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Easily the most frustrating thing about covering an MLS club during the off-season is how quickly your hard work becomes outdated.

Take last week: we spent a lot of time seeing who the Chicago Fire would pick at #11, and BOOM, the club trades the pick to the Colorado Rapids for Jeff Larentowicz.

Chicago Fire defender Cory Gibbs announced his retirement Monday. Gibbs, 32, spent time in Germany, Holland and England before returning to MLS to join the Colorado Rapids in 2008. He also played briefly with the Dallas Burn in 2004 and [...]

The post Injuries Force Gibbs to Retire from Chicago Fire appeared first on Soccer Perspectives.

Photo by ISIphotos.com

Chicago Fire centerback Cory Gibbs is calling it a career.

The Fire announced Monday that Gibbs is retiring after a 12-year professional career that saw him play in MLS, the German Bundesliga and Eredivisie. The 32-year-old Gibbs also represented the U.

Well, here we are, the playoffs. If Houston wants to make another surprise run to the MLS Cup final, it starts tonight with a "win or go home" game against the Chicago Fire. The Fire have dominated the Dynamo this season, but as the cliche goes, you can throw all that out the window...or something like that.

BROADCAST INFORMATION: Galavision - 6 p.m. SportsTalk 790 - 5:30 p.m. La Ranchera 850 - 5:30 p.m.
REFEREE: David Gantar. Career: 13 games; FC/gm: 26.8; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 8; pens: 1
INJURY REPORT: HOUSTON DYNAMO -- OUT: DF Alex Dixon (heat illness); DF Warren Creavalle (L ankle sprain); QUESTIONABLE: FW Calen Carr (L knee swelling) CHICAGO FIRE -- OUT: DF Cory Gibbs (R knee meniscus repair); DOUBTFUL: DF Steven Kinney (R groin pain); QUESTIONABLE: MF Logan Pause (rib fractures); MF Michael Videira (R Achilles inflammation)
HEAD-TO-HEAD:

• ALL-TIME (14 meetings): Fire 3 wins, 16 goals .

The New England Revolution are facing the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park on Saturday night. Bridgeview is definitely not a favored environment for the Revs to try and break their six-game winless streak, but nevertheless they must try. Chicago is sitting pretty in fourth place with a game in hand on the teams above them, and will be looking at this fixture as an easy three points at home.

BROADCAST INFORMATION: KPRC Local 2 - 7 p.m. La Ranchera 850 (SPN Radio) SportsTalk 790 (ENG Radio)
REFEREE: Allen Chapman. MLS Career: 4 games; FC/gm: 23.3; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 0; pens: 1
INJURY REPORT:

HOUSTON DYNAMO -- OUT: DF Alex Dixon (concussion); MF Calen Carr (L hamstring strain); DOUBTFUL: MF Je-Vaughn Watson (L adductor strain); QUESTIONABLE: DF Oscar Recio (concussion)
CHICAGO FIRE - OUT: DF Cory Gibbs (R knee meniscus repair); MF Steven Kinney (R Achilles tendinitis); DOUBTFUL: GK Paolo Tornaghi (R ankle sprain); FW Federico Puppo (R ankle sprain)

HEAD-TO-HEAD:

• ALL-TIME (13 meetings): Dynamo 6 wins, 21 goals .

Three weeks! It's only been three weeks!

The Dynamo are back at last with a trip to Chicago to face their Eastern Conference rivals the Fire.

BROADCAST INFORMATION: Galavision - 6 p.m. (Comcast: 50/HD 650; AT&T Uverse: 3003; DirecTV: 404; Dish: 273) SportsTalk 790 (ENG Radio) La Ranchera 850 (SPN Radio)
REFEREE: Geoff Gamble.

Chicago Fire technical director and head coach Frank Klopas used the 2011 season to find a winning combination of personnel. He had to fire former head coach Carlos de los Cobos and take the coaching reigns himself. There had to be some trades, dozens of new players had to be signed, multiple players had to be released, and in some cases players had to be signed and released in a matter of months.

There's so much going on in the Chicago Fire universe right now, it's hard to pick where to start. Let's set the tone the same way Section 8 Chicago did with their wonderful tifo display on Saturday night. 'For Two Years Our Flames Have Smoldered - Tonight We Reignite the Fire'. That was beautiful.

All time record: 2-1-1
At PPL Park: 2-0-0
At Toyota Park: 0-1-1
Goals For: 5
Goals Against: 5

Did you know...

The Union (with Brad Knighton in goal) pitched their first ever clean sheet on Sept. 11, 2010 against Chicago. It was also Sheanon Williams first MLS game.

When Chicago Fire defender Cory Gibbs recently appeared on Windy City Live to promote the club's new sponsorship deal with Quaker Oats, the most astute of supporters may have noticed something different about his appearance: his jersey did had short sleeves.

"I love my long-sleeves," said Gibbs during a recent interview with Hot Time in Old Town.

