Chicago Fire Thread

[little bear]

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/fire

Fire ink Uruguayan forward Puerari

The Chicago Fire are addressing their offensive needs with Thursday's signing of Uruguayan forward Gaston Puerari, a 25-year-old striker from Montevideo Wanderers.

Puerari, a native of Paysandu, Uruguay, scored eight goals in 35 games with Wanderers since the start of the 2009 season. Before Wanderers, Puerari scored six goals in 30 games with Rampla Juniors.

"Gaston is a talented offensive player with the ability to make an impact for our club," Fire technical director Frank Klopas said in a statement. "We are excited to bring in a player with quick feet, good passing skills and the ability to finish on goal."

Puerari will join the Fire upon receipt of his International Transfer Certificate. He is the 10th player added to the team's preseason roster following the conclusion of the 2010 campaign.

[little bear]

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/fire

Fire add Oduro, Cuesta, trade Carr

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire added some new pieces to the puzzle on Wednesday with the acquisition of forward Dominic Oduro and Colombian defender Yamith Cuesta.

The Fire sent a 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft selection to Chivas USA for Cuesta's rights. And Chicago sent forward Calen Carr, a 2006 draft pick who spent his first five MLS seasons with the Fire, to the Houston Dynamo for the 25-year-old Oduro. Carr missed last weekend's 1-1 draw against FC Dallas because of a concussion.

Oduro, a native of Accra, Ghana, tallied five goals last year for the Dynamo. He is expected to join the Fire for Thursday's training session.

"His most important quality is speed," Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos said of Oduro on Wednesday following training. "He's very fast. This is a quality that makes the difference sometimes in the game. He's coming to strengthen our front line of attackers."

"It depends on how Carlos wants to play him, but I think he can play out wide because he's got a lot of pace, and he can also play up top," Fire technical director Frank Klopas said. "It just depends. It gives you some different options."

The Fire focused heavily on securing a strong defensive back line during the offseason, and they bring in another young player, 21-year-old Cuesta, who already has MLS experience and debuted for Colombian First Division side Santa Fe in 2007. Cuesta also played for the Colombian U-20 national team in 2009, netting a goal in three games.

"Cuesta really, really surprised me because he's a young player, but with a strong personality," De los Cobos said. "I like this guy because even if he's very young, he showed how he's maturing in this moment. He's very strong, he's good with the ball, and I'm happy with Cuesta because I'm sure that he can help us during the season. We are trying to create a very solid block on defense, and I'm sure he will be part of this block."

"He's a young player that has good feet for a big guy," Klopas said. "He's fast, and technically he's very good. He's someone that our coaching staff knew very well, and we knew him because he was in the league. ... He's another guy who provides a lot of depth for us in the back line -- a guy that's young, that you can keep him around for a while."

With Cuesto being either a center back or right back, it creates a logjam of players on that side of the pitch. Rookie Jalil Anibaba started at right back and had a successful preseason and opening match against Dallas, and Josip Mikulic plays at center back on the three-man back line and right-center on a four-man line.

The left side of the defense is a different story. Veteran Cory Gibbs has been on the outside in the three-back formation, and Gonzalo Segares drops back from the midfield in a four-back setup. But beyond that, the Fire are thin. Bratislav Ristic has played at left back, but his health is in question heading into Saturday's home opener against Sporting Kansas City because of a quad injury following the Dallas match. Midfielder Mike Banner, who also has dropped to left back on occasion, missed last Saturday's opener with Achilles tendinitis.

"He's on the treadmill a little bit, so it's been a good sign," Klopas said of Banner's progress. "It's just a tough [injury] because it's an area that you just don't know. It's just day by day with him getting better. We're all hoping for the best, but I couldn't tell you if he's starting to train next week. I couldn't say that."

The Fire (0-0-1) host K.C. (1-0-0) on Saturday at Toyota Park, and it is early to determine if there are other specific areas that the Fire technical staff wants to address further. The potential addition of a forward continues to be a major talking point.

"We've been talking about that. The one thing we're going back and forth is forward," Klopas said. "We saw Diego [Chaves], and he's going to be a very good player in this league. We have a lot of options now on top. Do we bring in another guy up top, or do we look to see if there's a need somewhere else? We do have some options everywhere. We just have to see what the best option for the team is."

