Canada Sucks!

Yep, Toronto FC at 730.
Playin' washers, eatin' ribs.


-- Posted from my iPhone

What next?

I just learned that Rolphe has reached terms with a Danish first division team. He will depart in January. Now I'm waiting for the next shoe to drop...Segares? Blanco? Pappa?
In the mean time I think I'll visit Rolfe's blog and post my congratulations. I hope Rolfe uses these last few matches to put on a show.


-- Posted from my iPhone

Frick!!

It's August, it's 50 degrees, and we lost. This sucks!


-- Post From My iPhone

Halftime

It's halftime and the fire are trailing 0-1. But we are totally stomping on these guys. It's only a matter of time...GO FIRE!


-- Post From My iPhone

Chicago Fire Power Ranking Dialed in at 2

The league / pseudo press has been putting out the MLS Power Rankings all year. After starting out in position 1, briefly degrading as low as 3, we have now cemented into position 2 for the last few weeks.

Of course, you can guess who's ahead of us in number 1 === Yep, Chivas. So this is the week to break the lock and take back number 1 with a decisive victory over Chivas U.S.A.

The game will be televised on ESPN2 (in HD if you've got it). John broke the news, however, that the game starts at 9:30pm central time. So, stock up on caffeinated beverages!

GO FIRE!!!

Del Gooooooooool! Del Rolfe!

¡Oh sí! Nada es más dulce que ganar a los Red Bulls, a menos que ganar a los Red Bulls de Nueva York Chris Rolfe en un objetivo en los últimos segundos de la primera mitad!

Próxima parada, California, EE.UU. y Chivas!"

(Translation: Oh my god - Jon Busche saved our butts! Big Time! (and Chris Rolfe scored))

Up, Up, and Away!

Some will already be aware of the catastrophe at the Revs game; one of our flagpoles fractured and collapsed! Investigation has confirmed that it was a strength of materials issue. With that in mind, design on version 2 was begun. And, oh yes, we can rebuild it - better, stronger, higher than before.

Implementation of version two was all but complete today. From it, satellites can be launched into low earth orbit. The carbon nano-tube design makes it incredibly strong. And the embedded servo gyros make it self steadying and self assembling.

All that remains is for us to purchase a Fire flag of adequate size to be seen from 75,000 feet. I'll leave that to you guys. Hopefully, it doesn't cost 6 million dollars....

Update - Kris Locates Viable Flag

After an exhastive search (his reply was posted like 10 minutes after I posted the original blog), Kris has located a flag of sufficient size to be seen from low earth orbit. Hopefully, its made from silicon fiber so that it can survive the heat of re-entry...GO FIRE!

Sierra Mist [Fire] Goal of the Week

Let's just go ahead and rename this thing, since we own it. For the third week running, McBride has been nominated for Goal of the Week. And this week he's joined by Gonzolo Segares. So, pick your flavor - McGoal or Gonzo Goal - and vote here.

Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold...

Yes, I know. I've dug this old saw out before, and I guess I'll keep doing it until we avoid getting knocked out in the playoffs and finally win the MLS Cup. I'm convinced we're going to put the Crew in a world of hurt tomorrow. Watch the game on Fox Soccer Channel. Here's the game guide for your viewing pleasure.

Grab a beer and watch the Fire crush the Crew. Or, as Khan would say, "I've done more than beat you. I've hurt you. And I wish to go on...hurting you. I shall leave you as you left me. Scoreless for all eternity in the center of a dead stadium. Buried alive... Buried alive... Buried alive..."

Tim Ward Here To Stay

John made a comment in passing this morning - which I couldn't let pass. It was too brilliant.
Tim Ward has been making a place for himself on the pitch, so we'll make a place for Tim here at Section One Oh! Eight. What follows is a (somewhat hastily assembled) homage / welcome video to Tim.

Unfortunately, Tim is not the most highly photographed player in the MLS. I promise to add more photos when they become available (and in so doing force you all to watch this again). One thing's for sure, however...TIMMY ROCKS!

Thanks (or curses, depending on your taste) to John for the inspiration.

McGoal? Sure, Make Mine a Double.

Having won the Sierra Mist Goal of the Week in Week 4, Brian McBride is back again for a second helping. His cross the goal mouth flying header gets the nod (sorry) this week. Take a little sting out of that tie and vote for McBride to win Goal of the Week two weeks running. Watch the Nominees and Cast your vote here...

Take it To the Next Level!

My Ocasional Blog Series, "Why Don't We Have Soccer Commercial Like This in the U.S." continues with this beaut from Nike. Watch and Enjoy (and get hyped for the game)!

All Hail The Prophets Light on Earth!

It's Official. The winner of the Fantastic Prize for Week 1-3 of the Fantasy Competition is Troy Behning and Shake 'N Bake. Exploding out of the gates with the single best week score of 32, John Britvich and Fire Fans Wanna Win could not hold off Shake 'N Bake, as Troy managed his team to a three week score of 59 to top the competition.

As promised, Troy's Fantastic prize is the Caliphate of Turkmenistan. As Caliph, Troy will be adored as the Prophets representative on earth. As such, he will be too Divine to mingle with the common rif raf, and instead will be locked inside a palace and attended to by eunuchs. And, since Troy will need to convert to Islam, wine and beer will be off limits. And, per Taliban decree, all TV has been banned in the Caliphates Palace. So its just Troy, koolaid, and the eunuchs.

