not fielding a strong enough line-up yet. With all eyes on the World Cup Fire fans can only hope the coaching staff and front office get to the root of the problem at Toyota Park during the World Cup break.

The Fire in my opinion exposed the problem faced by MLS teams when having to play in the necessary evil of big name friendlies. The lack of effort by the Fire in the Sister Cities Cup was clearly apparent to fans in the stands. The effort and action seen on Thursday night in Bridgeview was miles apart from the level of play in a friendly. The visits by the AC Milan’s and Manchester United of the world have become huge money makers for MLS but, this writer believes they are not worth the inflated ticket prices that they command. In the long run MLS may be more hurt by the more quality of play then helped by the extra revenue. It was good to see the Fire break for the real action of a league opponent even if it did not produce three points.

FIRE ALARMS
With great weather over the holiday weekend in Chicago expected and the Fire making the AC Milan game part of all season ticket packages a huge crowd is expected at Toyota Park. Luckily for the Fire the game will fall in between games one and two of the Stanley Cup Finals starting in Chicago on Saturday night. This weekend in Chicago will also feature the return to Chicago for an extended stay of President Obama. His first extended visit since taking office. Before coming home he welcomed the USMNT to the White House before they departed for South Africa. Rumor always has had it the President is a soccer fan. Can a Presidential visit be expected at Toyota Park? Not likely.

Speaking of the USMNT there will be a strong Chicago flavor to the USMNT that is off to South Africa, those with Chicago or Fire ties include both Bob Bradley and his son Michael, former Fire players Carlos Bocanegra, DaMarcus Beasley, and local products Jon Spector and Brad Guzan. Jay DeMerit while a Green Bay native played his college soccer in Chicago. GO USA!

For the second week in a row the Chicago Fire played in cold and wet conditions. In what was a good game for the national TV audience on Fox Soccer Channel to watch, the wet conditions lead to some wild play that ended in a 2-2 draw.

A Julio Martinez goal from an outstanding cross by Marco Pappa gave the Fire an early 1-0 lead at the 14th minute mark which became the only goal of the first half. With the play being more and more affected by the rain, the action became sloppy but entertaining. The Wizards had their chances in the first half but missed more than one opportunity when a goal seemed assured, including an open chance by Kei Kamara. KC throughout the game was willing to take a shot at the net no matter what the distance. The Fire defense seemed unsure of themselves at times during the game, with the absence of Tim Ward due to injury appearing to be a factor. The Fire continued with their controlled passing game despite the rain and did have their chances as a result in both halves.

The rain seemed to let up a bit at the start of the second half and the Fire changed things up with Brian McBride coming on for Collins John and Mike Banner coming on for Julio Martinez, who had an injury in the first half. The Fire took a 2-0 lead early in the second half when Patrick Nyarko found Brian McBride free in front of the net and McBride did what he does best putting the ball into the net. The lead did not stay 2-0 long when Kei Kamara received a lead from Ryan Smith in the 50th minute who pivoted and turned with a blast that went past an out of position Fire net minder Andrew Dykstra for his fourth score of the season.

After that it became the Ryan Smith and Andrew Dykstra show. The midfielder had a number of excellent chances that lead to exceptional saves by Andrew Dykstra. It appeared that the Fire had weathered the storm and missed on their own chances as the game moved toward the ninety minute mark. Then just when the Fire started counting their three points Wizard midfielder Teal Bunbury made an brilliant drive through the left side of the Fire defense to blast a shot that Andrew Dykstra saved but was in no position to then stop the open rebound shot by Kei Kamara who notched his second goal of the night and his 5th of the season in the 89th minute. It ended that way for the Fire who picked up their ninth point of the season, but clearly having dropped a chance for a big win on the road.

While the Wizards had the better of play for most of this match the fact is the Fire had a 2-0 lead and a 2-1 lead in the 89th minute. The loss of three points at KC is a major setback. With the draw the Fire have only two wins on the season and the nine points are a disappointment. The defense which looked sound after two clean sheets last month gave up six goals on the two game road trip. The World Cup break cannot come soon enough for a Chicago team that needs help.

