Chicago ended the year as potentially the best non-playoff team in MLS. They caught "fire" and
had a winning record for the final third of the season, almost stealing the tenth playoff spot from
New York. The same team that ...
Visit http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com for the rest of the story.
Frank Klopas -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
In the coming weeks, the Chicago Fire should be announcing an abundance of player options that they
are picking up heading into 2012. The Fire have yet to officially state the return of midfielder
Pavel Pardo or comment on other players' contract status, but in all likelihood a large portion of
the 2011 squad should be on board next season.
Frank Klopas -- APBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire capped off their final training session on Thursday, and now
the focus squarely shifts toward head coach Frank Klopas' club making the necessary moves to
improve their fate for 2012.
The Fire, who posted a 9-9-16 record and put together a winning record in the final third of the
season, anticipate that a bulk of this year's team will be retained for next season.
Frank Klopas -- APBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire capped off their final training session on Thursday, and now
the focus squarely shifts toward head coach Frank Klopas' club making the necessary moves to
improve their fate for 2012.
The Fire, who posted a 9-9-16 record and put together a winning record in the final third of the
season, anticipate that a bulk of this year's team will be retained for next season.
Frank Klopas -- APBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire have learned at times the hard way that every move has to
serve a specific purpose.
Fire owner Andrew Hauptman began Thursday's introduction of now full-time head coach Frank Klopas
with an initial dinner meeting the two had before the 2008 season.
Fire's Frank Klopas -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire have not exactly established continuity with their head coach
over the past five seasons. Five different coaches have been at the helm since the start of the
2007 season.
With the Fire's 2011 season in the books, the focus once again turns toward the sidelines, where
Fire technical director and interim head coach Frank Klopas posted an 8-5-10 record after replacing
Carlos de los Cobos.
Fire's Jalil Anibaba (left) and
Diego Chaves -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire wanted to end their season on a high note, and they did so by
reaching the .500 mark for the first time since April 9.
Fire forward Diego Chaves scored his second game-winning goal in as many games and Fire defender
Jalil Anibaba had two goals as Chicago topped the Columbus Crew, 3-2, on Saturday in front of a
sellout crowd of 20,237 at Toyota Park.
Patrick Nyarko -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire's postseason hopes were erased Thursday night with the New
York Red Bulls clinching the final playoff spot. But that does not mean there is little value to
the Fire's home finale when they host the Columbus Crew.
Sebastian Grazzini -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Chicago Fire midfielder Sebastian Grazzini's hamstring problems continue to
persist. Heading into the Fire's home finale against the Columbus Crew on Saturday at Toyota Park,
Grazzini's status could change day by day.
Sebastian Grazzini and Logan Pause
-- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
The turn of events during the Chicago Fire's comeback win over D.C. United on Saturday brought out
a supreme sense of adulation on one end, and dismay and shock on the other side.
Major League Soccer must be loving the way things have turned out heading into the final week of
the regular season.
Cory Gibbs -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Now that the playoffs are more or less out of the picture, the Chicago Fire are
simply looking to finish out their final two matches on a positive note.
But the Fire (7-9-16, 37 points) will be dramatically shorthanded when they face Eastern Conference
foe D.
Sebastian Grazzini -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire missed out on the Brimstone Cup yet again. But even worse,
their postseason hopes virtually have been eliminated.
Sebastian Grazzini's late goal for the Fire was all Chicago could muster as FC Dallas gained a
two-goal lead and held on for a 2-1 victory on Wednesday in front of 10,362 at Toyota Park.
Dominic Oduro has turned heads this season with his incredible form. Since arriving in Chicago, the
mercurial striker has scored twelve goals and is in the running for the league's Golden Boot race.
Oduro has turned his speed and tactical awareness into a deadly weapon that many teams in MLS are
taking notice of.
Peter Nowak may be rooting for the Chicago Fire to get their fifth US Open Cup title (10pm, Fox
Soccer), but the rest of the Union might want to pull for Seattle.
"I've been through the scenario where they tried to position it a week after MLS Cup and one
year we lost in the final at Columbus, we played the MLS final on a Sunday in New England and we
had to play the Open Cup final on a Thursday in Columbus.
Frank Klopas -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
Chicago Fire interim head coach Frank Klopas will be a part of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in a
different light this Tuesday when his Fire take on two-time defending champion Seattle Sounders FC
at CenturyLink Field.
Klopas capped off the Fire's inaugural 1998 MLS season with the game-winning goal during Chicago's
Open Cup win over the Columbus Crew.
Sebastian Grazzini -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
The Chicago Fire have won four of their five past matches, but they will likely have to continue
pushing on without midfielder Sebastian Grazzini.
Grazzini, who injured his hamstring during the first half of Chicago's 3-2 win over the New England
Revolution, is expected to miss Wednesday's match at Real Salt Lake.
Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire could not have drawn up a better start. The only question was
whether Chicago could finish, especially playing down a man.
In an up-and-down match that included a two-goal lead followed by a level second half, the Fire's
Dominic Oduro came to the rescue with a shorthanded, game-winning goal in the 85th minute to lead
Chicago to a 3-2 victory over Chivas USA on Saturday in front of 15,246 at Toyota Park.
Sebastian Grazzini -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire more or less are approaching Wednesday's international
friendly against Chivas de Guadalajara as a high-profile training session. Midweek typically marks
Chicago's hardest training to prepare for a weekend match, and Fire interim head coach Frank Klopas
plans to use his lineup significantly when it hosts Chivas at Toyota Park.
Gonzalo Segares -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire have found a rare winning stretch, so the team would prefer
few to no changes toward its lineup now that it has a good thing going. Chicago posted back-to-back
league wins, followed by a Lamar Hunt U.
