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Chicago Fire Full name: Chicago Fire Soccer Club Nicknames: La Maquina Roja Men in Red CF97 Founded: 8 October 1997 Stadium: Toyota Park 71st and Harlem, Chicago, Illinois Capacity: 20,000 Owner: Anschutz Entertainment Group President: John Guppy Head Coach: Denis Hamlett League Major League Soccer 2006 MLS East 3rd, USOC Champions

Contents 1 Honors 2 Notable players past and present 3 Head coaches 4 Team records 5 Home stadiums 6 Club presidents 7 General managers 8 Club system 9 Year-by-year 10 International competition 11 Average attendance 12 Ring of Fire 13 External links

Chicago Fire are a professional soccer club based in Chicago, Illinois that participates in Major League Soccer. The club was founded October 8th, 1997 on the 126th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The Fire won the MLS Cup in 1998, their first season in the league. They also won the 1998, 2000, 2003, and 2006 editions of the US Open Cup.

The Fire played at Soldier Field from 1998 until 2001, then at North Central College's Cardinal Stadium in the suburb of Naperville, Illinois in 2002 while Soldier Field was under renovation, moving back to the city in October 2003. The club now reside permanently at Toyota Park at 71st and Harlem Avenue as of the 2006 season. The club's colors are red and white.

Since 2001, the Fire and its chief rival FC Dallas play for the Brimstone Cup, which goes to the team that wins the season series between the two clubs. More recently a heated rivalry has developed with New England Revolution that is on par with the best days of the rivalry with Dallas.

The Chicago Fire has had a cooperative agreement with Monarcas Morelia, a Mexican First Division football club, since 2001. The partnership incorporates playing, coaching, and executive personnel; as well as sharing of business and development practices. The club also has (in its reserves program, Chicago Fire Premier collegiate amateur team playing in the Premier Development League, and Chicago Fire Juniors youth club) a substantial youth development scheme by American standards; as well as a charitable community entity, the FireWorks for Kids Foundation.

Notably, there is a considerable ultras culture for the club, relatively unique in North America. Ultras groups and fan clubs occupy an area loosely referred to as Section 8 which stems from both the numbering of the original sector of Soldier Field they occupied, as well as the American military designation of discharged soldiers declared mentally unfit for service. This area is seactions 117 and 118 in the new Toyota Park; in the north end of the stadium deemed "The Harlem End" by the fans. Section 8 Chicago, the Independent Supporters' Association for the club, oversees the activities of the various groups which include Barn Burners 1871 (the oldest group, established before the club was founded), Fire Ultras '98 (a Polish ultras group), Ultras Red-Side (a multiethnic ultras group), Sector Latino (a Latin "barra"-style group), Mike Ditka Street Crew, and Arsonists; among others.

Honors

• CONCACAF Champions Cup:
  • Third-place (2): 1999, 2004

• MLS Cup:
  • Winners (1): 1998
  • Runners-up (2): 2000, 2003

• MLS Supporters' Shield:
  • Winners (1): 2003
  • Runners-up (2): 2000, 2001

• US Open Cup:
  • Winners (4): 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006
  • Runners-up (1): 2004

Notable players past and present

• Chris Armas (1998—)
• DaMarcus Beasley (2000–2004)
• Carlos Bocanegra (2000–2003)
• Jorge Campos (1998)
• Roman Kosecki (1998–1999)
• Dema Kovalenko (1999–2002)
• Lubos Kubik (1998–2000)
• Justin Mapp (2002-)
• Jesse Marsch (1998–2005)
• Peter Nowak (1998–2002)
• Jerzy Podbrozny (1998–1999)
• Ante Razov (1998–2000; 2001–2004)
• Hristo Stoichkov (2000–2002)
• Zach Thornton (1998–2003; 2005-2006)
• Josh Wolff (1998–2002)
• Eric Wynalda (2001)

Head coaches

• Bob Bradley (1998–2002)
• Dave Sarachan (2002-2007)
• Denis Hamlett (2007- )

Team records

• Games: C.J. Brown, 220
• Goals: Ante Razov, 76
• Assists: Peter Nowak, 48
• Shutouts: Zach Thornton, 57