Fire Alarms

The Fire have attempted to fill a gap in their media coverage by having their TV announcer Dan Kelly provide an English radio broadcast of games over the Ustream internet site. Kelly will give a play by play and take listeners questions submitted over the net during the broadcasts. When the local crew is doing a TV broadcast the TV audio will be aired over Ustream. It’s not local over the air radio yet, but it is close.

The Fire will open the first ever Sister Cities tournament at Toyota Park on May 19 when they face Paris SG in the opening game. Legia Warsaw will face Red star Belgrade in the second match on the 19th. The winners will face off on May 22 in the Championship game while the losers meet in a consolation game beforehand.

AC Milan will be visiting Toyota Park on May 30, 2010. The AC Milan squad will feature both Pato and Ronaldinho who will not be going to South Africa for the World Cup. The game will be shown live on Fox Soccer Channel to American viewers.

Chicago Fire traveled to Toronto the day before Mother’s Day looking to extend their 3 game unbeaten run to 4 games but it was former Fire player Chad Barrett that ruined the trip north of the border.

The Fire may have thought that points on the road were possible at BMO Field and looked forward to the game knowing that Logan Pause would be back in the midfield after being out a month with an injury and Krzysztof Krol would be back on the defense after a red card suspension last week. Fire keeper Andrew Dykstra had just let one ball into the net in the last 270 minutes, so almost any offense should have given the Fire a point, one would think.

The Canadian weather made the conditions under which the game was played a factor in the outcome. High winds lead to the decision by TFC to play with the wind at their back in the first half. Having the wind as a 11th field player in the first forty five minutes lead to a goal by Nick LaBrocca in the 23rd minute to give TFC a 1-0 advantage which it held at the half. While Andrew Dkystra could have played the ball better the wind changed the direction of the ball in flight and moved it into the net.

Toronto quickly increased the lead to 2-0 in the second half with a score in the 46th minute by O’Brian White after brilliant passing by TFC leaving Andrew Dykstra flat footed and unable to defend the ball. Logan Pause did give the Fire brief hope in the 50th minute when he blasted a ball into the back of the TFC net from the midfield. After that it was all TFC with Barrett scoring at the 66th and 69th minute mark. Both goals were set up by aggressive play on the counter-attack by TFC giving Barrett open shots on the Fire net. The Fire as usual tried having Patrick Nyarko spark the offense from his wing attacks but it was all for naught.

The Fire remain on the road next week with a trip to Kansas City to play the Wizards. With their record now standing at 2 wins 3 defeats and 2 draws next week’s result well could be critical to the Fire. Yes the MLS playoffs give a team an ability to make up for a less than spectacular regular season but it looks like New York and Columbus intend to be conference leaders and Kansas City, New England, and TFC all are eyeing the post-season. A designated player can not arrive soon enough for the Fire. Hint to the front office the Mexico National team will be in Chicago soon!

Fire Alarms
Due to the tour of North America by Manchester United the Fire game vs. Kansas City on Saturday July 24 at Toyota Park has been rescheduled to a week night in October. This follows an earlier rescheduling of the home game on Saturday May 22 against Colorado to a Thursday night later this month due to the Sister Cities Tournament. Soccer Saturday nights are special in Bridgeview for the Fire. Moving games off of a Saturday night should only be rarely done. Midweek games for an MLS opponent that does not have David Beckham on the squad are not likely to draw big crowds. They serve as a disappointment to season ticket holders who look forward to a good seat watching the beautiful sunset over Toyota Park on a warm Saturday night.

Fire veteran and Chicago area native Brian McBride played his 200th MLS game in Bridgeview, Illinois last night. Another hometown player Baggio Husidic scored in the 52nd minute for the Fire and Maicon Santos answered in the 76th minute to level the score and send Chivas USA back to California with a draw. Chivas could be very well pleased with its point on the road having come to Toyota Park to face a Fire squad hoping to make it three wins in a row and three clean sheets in a row for keeper Andrew Dykstra.

For 75 minutes it appeared that the Fire and Dykstra would make their mark but a spectacular individual effort by Santos from a Sacha Kljestan corner kick would end those hopes. There was little Dykstra could do as the ball was placed into the upper corner of the net by a high flying Santos. The Husidic score was also something to admire as he put the ball into the net after being given an open opportunity after great ball movement by his teammates and an assist from Patrick Nyarko. Nyarko had several good runs along the flank during the match and was the Fire’s man of the match as their only real offensive threat. He had a great individual run late in the game that was stopped by former Fire keeper Zach Thornton to keep the score level and send the crowd home with that missing feeling that comes from a draw at home.

