Chicago, IL (March 9, 2004) - After a successful 11-day stay in Portugal and a brief rest back in the Windy City, the Chicago Fire are back at work after departing Sunday for the third leg of its 2004 preseason, which kicks off with a nine-day camp at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL. The "Men in Red" will look to improve upon its 3-4-3 preseason record with a pair of exhibition contests while in South Florida. The Fire will help the U.S. Men's National Team tune up for Saturday's international friendly versus Haiti when they square off in an exhibition contest this Wednesday, Mar. 10 at 11:00 a.m. ET at Florida International University in Miami. The Fire will also see the MetroStars for the second time this preseason, as the Eastern Conference rivals will scrimmage this Saturday, Mar. 13 at 10:00 a.m. ET at FAU. The nine-day camp will end on Monday, Mar. 15, when the squad departs for the Caribbean nation of Trinidad & Tobago in preparation for its Mar. 17 Champions Cup clash against CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh. The Fire will return to Chicago on Thursday, Mar. 18 and will train in Chicagoland until it hosts the return leg of the Champions Cup quarterfinal series against Jabloteh at New Soldier Field on Wednesday, Mar. 24 at 7:30 p.m. CT.
San Juan Jabloteh claimed its first ever berth in the Champions Cup by winning the CFU (Caribbean Football Union) crown last December via penalty kicks over fellow Trinidad side Vibe CT 105 FM W Connection FC. Jabloteh, who joined Trinidad and Tobago's Professional Football League in its inaugural season in 1999, won its first title in 2002 and wrapped up its second consecutive crown in January by taking the 2003 League championship by a comfortable 12-point margin. Jabloteh is led by Head Coach Ricky Hill, an Englishman who made over 500 appearances for former English Division One side Luton Town from 1977-86 and enjoyed a pair of stints in the U.S. as a player-coach for the Tampa Bay Rowdies (APSL, 1992-93) and the Cocoa Expos (PDL, 1994-95). Jabloteh features Trinidad & Tobago National Team regulars defender Cyd Gray, midfielder and recent captain Angus Eve, goalkeeper Kelvin Jack and ex-Columbus Crew defender Ansil Elcock.
The 2004 Champions Cup is comprised of the top eight teams of the region: the Chicago Fire (2003 MLS Regular Season Champion), defending MLS Cup Champion San Jose Earthquakes, Jabloteh (2003 Caribbean Football Union Champion), Torneo Apertura Mexican Champion Pachuca, 2003 Torneo Clausura Mexican Champion Monterrey, Costa Rican powerhouses Deportivo Saprissa and Alajuelense and El Salvador's C.D. FAS. Should the Fire advance, the "Men in Red" would face the winner of the Pachuca-Saprissa series in the semifinals. The semifinal dates are April 14 and April 21, while the finals will be played on May 4 and May 11.
Chicago has fared well in the region's showcase club tournament in the past, registering a 4-1-2 record in two prior appearances in 1999 and 2002. The Fire finished tied for third alongside fellow MLS foe D.C. United in its initial appearance in the competition in 1999 and reached the quarterfinals in 2002 before being knocked out by its now sister club Monarcas Morelia of Mexico by a 3-2 aggregate score.
Armas, Beasley and Razov to Represent U.S. Against Haiti on March 13 Three members of the "Men in Red" - Chris Armas, DaMarcus Beasley and Ante Razov - will be pulling double duty in Florida this week, as the trio is part of U.S. Men's National Team boss Bruce Arena's 18-man squad that will face fellow CONCACAF member Haiti in an international friendly on Saturday, Mar. 13 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, FL. Kickoff for the match is set for 7:00 p.m. CT, and the game will be shown live on HDNet. The contest will also be available to DirecTV viewers via pay-per-view, and fans can follow the match live online via ussoccer.com's MatchTracker, presented by Philips Electronics. Armas (52 caps, two goals) and Beasley (29 caps, four goals) last appeared for the Stars-and-Stripes in a 1-0 loss to Holland in Amsterdam on Feb. 18, while Razov (23 caps, six goals) made his last appearance for the Red, White & Blue on Jan. 18 in a 1-1 draw with Denmark at The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA. The Fire's three representatives on the U.S. roster ties the club with the MetroStars and Los Angeles Galaxy for the most from any MLS team. Former Fire defender Carlos Bocanegra is the only foreign-based player chosen by Arena for the match.