Dominic Oduro -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- It was not the smoothest of performances for the Chicago Fire. But the home
side did its job on Tuesday in topping the USL Pro's Richmond Kickers, 2-1, in the semifinals of
the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at Toyota Park.
Frank Klopas -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The four-time Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup champion Chicago Fire have touted their
best available lineup throughout this year's tournament.
The same cannot be said for some other MLS squads, and you only have to look at the Fire's 4-0
quarterfinal win over a reserve-laden New York Red Bulls side on July 12 to come to that
conclusion.
Fire's Gonzalo Segares -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Don't look now, but the Chicago Fire have put together a stretch of
victories.
Dominic Oduro and Cory Gibbs each netted a goal and Chicago topped the Colorado Rapids, 2-0, on
Saturday in front of 15,211 at Toyota Park.
Dominic Oduro (right) and ex-Fire midfielder
John Thorrington (left) -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Will the real Chicago Fire please stand up?
A topsy-turvy five-day stretch last week brought out the Fire's best efforts (1-1 draw against the
Philadelphia Union) and easily the team's worst performances (4-2 loss to the expansion Vancouver
Whitecaps) of the season.
Former Fire midfielder Jesse Marsch -- APBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
Former Chicago Fire midfielder Jesse Marsch was named the Montreal Impact's head coach on Wednesday
as the team prepares for its first MLS season in 2012.
"It's an honor to be named the first head coach of the Montreal Impact in MLS," Marsch said in a
release.
Frank Klopas -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
Chicago Fire interim head coach Frank Klopas and former head coach Carlos de los Cobos have been at
the helm for 11 games apiece this year. So this is an opportune moment to take a look at how things
have changed -- or not changed -- under their leadership this season.
Sebastian Grazzini -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Chicago Fire interim head coach Frank Klopas wasted no time in getting his
newest midfielders Sebastian Grazzini and Pavel Pardo into the mix.
At this stage, the last-place Fire (2-6-13) need to throw out all the punches with 13 matches
remaining on the season.
Pavel Pardo -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
The season-long Pavel Pardo rumor mill finally has an MLS tag tied to the luggage. The destination:
the Chicago Fire.
The Fire announced Tuesday that they are bringing in the Mexican international on his 35th
birthday, coincidentally.
Marco Pappa -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire return to The Home Depot Center for a second straight week,
but this time around they face the team that has dominated in that stadium this season -- the Los
Angeles Galaxy.
The Fire and Galaxy square off Saturday, and Chicago (2-4-12) is coming off a 1-1 draw against
Chivas USA the previous week.
Fire's Corben Bone (right) -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire have had moments this year where the bounces have not gone
their way. But on Sunday, a beneficial bounce on a Marco Pappa goal paved the way for a 1-1 draw
against the New York Red Bulls in front of 16,961 at Toyota Park.
Frank Klopas -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire's short homestand has featured the league's top defense in
Real Salt Lake. Now the Fire take on MLS's top offense as the goal-heavy New York Red Bulls and
Thierry Henry head to Toyota Park this Sunday (1 p.
Sean Johnson -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire offense has not regularly produced over the past month, but
the team's defense has turned into a saving grace for points.
Fire interim head coach Frank Klopas has been at the helm for five matches.
Cory Gibbs -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire and Real Salt Lake played Wednesday's match as though each
side was waiting for one mistake to pounce on. But that never came to fruition for either side as
the Fire and Salt Lake wound up in a scoreless draw in front of 14,972 at Toyota Park.
Fire's Orr Barouch -- Getty ImagesBRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- With all of the lineup changes, formation
switches, and an in-season coaching adjustment from Carlos de los Cobos to interim head coach Frank
Klopas, Chicago Fire rookie forward Orr Barouch is one of the few constants throughout the Fire's
trying season.
Frank Klopas -- Getty ImagesThe ugly moments of the Chicago Fire's 2011 season have been piling up
from week to week. Their last effort, a scoreless draw against the Eastern Conference's last-place
Sporting Kansas City, left a bitter taste for the team and for many folks attempting to watch the
match.
Fire's Corben Bone (right) -- Getty ImagesTwo struggling teams at the bottom of the Eastern
Conference table clearly could not find some flow within their play on Thursday.
The Chicago Fire and last-place Sporting Kansas City played to a scoreless draw as K.C. opened up
Livestrong Sporting Park in front of a sold-out crowd of 19,925 in Kansas City, Kan.
Fire's Patrick Nyarko -- Getty ImagesBRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire's lone victory of 2011
was during their home opener on March 26 against Sporting Kansas City.
K.C. has spent its first 10 matches on the road, but Sporting finally get to play on the home front
when they open Livestrong Sporting Park on Thursday against the Fire (9 p.
Fire's Yamith Cuesta -- Getty ImagesBRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire looked composed and
aggressive in the first half of their first match with interim head coach Frank Klopas at the helm.
But the end result was reminiscent of the past couple of months as the Fire played Seattle Sounders
FC to a scoreless draw on Saturday in front of 13,839 at Toyota Park.
Fire's Diego Chaves -- Getty ImagesBRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The post-Carlos de los Cobos era begins for
the Chicago Fire, and it is no secret that interim head coach Frank Klopas' squad has a deep hole
to climb out of.
The Fire are 1-4-6 and have tied a franchise-worst nine-game winless streak (0-4-5).
The Fire have announced that the team has loaned defender Kwame Watson-Siriboe to the NASL's FC
Tampa Bay for the remainder of the 2011 season. The second year center back had fallen behind Josip
Mikulic, Cory Gibbs, Yamith Cuesta, and Dasan Robinson for playing time at the position but has
seen some action in reserve matches.