The missing feeling was apparent early on with Collins John out with a pre-game injury, the Fire missing Polish defender Krzysztof Krol due to a red card, Logan Pause still out from an early season injury, and then midfielder Justin Mapp going out with an injury in the 22nd minute. The Fire clearly where under manned and upon reflection have to be happy with the point before now facing their next two matches on the road at Toronto and Kansas City. Brain McBride having to play almost the full ninety minutes last night is something the Fire cannot afford to do.

The men in red will soon break their MLS schedule to play in the first ever Chicago Sister Cities Tournament over the weekend of May 22 featuring teams from Chicago’s sister cities of Paris, Belgrade, and Warsaw and then host Italian powerhouse AC Milan at Toyota park on May the 30th. The end of May seems a strange time to host a number of friendlies but I suspect that the World Cup forces a good number of schedule changes. While these events are money makers for the teams and give the American fans a view of top European clubs in person, they are hardly “A” team events for both sides. Let’s just hope no one gets hurt.

The most noteworthy event at Toyota Park last night was the large banner that went up from a group of fans who want a MLS team in Detroit. The loyal Chicago crowd of over 13,000 fans responded with the famous hockey chant used frequently by Chicago Blackhawk fans that Detroit sucks. It was good to see the quick reaction from the Chicago faithful. It was also good to see that the Motor City wants MLS action in their town.

The Fire are playing well as they move into May but having a 2-2-2 record on May 1, leaves them seven points behind the surprise early season leader New York Red Bulls. The Red Bulls strength of schedule has been a big factor in the Red Bulls early run, but the Columbus Crew as always will be a factor in the Eastern conference and are in second place currently. The road is not the place to make up a lot of points and given the World Cup break in June the home stand before the break with Dallas and Philadelphia coming to Bridgeview can well determine what kind of summer it will be for Chicago fans.

Food choice: Italian Sausage, with onions and peppers. Excellent for a stadium sausage.

The Chicago Fire returned to Toyota Park on Saturday night for their second home game of the season. Two was the lucky number for the Fire as for the second week in a row they won 2-0, winning their second game of the season to go with two defeats and one draw and achieve their second clean sheet in two weeks for their young goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra, and second MLS win for new coach Carlos de los Cobos.

The weather and a heavy sports schedule in Chicago held the crowd size down but the Fire never seemed to be affected by the high winds and rain at all. Chicago dominated the possession of the ball especially in the first forty five minutes but by the end of regulation time they had nothing to show for it. Local hero Brain McBride had more than one good chance to score but he, as well as the rest of the team, sent the ball high or wide for most of the first half. Finally in extra time the Fire broke through with another local hero Baggio Hudsidic putting in a rebound shot with a great effort past legendary Dynamo keeper Pat Onstad giving the home team a 1-0 halftime lead.

Onstad was under assault all night from the Fire who continued to control the ball into the second half. Patrick Nyarko and Polish defender Krzysztof Krol did a good job all night in controlling the ball and keeping Onstad and his Houston team on the defensive. Nyarko set up midfielder Peter Lowery with a cross in the 67th minute to give the Fire the second and final score. It was Lowery’s first score in his short MLS tenure. Houston has been hurt by injuries namely Brian Ching and has not been able to replace the players that have moved on to overseas leagues from last year’s team. The Fire were bigger and faster all night to the ball and when they could not get to the ball first they knocked Houston off the ball.

As I said at the top change is good and the Fire for the first time beat the Dynamo at Toyota Park. When the season started the Fire had started both Collins John and Brian McBride up front in the hope of the former Fulham FC players repeating their success from their time together in the EPL. Last week Fire coach Carlos de los Cobos started John and replaced him with McBride late in the game. This week McBride started and it was Collins who came on in the second half. Both players have seemed effective in this rotation and it seems to make sense to save wear and tear on McBride who is the oldest field player in the MLS.

All Fire fans and it seemed the team where shocked when the Fire released keep Jon Busch before the start of the season. Andrew Dykstra was an unknown to any but the most devoted fan and he seemed a bit uneasy in the net in his first few starts. Last night he saved 6 shots for his second clean sheet in a row. Houston had limited chances all night but Dykstra stepped up when they had their shots on him. While Dykstra may not be the team leader that Busch was, he appears to be in charge in the net with great results to show for it.