[little bear]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/c...69,full.column

John Kass: From the slaughterhouse to the Fire in 4 years

Four years ago, the young man was working in a slaughterhouse in Uruguay and had never seen snow.

Now he's scoring goals for the Chicago Fire, driving opposing defenses crazy with his hard work and speed.

I met him Friday at the practice fields behind Toyota Park. A cold rain began to fall.

"It's a beautiful day," said Gaston Puerari, with a smile. "Beautiful day."
"It's a beautiful day" is the extent of his English so far — those around the team say he can make that phrase mean almost anything.

So we conversed through an interpreter. Some female colleagues saw his photograph and developed a sudden interest in soccer. They wanted to know certain things about his personal life. But I asked instead about the slaughterhouse in Paysandú.

"OK, yes, I did work in a slaughterhouse. So you could say that my coming into professional soccer was very rare," he said.

I can imagine the poster on WorldSoccerShop.com: Gaston "The Butcher" Puerari, the kid with the movie star looks, wearing a white butcher's apron, holding a cleaver, smiling because it's a beautiful day.

Or Gaston "Slaughterhouse" Puerari.

Or "Carnicero" Puerari.

"But I didn't cut meat," he said.

What? Don't worry, Gaston, I said. I was a butcher, too. I'd stand in a cold room and bone out beef necks for hours. Now I'm a journalist and I talk to politicians. It's almost the same thing.

"Pardon, but I did not cut meat," Puerari said.

You didn't cut meat in a slaughterhouse? Is there something wrong with meat cutting?

"No. I was fine with the work. My job was to throw logs into a fire that heated water, to create steam, a vapor. It was necessary in the process," Puerari said. "But I did not cut meat."

What is important is that four years ago he was playing on an amateur team in Paysandú. He scored a few goals in a tournament, the game was broadcast on TV, and soon the scouts were at his door.

"It's been very rapid, from the slaughterhouse to Chicago with the Fire. Very rapid. But it's the path I want," he said. "The path of the professional soccer player."

Some of you know that I'm a Chicago Fire fan — a proud season ticket holder. If you spend a lot of time boning beef necks or talking to politicians, you need some diversion. That's where my Fire come in.

It doesn't mean I've given up on my White Sox. No way. Sox manager Ozzie Guillen likes the Fire, too.

But soccer doesn't get the attention it deserves, and the Fire have been amazing lately, playing with an extremely high energy level and, most important of all, going undefeated in the early going of the Major League Soccer season.

In two years, Chicago soccer icon and the Fire's technical director Frank Klopas and the front-office staff have recast the club, bringing in players like Puerari, fellow Uruguayan forward Diego Chaves and others.

"We're now one of the youngest teams in the MLS, if not the youngest," said Klopas. "And this kid, Gaston, he's perfect for Chicago. The people here admire hustle and hard work. That's what he does. He works very hard."

At about 5 feet 7, Puerari is not a big man. But he's quick. And his quickness and aggression have already forced two opposing players into fouling him and receiving red cards (game expulsions). And these fouls led to Fire goals.

"I just like to pressure the ball," he said. "Maybe because I started late as a professional, I'm 25 now, I feel I have to do double the work, to feel good physically, to accomplish what I want to accomplish."

And what do you wish to accomplish?

"To be good in the game," he said.

He said it simply, with a smile, and I believed him.

His parents run a grocery store in their village, Casablanca, a village of about 1,000 people. They and his older brother watch the Fire games over the Internet.

"They've never boarded a plane. They've never seen snow. I never saw it before. I'm going to have them come and visit me on the plane," he said. "They think I'm crazy."

And now he lives far away from them, in downtown Chicago, amazed by the beauty of the city, but avoiding the night life, or so he says.

"If you want, you don't ever have to go home, because there's so much to do in the city," he said. "But I've got to get my rest. Because I'm on this path, and so I must rest myself, to be good at the game."

The Fire's season is young. And it's a beautiful day.

[little bear]

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/fire...-pantazopoulos

Fire sign tryout winner Pantazopoulos

The Chicago Fire's open tryouts typically do not bring in a first-team player, but Mount Prospect's Paraskevas "Pari" Pantazopoulos is an exception to the rule.

The Fire announced Monday that Pantazopoulos, who topped the 210-player pool to win the 2011 open tryout in January, has signed with the club.