Fire 2004 Individual Game Tickets - Including March 24 Champions Cup Match - Now on Sale
Chicago Fire Juniors to Hold Tryouts in May
Chicago Fire Injury Report
Etc.
Nine Days and Counting... Fire Kicks Off 2004 Campaign in CONCACAF Champions Cup The Chicago Fire will open its 2004 season by taking part in its third CONCACAF Champions Cup in six years when it battles CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh of Trinidad & Tobago in the quarterfinals of the region's premier club tournament. The Fire will travel to Trinidad for the first leg of the home-and-home aggregate goal series, which will take place on Wednesday, Mar. 17 at 7:00 p.m. CT at Hasley Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain. The "Men in Red" will then host the return leg one week later on Wednesday, Mar. 24 at New Soldier Field in Chicago, with kick-off set for 7:30 p.m. CT.
2004 Chicago Fire Preseason Schedule (Dates/Times subject to change)
Mar. 7 - Mar. 15:
Training Camp at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL
Wednesday, Mar. 10:
Exhibition match vs. U.S. Men's National Team in Miami at Florida International University at 11:00 a.m. ET
Saturday, Mar. 13:
Exhibition match vs. MetroStars at Florida Atlantic University at 10:00 a.m. ET
Monday, Mar. 15:
Fire travels to Trinidad from Miami, FL
Wednesday, Mar. 17:
CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal at CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh in Trinidad at 7:00 p.m. CT
Thursday, Mar. 18:
Fire departs Trinidad; arrives in Chicago
Mar. 19 - Mar. 23:
Training in Chicago (sites and times TBD)
Wednesday, Mar. 24:
CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal vs. CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh at Soldier Field at 7:30 p.m. CT
Saturday, Mar. 27:
Exhibition match vs. Dallas Burn in Ridgeland, MS at 7:30 p.m. CT
Individual game tickets for the Chicago Fire's 2004 MLS campaign at New Soldier Field -- including the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals (return leg) match against Trinidad's San Juan Jabloteh on Wednesday, Mar. 24 at 7:30 p.m. CT - are on sale to the public. The "Men in Red" will kick-off their 15-game 2004 MLS home campaign on Saturday, Apr. 17 at 7:30 p.m. CT against the Dallas Burn. Ticket prices for the 2004 campaign range from $15 in the Supporters section to $75 in the Gold Level seating area. Individual game tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster outlets or by calling 312-559-1212 or visiting www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the Chicago Fire Offices, located at 980 N. Michigan, Suite 1998 (corner of Oak/Michigan) in Chicago. To order season tickets or for group discounts, please call 1-888-MLS-FIRE.
The Chicago Fire Youth Development Department has announced that tryouts for the Chicago Fire Juniors youth teams will be held at a pair of sites in Naperville, IL in early May. After a successful start in 2003, the Chicago Fire Juniors are inviting young soccer players from throughout Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana to be a part of the area's fastest growing club program. Tryouts for boys from the U-8 to U-14 range and for girls ranging from the U-18 to U-19 can tryout for the club from May 1-3. Players and parents are asked to register at least 30 minutes in advance of their age group's tryout session. Specific sites, dates and times for each age group are listed below. For more information on the CFJ tryouts, please visit www.chicagofirejuniors.com or call the Chicago Fire Offices at 312-705-7200.
Marsch, Jesse - R ankle cartilage damage - out 8-12 weeks
Perez, Orlando - lower back pain - week-to-week
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