Fire’s Johnson ready after busy offseason
By DAVID GUBALA The Chicago Fire departed for Ventura, Calif., on Wednesday with a long-missed face settling back with the team for the first time since the end of the regular season. After having quite the busy offseason, goalkeeper Sean Johnson finally regrouped with the Fire for their second phase of preseason. The 22-year-old Johnson...
Fire Notebook: Klopas addresses DP rumors, club makes roster cuts and more
By DAVID GUBALA The Chicago Fire are now a good two weeks into their first phase of preseason camp and have been making all of the necessary adjustments as the start of the new 2012 campaign nears. Part of the preseason activity, though, has included shooting down rumors of a superstar Designated Player acquisition. There...
Chicago plays D.C. to scoreless draw in preseason opener
Photo by Jose L. Argueta/ISIphotos.com By THOMAS FLOYD After D.C. United and the Chicago Fire had their fair share of defensive struggles throughout the 2011 MLS campaign, the two teams both had a notable silver lining to take away from their friendly Sunday: no goals allowed. United and the Fire kicked off their respective preseason...
Red Bulls sign Conde after completing deal with Fire
Just days after selling Tim Ream to Bolton, the New York Red Bulls have secured the services of his replacement, signing Colombian centerback Wilman Conde after making a trade with the Chicago Fire. The Red Bulls dealt allocation money (which one source put at $150,000) to the Fire for the chance to sign Conde, who...
MLS Notes: D.C. adds defender, Wright trains with FC Dallas and more
D.C. United's preseason personnel surge continued on Wednesday with the acquisition of Argentine centerback Emiliano Dudar from BSC Young Boys in Switzerland. The 6-foot-4, 30-year-old Dudar is a player with experience on a number of levels and is a one-time Swiss league Defender of the Year (2009-2010). Dudar has played in Champions League qualifying matches...
Fire Notebook: Oduro, club ready to pick up where they left off and more
Photo by Tracy Allen/ISIphotos.com By DAVID GUBALA The Chicago Fire will swap the crispy, cold ways of Chicago for the sunny rays of Ave Maria as they travel to Florida to officially kick off the preseason camp for their 15th season in Major League Soccer. Dominic Oduro, the team's leading scorer in 2011, argued that...
Mid-Day Ticker: Chicago re-signs Pardo, Arshavin linked with Lazio and more
photo by ISIphotos.com By FRANCO PANIZO A day after unveiling Quaker Oats as its jersey sponsor, the Chicago Fire made another big announcement. The Fire re-signed midfielder Pavel Pardo on Wednesday, the club announced on its website. While terms of the deal were not originally disclosed, a report on the club's website states the deal...
Tuesday Kickoff: Fire close in on jersey sponsor, Henry apologizes to fan & more
The Chicago Fire might be adding a new graphic to the front of their jerseys this season. According to reports out of Chicago, the club is closing in on a jersey sponsor deal with Quaker Oats, something that would end the club's sponsor hiatus after one season. Best Buy had been the team's jersey sponsor...
MLS Notes: Plata re-signs with Toronto, Crew sign Speas and more
photo by Nick Turchiaro/ISIphotos.com After uncertainty clouded his future with Toronto FC, Joao Plata is staying right where he is. One of MLS's most technically-gifted players, Plata has agreed to re-sign with Toronto FC on a multi-year deal. Per club and league policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. The 19-year-old Plata was a...
MLS Notes: Conway retires, Keller heads to broadcast booth and more
Veteran MLS goalkeeper Jon Conway has decided to hang up his cleats and gloves. Conway, 34, was selected by the Los Angeles Galaxy in this past December's re-entry draft to compete for a backup spot behind Josh Saunders, but he instead elected retire after a 12-year career. "After talking to (Galaxy coach Bruce Arena) about...
Rounding up the MLS comings and goings: Eastern Conference
Photo by Kelley L. Cox/ISIphotos.com With the MLS Eastern Conference as wide open as it was down the stretch last season, a roster tweak in the right direction could be all it takes to separate certain clubs from the pack. In the opening month of the offseason, no teams did more to augment their rosters...
