Goalkeeper Sean JohnsonU.S. Soccer Communications
The 21-year-old Bill Hamid and 22-year-old Sean Johnson are prime examples of young talent hoping
to get noticed during the U.S. MNT's January camp. Both have taken on significant roles with their
respective MLS teams and also trained abroad during the offseason in Premier League environments.
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 ...
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By Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
Chicago Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson, who is entering his third season in MLS, has been called up
by U.S. National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann for a January training camp.
The session starts on Jan. 3 as the U.S. prepares for a Jan. 21 match against Venezuela in
Glendale, Ariz.
Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
Chicago Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson has noted in the past that he relates closely with Tim
Howard's style of play in the goal. Now Johnson will train alongside the U.S. National Team and
Everton goalkeeper.
The Fire announced on their official site Thursday that Johnson is taking part in a week-long
training session at Everton's Finch Farm training ground starting this Sunday and running through
Dec.
Seattle Sounders have won the US Open Cup in each of the three years of their existence in MLS.
Although Sounders have been a model franchise for expansion their model of success was the Chicago
Fire. Chicago Fire had been the last expansion team to make the MLS playoffs, not to mention
winning the MLS Cup, in their 1998 inaugural season and winning the US Open Cup.
Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The theme for the Chicago Fire will not change over the next several weeks.
Chicago is in must-win mode with six regular-season matches remaining. And as long as the rest of
the MLS field continues to oblige by keeping the Fire in the mix, that outside chance of a
postseason berth remains.
Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Second-year Chicago Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson has looked more confident and
more comfortable on the pitch.
Three victories in a four-game stretch also amplify Johnson's success.
Dominic Oduro (left) -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire are hanging around, and considering where this team was in
mid-August, it is surprising that a postseason berth still is a slight possibility.
The odds for the playoffs are slim as only six games remain and three other teams are ahead of the
Fire in the postseason picture.
Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
The Chicago Fire's recent success hit a significant bump in the road as they fell to the San Jose
Earthquakes, 2-0, on Saturday at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
Chris Wondolowski had a goal and an assist and Ramiro Corrales also added a goal for San Jose,
which ended a 13-game winless streak.
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).
Jalil Anibaba -- Getty ImagesBRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire's current three-game losing
streak is creeping into the realm of historic proportions if the team cannot turn things around
Saturday when it hosts the Houston Dynamo at Toyota Park.
One more loss would put this stretch among only a handful of four-game Fire droughts, the most
recent being a four-game skid in May of 2007.
Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson -- Getty ImagesBRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Chicago Fire head coach Carlos de
los Cobos typically stresses the importance of maintaining a similar lineup from game to game, as
any coach would prefer. But with back-to-back road losses and the team's worst defensive effort of
the season on Thursday, De los Cobos might have some important personnel decisions to make as the
Fire attempt to end their little skid when they host the Los Angeles Galaxy on Sunday at Toyota
Park.
1. The January Camp friendlies rarely provide the most exciting matches normally our MLS-ers
against a decent country's domestic-leaguers but they do provide a glimpse at our youth (most
players on our roster are under 25). For a lucky few, it can even propel them into the first-team
conversation.