Major League Soccer will hold its Re-Entry draft for the second year in a row. The first round will take place on December 5 with the second round taking place on December 12. Players available in this year's Re-Entry Draft include 69 players who had their options declined in addition to a handful of players that are out of contract.

Dan Gargan -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com

The Chicago Fire and other Major League Soccer teams submitted their 11-player protected lists Monday in preparation for Wednesday's MLS Expansion Draft for the Montreal Impact.

Among some of the Fire's noteworthy players left unprotected are forward Diego Chaves, midfielder Daniel Paladini, and defenders Dan Gargan, Josip Mikulic and Yamith Cuesta.

Former Revolution defender Cory Gibbs retired from his professional playing career on Monday. (Photo: Chris Aduama/aduama.com)

Former Revolution defender Cory Gibbs, who attended Brown University prior to embarking on a career that took to Europe and back on two different occasions, announced his retirement from professional soccer on Monday.

The New England Revolution has some new faces training in Tucson as they have taken on a new crop of trialists. Jeremiah White returns for his second attempt to earn a contract, and he will be joined by Björn Runström (forward, Sweden, 27), Luisito Campisi (midfielder, Italy, 25), Florian Lechner (defender, Germany, 30), and, of course, Tom Cruise (defender, England, 20), according to Sean Donahue at New England Soccer Today.

The Revs already have their veteran leader in the back: Matt Reis. (Photo by CHRIS ADUAMA/aduama.com)

Over the past few seasons there seemed to be a general consensus that the New England Revolution needed a veteran in the back line to help guide its relatively young defense. Admittedly, I was a part of that group.

It would seem that Cory's season ending injury that he suffered early last season was too much to come back from. I think we can all agree that Gibbs was a great teammate and a great leader. Unfortunately his career was cut short more prematurely than any of us would have liked, but Cory has a nice 12 year professional career to put to his name.

Last year San Jose Earthquakes physically beat up and outworked a Fire team that could ill afford a loss. It was one of those very questionable losses that you could see coming a mile away. For whatever reason Frank Klopas deployed an odd lineup. Some of this was due to suspensions (Sega was suspended for last year's game in San Jose as well) but others were coaching decisions.

This game was nuts. Inexplicable referee decisions. Overly physical play. Weird penalties. Poor set piece defending. Golazo! Dives. Goalie Coach ejection. Yellow cards. Two (!) penalty saves. Nerve racking final minutes. All of this resulted in an ugly, but a rather satisfying (Hi Brimstone Cup you sexy thing you) victory.

Here are a couple of things to look out for in today's game. Be sure to check out the pre-game show at 5:30 PM on Comcast SportsNet. Ours and your in-game comments are after the break.

Jalil Anibaba and Arne Friedrich Pairing

The bad news is that Cory Gibbs is out 4-6 months as he recovers from knee surgery.

Chicago Fire 1 - 1 Montreal Impact

Chicago Fire: Paolo Tornaghi; Dan Gargan, Jalil Anibaba, Cory Gibbs, Gonzalo Segares (Hunter Jumper, 68'); Marco Pappa (Federico Puppo, 62'), Pavel Pardo, Logan Pause ©; Sebastian Grazzini (Daniel Paladini, 79'); Dominic Oduro, Patrick Nyarko

Substitutes not used: Jay Nolly, Corben Bone, Rafael Robayo, Orr Barouch

Montreal Impact: Donovan Ricketts; Jeb Brovsky, Mateo Ferrari, Tyson Wahl, Josh Gardner; Davy Arnaud, Felipe Martins, Patrice Bernier (Lamar Neagle, 82'), Justin Mapp (Andrew Wenger, 68'); Sanna Nyassi, Justin Braun (Bernardo Corradi, 77')

Substitutes not used: Greg Sutton, Callum Mallace, Shavar Thomas, Collen Warner

Chicago Fire Head Coach Frank Klopas

On the game.

After yet another agonizing bye week for the Fire in this young 2012 MLS season, it's finally that time again. I am back to prep you for the Fire's Sunday night showdown with the Dynamo with our customary 3 questions exchange. Instead of having 6 total questions like we usually do, Zach Woosley over at Dynamo Theory was kind enough to answer the 3 questions that we had for him.

Chicago was just too much for the Philadelphia Union on Saturday night. In the fog and mist Toyota Park was buzzing with excitement for the home opener of 2012. And the Fire didn't fail.
From the first whistle Chicago dictated play on the field. The team seemed to have complete control of the game with very good ball movement.

Chicago was just too much for the Philadelphia Union on Saturday night. In the fog and mist Toyota Park was buzzing with excitement for the home opener of 2012. And the Fire didn't fail.
From the first whistle Chicago dictated play on the field. The team seemed to have complete control of the game with very good ball movement.

The Fire may be on the verge of a defending boost.

Both Cory Gibbs and Steven Kinney are on their way to recovery from their injuries, which will hopefully add depth to an already formidable back-line.

"Things are going well. I'm on progress to be back hopefully training fully in the next three to four weeks," Gibbs said, after spending the first hour of training jogging around the pitch at Toyota Park.