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Chicago Fire FC

Fire Host Rapids Sunday Night at Toyota Park

June 29, 2007 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Chicago Fire FC News Release


BRIDGEVIEW, IL (June 29, 2007) - The Chicago Fire (4-6-2, 14 pts.) close out the second of a two-game regular season series with the Colorado Rapids (4-7-3, 15 pts.) on Sunday, July 1, at TOYOTA PARK (6:00 p.m. CT, Comcast SportsNet). The Fire are coming off a 1-0 victory over Polish First Division side MKS Cracovia after a bye in week 12, while the Rapids are searching for a win after dropping their last five league decisions, the last coming on the road Thursday night in a 4-1 defeat at D.C. United. Sunday's match-up will be broadcast live on Comcast SportsNet and over the airwaves on Chicagoland radio stations WRTO-AM 1200 (Spanish) and WNVR-AM 1030 (Polish).

Chicago Fire vs. Colorado Rapids :: Fire Match #13 - MLS Match #84

Sunday, July 1 @ 6:00 p.m. CT :: TOYOTA PARK - Bridgeview, Ill.

TV: Comcast SportsNet

Satellite: KU BAND SBS 6, Tr. 2 Lower, D/L: 11738(V), Symbol rate: 13.235, Data Rate: 18.2958, FEC: ¾ :: Directv 785, DishNet 456

Audio: WRTO-1200 AM (Spanish), WNVR-1030 AM (Polish)

Game Guide: http://www.sportssystems.com/novell/efx%5Cfax%5CMLS%5C06704L01.pdf

Chicago Fire/AthletiCo "Recovery Room" :: June 29

Armas, Chris - Hip pain - PROBABLE

Banner, Mike - R groin strain - QUESTIONABLE

Pause, Logan - Concussion - PROBABLE

Rolfe, Chris - L ankle sprain - OUT

Russolillo, Jordan - Back pain - OUT

Thiago - R groin strain - PROBABLE

Telesford, Osei - Hernia Repair, L adductor pain - OUT

Fire History vs. Colorado Rapids

This Sunday's match against the Rapids will be the only regular season home meeting versus at TOYOTA PARK for the 2007 campaign. The Fire previously met the Colorado club on April 15, when the "Men in Red" relied on an 85th minute goal from forward Chad Barrett to clinch a 1-1 result against the Rapids at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. The draw result in Colorado moved the squad's record against Rapids in regular season play to 13-10-4. Chicago enters the match with an impressive 11-3-0 record against the Rapids in games contested in Chicagoland, with a 2-0-0 mark in postseason competition.

Pascal Bedrossian Waived

Chicago Fire Soccer announced Wednesday that the club has not exercised their option for Senior International midfielder Pascal Bedrossian and has placed him on waivers. Per Major League Soccer regulation, the Fire will retain the right of first refusal for Bedrossian for 12 months. As a result, the Fire has opened one of four Senior International roster slots on the club's 28-man roster. The Fire signed the 32-year-old French international on Aug. 23, 2006, from Angers SCO of the French Second Division. A right hamstring injury limited his time to only a single game last year, in which he came off the bench on Oct. 15 against D.C. United in the 3-2 win. Bedrossian again fell to injury during the Fire's 2007 preseason, re-injuring his hamstring and limiting his play through the Fire's first 12 games.

Guerrero Sees Green

Fire midfielder Ivan Guerrero obtained his green card as of Wednesday and as a result, two of four Senior International roster slots on the club's 28-man roster have now opened. One of the Senior International slots will be filled on July 1, by the Fire's Designated Player signing, Cuauhtémoc Blanco.

On Hamlett

A member of the Chicago Fire coaching staff since the club's inaugural 1998 season, Denis Hamlett is serving his tenth season on the Fire bench. The first-ever black head coach in MLS, Hamlett already has a victory under his belt since the Fire defeated MKS Cracovia last Friday. Hamlett has taken the reigns of a team that saw the Costa Rican native serve as top assistant coach since the 2001 campaign. Hamlett has also served three years as Head Coach of the Fire's MLS Reserve Division squad, which he's guided to a 9-12-7 record over its first three seasons. The 12th overall selection in the inaugural 1996 MLS Draft, Hamlett enjoyed a stellar campaign in the League's first season, starting 31 of the Colorado Rapids' 32 contests en route to being named the team's 1996 BIC Tough Defender of the Year.

Commissioner Don Garber in Attendance Sunday

Major League Soccer Don Garber will be in attendance for this Sunday's Fire - Rapids match in an effort to promote the recent MLS W.O.R.K.S. partnership with Nothing But Nets and honor Diego Gutierrez for his leadership on malaria prevention. Local youth will be recognized for their continued support of Nothing But Nets, and Chicago Bull's star Luol Deng with also participate in the day's activities.

Quick Kicks vs. Rapids

- Sunday will see Denis Hamlett take the helm of an MLS team in regular season competition for the first time ever, the third-ever coach to lead the Chicago Fire in league play.

- Assistant coach Craig Reynolds has resigned from his post on the Chicago Fire technical staff.

- Defender Bruno Menezes signed on June 29 and will be count as a Youth International on the Fire 28-man roster.

- The Fire won it's previous - and first - match against Colorado at TOYOTA PARK, a 1-0 win featuring defender Dasan Robinson's first career goal (12') on Aug. 26, 2006.

- Chicago's active roster leaders against Colorado are: Games Played - Chris Armas & C.J. Brown (19); Games Started - Chris Armas (19); Goals - Chris Armas (3); Assists - Diego Gutierrez (7).

- Chicago leads the all-time regular season series with Colorado in goals (46), shots (407), shots on goal (193), and corner kicks (166).

- Defender Gonzalo Segares is a game away from having his four total cautions reduced by one, as part of the MLS "Good Behavior Incentive," if he is able to come away with an infraction-free game on Sunday. A player may only benefit from the Good Behavior Incentive once per season.

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Major League Soccer Stories from June 29, 2007


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