"Playing professional soccer has always been a dream of mine," Pantazopoulos said. "I moved to Chicago in 1998 and grew up idolizing Fire players like [Ante] Razov, [Peter] Nowak and [Frank] Klopas, and now I'm part of this team. I'm thankful to the Fire organization for this unbelievable opportunity."

The 6-foot, 22-year-old midfielder was born in Athens, Greece, starting his soccer career with Vrilissia Academy as a youth before his family moved to Mount Prospect. Pantazopoulos then played for Green and White (1998 to 2002) and the Chicago Magic (2002 to 2007). He joined Asyl Lisis in Cyprus in 2007, then returned to Greece to play for Zakynthos from 2008 to 2010.

"Pari worked tirelessly to earn his spot," Fire technical director Frank Klopas said. "His undeniable charisma and passion for this game, coupled with his experiences in Greece and Cyprus, were defining factors in us signing Pari."

[little bear]

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...-straight-loss

Minor mistakes doom Fire in third straight loss

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. – The Chicago Fire lost their third game in a row on Sunday, falling to the LA Galaxy 2-1 at Toyota Park.
But the club isn't blaming the slide on poor play, but rather a series of small, correctable mistakes.
"I think we’re playing well,” Fire defender Jalil Anibaba said after Sunday's match. “There are minute errors that we need to correct, but we just need to stay together as a unit. Times like these show character and we have to figure out what our character is and we’ll be fine.”
“We’re pretty disappointed, but we can’t let our heads down,” added Fire defender Gonzalo Segares. “We haven’t been playing as bad as our results. We’ve been working hard; it’s just little mistakes that have been hurting us.”
Little mistakes ruined an otherwise solid game for Chicago on Sunday. The Fire’s first error came in the 18th minute, when forward Gaston Puerari got behind the LA defense, only to send his one-on-one opportunity with goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts just wide of the frame.
Chicago had another one-on-one with Ricketts just 10 minutes later. This time Segares slipped behind the Galaxy backline, but – like Puerari – he missed his chance, dragging his low shot wide of the net.
Both players were left to rue their near misses after the match.
“I don’t get a 1-v-1 with the goalkeeper that often,” Segares said. “I wish I could get it back.”
The Fire slipped up on the defensive end in the 42nd minute. There seemed to be a miscommunication along the backline, and no one picked up Galaxy striker Chad Barrett at the top of the box. That mistake allowed the former Fire forward to collect a cross and slot home from 10 yards out.
“It’s those little breakdowns that we’re having defensively that have been hurting us a lot,” Segares said. “The goal definitely brought the momentum down, and it was definitely tough on us.”
The Fire know they’ll have to start finishing better and eliminating mistakes in the back if they’re to get out of their rut against Houston next week. But they're also well aware that it’s early in the season, and that they have to keep their heads up if they want to stop their streak.
“We have to key in on our mistakes and correct them,” Anibaba said. “And we have to just stay calm. It’s still early, we still have to keep a good attitude and stay positive.”

[Wolfman]

Chicago to Play Manchester United at Soldier Field July 23, 2011

Last week, he Chicago Fire Soccer Club, in conjunction with MLS and CAA Sports, announced that the Chicago Fire will take on Manchester United at Soldier Field on Saturday, July 23 at 7:00 p.m. CT as part of the World Football Challenge. Complete details regarding the World Football Challenge including all participating teams, schedule, format and event sponsors will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Chicago Fire v. Manchester United match is included in the Fire’s Full Season Ticket Holder plan as Bonus Game Two. Supporters can immediately purchase a ticket for the Chicago Fire-Manchester United match by purchasing full Chicago Fire Season Tickets by calling 1-888-MLS-FIRE (657-3473) or by heading to the club’s official website at Chicago-Fire.com. Fire Season Ticket Holders will receive an in-kind number of seats at Soldier Field and be given the opportunity to upgrade and/or purchase additional tickets. Details regarding group tickets, single game tickets and public on-sale will be announced at a later date.

“We are excited to host Manchester United, one of the world’s finest clubs, at home in Chicago, in front of our supporters,” said Chicago Fire owner Andrew Hauptman. “Bringing United to Chicago helps the Fire continue to expand our reach in one of North America’s premier soccer markets. Our participation in the World Football Challenge gives our players an opportunity to take on one of the most talented clubs on the planet, while galvanizing Chicago’s vast soccer community.”