MLS regular season only, through 2006

Home stadiums

• Soldier Field (1998–2001)
• Cardinal Stadium (2002)
• Soldier Field (2003–2005)
• Toyota Park (2006—)

Club presidents

• Robert Sanderman (1997–2000)
• Peter Wilt (2001–2005)
• John Guppy (2005—)

General managers

• Peter Wilt (1997–2005)

Club system

• Chicago Fire — MLS (First Team)
• Chicago Fire Reserves — MLS Reserves Division (Professional Reserve Team)
• Chicago Fire Premier — Premier Development League (Collegiate Amateur Select Team)
• Chicago Fire Juniors — Local (U-8 to U-23 Youth Club); Satellite clubs exist in Milwaukee, Western Michigan and Mississippi.

Year-by-year

Year	Reg. Season	Playoffs	Open Cup
1998	2nd, West	Champions	Champions
1999	3rd, West	Quarterfinals	Round of 16
2000	1st, Central	Final	Champions
2001	1st, Central	Semifinals	Semifinals
2002	3rd, East	Quarterfinals	Round of 16
2003	1st, East*	Final	Champions
2004	5th, East	Did not qualify	Final
2005	3rd, East	Semifinals	Semifinals
2006	3rd, East	Quarterfinals	Champions

* Won MLS Supporters Shield

International competition

• CONCACAF Champions Cup 1999
  • Quarterfinals v. Joe Public F.C. -- 2:0
  • Semifinals v. LD Alajuelense -- 1:1 (Alajuela advance 5:4 on penalties)
  • Third place game v. D.C. United -- 2:2
• CONCACAF Champions Cup 2002
  • 1st round v. CSD Municipal -- 2:0, 1:0 (Fire advance 3:0 on aggregate)
  • 2nd round v. CA Monarcas Morelia -- 0:2, 2:1 (Monarcas advance 3:2 on aggregate)
• CONCACAF Champions Cup 2004
  • 1st round v. CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh -- 2:5, 4:0 (Fire advance 6:5 on aggregate)
  • 2nd round v. Deportivo Saprissa -- 0:2, 2:1 (Saprissa advance 3:2 on aggregate)

Average attendance

regular season/playoffs

• 1998: 17,887
• 1999: 16,016
• 2000: 13,387
• 2001: 16,338
• 2002: 12,992
• 2003: 14,005/14,871
• 2004: 17,153/missed playoffs
• 2005: 17,238/11,193
• 2006: /10,217
• All-Time: 15,419

Ring of Fire

The "Ring of Fire" was established in 2003 by the Chicago Fire and the Chicago Fire Alumni Association as permanent tribute to honor those who have made the Chicago Fire a proud and successful club over the course of its history. Aside from the inaugural member, only "Ring of Fire" members can appoint new inductees, and only one can be selected each year. The names of the "Ring of Fire" are prominently displayed in Chicago's home stadium. On July 22nd, 2006, the first former front office member, ex-General Manager Peter Wilt, was selected for induction into the "Ring of Fire." August 4, 2007 US MNT Head Coach Bob Bradley will be inducted into the club. Bradley patrolled the Fire sideline from the team's inaugural season in 1998 until 2002, posting a record of 82-54-15 during the club's first five years.

• 10 Peter Nowak (inducted 2003)
• 41 Frank Klopas (inducted 2004)
• 3 Luboš Kubík (inducted 2005)
• GM Peter Wilt (inducted 2006)
• Coach Bob Bradley (inducted 2007)

External links

• Chicago Fire Soccer Club Official club website
• Chicago Fire Soccer Club - History Official club history (with photos and uniforms)
• Section 8 Chicago ISA Independent Supporters' Association website
• Barn Burners 1871 Supporter's Group website
• Mike Ditka Street Crew Supporter's Group website
• Ultras Red-Side Supporter's Group website
• Ladder Ninety-Seven SG Supporter's Group website
• The Fire Alarm News and opinion site about the Fire
• Official Fire Message Board, courtesy of BigSoccer