With a winning streak on the line the Fire will host Chivas USA at Toyota Park next week. The Fire are now tied for second in the Eastern Conference and are playing the kind of football that seems destined to bring them to the top spot in the conference. With the Fire likely to add an impact player after the World Cup they may be more than just a team that can contend for a title this year and become a favorite to wear the crown.

Note: The Patio burger was the food choice of the night. Basic but good.

It was a perfect day in Chicago. Warm temperatures and brilliant sunlight lead most people in my suburban Chicago neighborhood to get out in the garden and start their spring clean-up. When my wife told my neighborhood I had tickets for the Fire home opener vs. San Jose, she was envious. I am a veteran of many an opening day for Chicago sports teams and have not been so excited for a team’s opener since sometime when Walter Payton was wearing a Bears uniform.

Now if you’re attending a sporting event in Chicago in April dress like January and you can’t go wrong. You can always take off things but cannot put on a jacket you never brought. However, my Fire jersey was still proudly displayed.

The drive to Toyota Park in Chicago’s southwest suburban area takes an hour for me. I do not mind, especially since due to the magic of the iPhone I can listen to MLS pre-game from out-of-town stations. Chicago still lacks an English radio broadcast for Fire games.

When I reached the exit for Toyota Park I was shocked but pleased that traffic was backed up. Could this be a Fire game that backs up traffic? Well yes and no, there was a crowd going into the park but also just a lot of other traffic on this wonderful spring day and more than a few poor drivers. After clearing the traffic jam I shortly came upon Toyota Park and instantly felt a surge of pride. The parking lot had never appeared so filled to me! Could soccer finally be on the sports radar?

Parking is normally very easy at Toyota Park and, despite the crowd, was once again. Fifteen dollars will get you in (no value) but by this point you’re happy to pay. Having taken longer to arrive then planned I made my way through the parking lot filled with tailgaters to the gate. I climbed the stairs to the stadium area and came upon the beautiful site of the green field, the video screen welcoming everyone to opening night, and packed concourses of people lining up for food.

Now for the important choice of the evening. Which should be my first food selection of the new season? My favorite place to eat is the grill located at the southeast corner of the stadium. It took me a minute to run down the new menu options but the choice was a polish sausage with grilled onions and peppers. Not bad.

After that I moved through the sea of red to find the free gift booth for season ticket holders. It was a Fire knit cap, good quality but not too likely to be worn by this middle aged guy. Fire fans love wearing their team jerseys, more so than any other fans in Chicago. Everyone, young and old is dressed in Fire wear of some sort. My preference is for the away white jersey and it seemed a bit out of place, the vast majority preferred red. After waiting in line for my free gift, I made the trip to my seat — my home for the season and, while pleased, I quickly decided the other end of the row would have been a better choice. My choice. I’ll deal with it.

Finally game time. Well here is where the perfect night and day is ruined. The Fire missed a good number of chances in the first half including a clear open net by Collins John to be tied nil-nil at halftime. Okay, the Fire controlled the game limiting the chances of the visiting San Jose Earthquakes, and should be ahead. Everyone felt certain a goal would be forthcoming for the home team.

When San Jose did have a chance in the first 45 minutes the Fire defense did seem disorganized. I was worried and sure enough the disorganization took its toll when early in the second half the Fire defense gifted San Jose a goal when the keeper Dykstra became entangled with his defense and fell to the ground leaving an open net for San Jose to tap the ball in. I was still tweeting my displeasure on my iPhone when shortly thereafter Marco Pappa blasted an equalizer into the San Jose net. There was hope, well at least until the 81st minute when Bobby Convey found Ike Opara having his lunch in front of the Fire net and easily made the score 2-1. It ended that way.

I’ll save by displeasure for the on the field play and coaching decisions for some other time and place. However, it appears after 3 games the team is not responding well to new coach Carlos de los Cobos style of play. The record opening day crowd of over 20,000 people left disappointed. Tradition has it that after a bitter defeat you vent your anger by calling the post-game radio talk show. With no English radio this is not possible in Chicago. What was a decent substitute was due again to the magic of the iPhone I called up the broadcast of the Seattle Sounders game to hear an exciting finish in my car on the way home and enjoy their post-game show.