Led by Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United is one of the most recognized clubs in the world, lifting a total of 18 English Premier League titles, four Carling cups, three European Cups and a record 11 FA Cups. In 1999, United were the first team to win the Treble (English Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League) in one season. Founded in 1878, the Red Devils have competed in the top division of English soccer since 1938, with the exception of the 1974-1975 season. United currently sit atop the Barclay’s English Premier League table with 63 points through 30 games.

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I don't particularly have love for either team, but I am going...should be fun...go Fire!

[little bear]

[little bear]

http://www.chicago-fire.com/news/2011/06/setting-tone

Setting the tone - Klopas, Fire hope to build off win

For 90 full minutes, it looked like the Chicago Fire were headed toward yet another non-win, potentially their 12th in a row and a third-straight tie since Frank Klopas took over as coach. But 90 minutes is not the end.

And this time, several seconds after the 90-minute mark, the ball rolled the Fire's way, coming off Columbus Crew goalkeeper Will Hesmer's hand and falling kindly to Chicago striker Christian Nazarit, who tapped it home for a 1-0 win at Crew Stadium.

"It was going to be a little different game than in Kansas City (on Thursday)," Klopas said after the match. "It was going to be be a litte more open game, which kind of suits us. In the end, I feel we pushed the game."

And they did. But the openness of the flow, something that the Crew normally try to stifle, and the Fire's attacking desire was nothing compared to their defensive effort. The Chicago defense was dominating, not conceding a shot on goal from the Crew.

"We wanted to focus on a couple of things, be better at defending as a team and not giving up goals on set pieces, which we had in the past," Klopas said.

The defense set the stage for the win for Chicago, who were playing their third match in eight days. The winning goal came thanks to the efforts of two subs, Nazarit and the emerging Orr Barouch, who has been a consistent threat as a late sub for the Fire.

Against Sporting on Thursday, he nearly won the match with a late strike that ricocheted off the woodwork. On Sunday, his late shot, coming after a mazy run into the Crew area, was saved and Nazarit was there to sweep the rebound over the line.

"The coaches told me to try to stay up high," Barouch said. "We were still tied and we knew we could get the win, so I just tried to push it as much as I could."

The win, of course, is the first for the Fire in 12 games. Afterward, Klopas celebrated with his players and the Chicago fans who traveled east to Columbus. His behavior recalled the excited celebrations of his playing career. And it seemed to set the tone for the players.

"It always feels good to get a win," midfielder Patrick Nyarko said. "After an 11-game winless streak, it feels extra good. We came out to win, we kept it all out there, and we fought 'til the end."

Beyond the end, actually.

[Aenir]

Nice to see Klopas get a result where Cobos has been sucking the big one the past 2 years...

[little bear]

http://www.chicago-fire.com/news/201...chester-united

50,000 tickets sold for Manchester United

More than 50,000 tickets have been sold for the Chicago Fire’s Herbalife World Football Challenge match against world renowned English club Manchester United at Soldier Field on July 23 at 4:00 p.m. CT.
Advance tickets are still available via Ticketmaster and Chicago-Fire.com or by calling 888-MLS-Fire. The Chicago Fire vs. Manchester United match is included in the Fire’s Full Season Ticket Holder plan as Bonus Game Two. Supporters can purchase a ticket for the Chicago Fire - Manchester United match by purchasing full Chicago Fire Season Tickets. In addition, the Fire is offering an exclusive VIP Experience which includes a premium field-side seat, a commemorative poster, Fire jersey, scarf, commemorative chair, ticket to watch Manchester United practice and food and beverage. VIP Experience tickets are available by calling 708.496.6787.
The Fire will take on the English Premier League Winners and UEFA Champions League Finalists as part of the Herbalife World Football Challenge. Led by Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United is one of the most recognized clubs in the world, lifting a total of 19 English Premier League titles, four Carling cups, three European Cups and a record 11 FA Cups. In 1999, United were the first team to win the Treble (English Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League) in one season. Founded in 1878, the Red Devils have competed in the top division of English soccer since 1938, with the exception of the 1974-1975 season.
The Fire will return to Soldier Field where the club played from its inception in 1998 to 2001, and again at the new Soldier Field from 2003 – 2005. The Men in Red are 62-23-10 in games played in the Stadium in a Park.