So after an hour drive home delayed by a traffic accident and train crossing I returned. Lucky next week the Fire are on the road. I do not think I would do things all over again next week end after this defeat and it will take a week and a win to re-ignite my Fire. The Fire front office and the fans made it a special opening night. The team should be alarmed by its play. No matter how nice the night and how great the crowd and how tasty the food, wins bring the crowds and the Fire have none after 3 games.

If there is one book that should be required reading for the new American fan to the world’s game it’s this one. Jamie Trecker gives us not only a view of the World Cup from a reporters perspective but a lesson in the tactics of the game, a bit of German World War 2 history (mostly on target I should point out, since I am very well read on the subject of WW2 I only caught one flaw in his historical perspective), player profiles, a history of the game of football in the US and the world.

Several lessons are learned by the reader along the way, such as why the American fan can feel free to call the game soccer, why and how the WC to the surprise of many American’s is The World Event, and what “Total Football” means and what is the “offside trap”. It’s a tall order to cover so much ground but he does it well and in a relatively short time.

The author, the well known soccer analyst and writer, does a mostly outstanding job of covering several different topics in his personal memoir of last year’s World Cup in Germany. He uses his assignment to cover the World Cup as a reason to give the American fan, who he well knows is mostly a late comer to the world’s game, an overview or an introduction of what is an obsession for most of the globe. He does this by breaking off from his description of a specific game to educate the reader on the tactics of the game, or the history of a particular national team, or a personality profile of key players. While he covers the event from an American point of view, the English, French, German, and other readers will find the book of great interest. Having been a fan of the English League and the USA team over the years, I will now appreciate greatly what countries like Mexico, Argentina, and Australia are doing with their national teams and leagues from Trecker’s insights into those nations and their players. Once or twice, the breakaways from the main flow of the Cup coverage to cover a related topic were an annoyance, but this is a minor flaw.

I was especially moved by the player profiles that are mixed into the storyline. Trecker explains Wayne Rooney to the American audience in terms that most Americans can readily understand and makes his impact on the English game understandable to some Yanks (myself included) who just were not able to understand Rooney’s impact.

Let’s just say that Rooney is an English version of the NFL’s Brett Farve. I must admit I have been critical of America’s own Clint Dempsey in the past when he seemingly misses an open shot. After hearing his story, never again will I be critical of him, but realize his mere presence on the pitch is a testament to his character. The author tries to gets us in the head of Zinedine Zidane (pun intended) but falls short. This maybe more of an issue with Zidane himself rather than a failing of the author. It may not be possible for any writer to unravel the mystery that Zidane is, but the story clearly requires that he at least tries and it was a good effort.

For the American reader, who the book is clearly geared for, this work is a throwback to the days when America was not a major part of the world. In the soccer/football world the Americans are at a pre-WW2 stage. We are not a major player. The field is dominated by Europe and South America and the Yanks are still eager newcomers with a lot to learn to be on top. Trecker tries to explain to the average American what this all means in our own terms and accomplishes the goal. When necessary he relates things in terms the American sports fan can understand, making comparisons to Michael Jordan or various MLB teams is the best way to get an American reader to understand a point he is making about a player or a certain team. Also, I must admit that as a fellow Chicago resident Trecker made a reference or two that you may only appreciate if you’re from the Windy City.

All of the above should not take away from Trecker’s own personal story. The great efforts he made to follow soccer growing up in America. The struggle it was in Germany as well as South Korea and Japan in 2002 to cover the event from a reporter’s point of view, and last but not least his own personal health battles. I especially admire him writing about his health issues since it gives the readers` an even better insight of what it took to produce this book. I know there are those out there who find the author an unnecessary critic of the MLS or US Soccer, your views on his opinions should not deter you from buying this book. MLS and the US Soccer Federation have no reason to fear this story. In fact just having to deal with the train loads of drunken fans of various national origins is an act of courage.

I look forward to his next book and hope he will find the time and good health to write a longer piece on any one of the various subjects he touched on in this World Cup saga. Highly recommended.

Reviewer Lou Bruno, now in his 50’s, resides outside of Chicago, Illinois, and became a soccer fan later in life.