Fantastic!

Now, the Fantastic Prize for Leg 2 (weeks 4 - 6). This one took some thought. I mean, how do you top the Fantastic Prize from Leg 1?!? But I did my best. The winner of Leg 2 will be named the official Tail Gate Captain for the next 3 home games! As Tailgate Captain, you will direct the festivities, choose the food and beverages to be served, serve as chef (if you choose), and will wear the coveted Tailgate Captains Armband to the events so that everyone will recognize your greatness and respond accordingly (showering you with respect, affections, and free food and drink).

Huh? How about it? Fantastic, eh? So get busy managing those teams!

Week 4 scores are already in and, once again, Fire Fans Wanna Win has jumped out to a early lead...Let's get him!!

Vote for the McGoal of the Week...

Apparently, the powers that be have tired of seeing wicked Rolfe stingers voted Sierra Mist Goal of the Week, because the game tying goal ripped in by Rolfe didn't make the cut for week 4. However, the acrobatic Blanco header to McBride spin (what the!) slot home goal did make the cut.

McBride's McGoal needs your vote to land Goal of the Week honors. Vote here, vote early, vote often!

Fire Vs. Quakes - on TV in english....

It appears that the Fire are becoming more popular in Chicago! Comcast SportsNet Chicago will air this weekend's match against San Jose! See the link for more details. I'm not sure how far the CSN Chicago broadcast reaches, but this will beat having to translate on TeleFutura! I will be scanning from Indiana and with the Mc's in Missouri, who knows! Happy hunting for CSN in your neighborhood.

http://chicago.fire.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20090407&content_id=237016&vkey=pr_chf&fext=.jsp&team=t100

Opening Dayyyyyy with a Winnnnnnnn! (sorry frozen fingers)

“It was a cold and wet December day…” wait it’s April, what the heck! Yes, true to form opening day was once again a cold and wet one, but Kris, Cindy, Mary and I toughed it out, or were just too frozen solid to move out of the elements once we got comfortable. Oh and we were comfortable and dry right up to the end of the national anthem, then the freezing rain began; lovely. With our rain proof gear donned, where all you could see was the horizontal slits for our eyes to peak out of and freeze in the open positions were ready for a nice and steady game. Oh the eye icicles, how I love the eye icicles!

So we didn’t see Blanco, not even during warm ups. If he was smart he worked in a “I don’t play in the snow” clause into his contract. Probably a good day to sit out with the way we were getting fouled (16 on NY) and with the elements opening the possibilities of a misstep or unexpected slide. No complaints here about him sitting this one out. We had our defense back again, with Ward in for Prideaux. The midfield looked solid with lots of speed and strength, and Nyarko and McBride started up front.

Steady game, right! Suddenly Thorington was issued a red card for almost a perfect slide tackle from behind after being the only player to hustle after a Red Bull on the loose. Speaking of Red Bull, why the heck does Toyota Park sell Red Bull when they are the enemy! I suggest a Red Bull protest! What kind of idiot in the marketing department stocks up on Red Bull for the day of a game against the sponsored team? Oh, and they ran out of coffee and hot chocolate, but there was plenty of Red Bull on ice! But I digress.

So I don’t think Thorington’s tackle was card worthy let alone a red card and you could tell that the Fire were just dumbfounded by the call. It might have been the first whistle of the game; I don’t recall (ice cubes in the ears). But needless to say I was a bit worried about playing 70+ minutes a man down against NY, since they should have been starving for a win, but I’m happy to say we kept the pressure on, all game. The defense was really good, the pressure was great and just a few lapses gave NY 4 shots on goal. Honestly, I think the elements were more of a challenge for the Fire than the Red Bulls. But Papa came through on a NY rebound and riffled a left foot shot in off the post and across the entire face of the goal before ending up in the side netting. GOAL!!!!!!!!! Suddenly the elements weren’t so bad, at least for about 90 seconds, and then we noticed our feet were frozen solid and we couldn’t stand!

Anyways, there were several good strikes and great defense by the Fire; it was a great game to watch! Rolfe and Prideaux made it in and then Washington came in real late to play up front, not sure what for, but anyways. All in all it was a great game to watch, live and we won! GO FIRE!
Seats, I forgot to mention the seats. They’re great! (insert Tony the Tiger voce) They are actually just to the right of center. Between our left most seat and the next seat in the row is the centerline, they are nice and tight to the field and no interferences. Although the staff, mascot and cheerleaders (whatever they were) still can’t through freebees high enough to get to us! We do have several seats on either side of us, so stay put unless you want to fight the knee step-over game. We didn’t get to commiserate too much due to the weather, but we had a wide variety of people around us; old, young, families, middle age groups, etc. It’s gonna be a great year, I can’t wait till the next game!

Ok, too long of a review, gotta go… GO FIRE!

Number One Fire Fan - Redux

If you liked the Jim Belushi spoof, here's a link to the extended version...

Watch This Before the Toronto FC Game

Proof positive that it isn't the victor who writes the history books -- rather, its the guy left owning the publishing company who writes the history books...



But what this really teaches you is that you should never get your history from a soccer fan blog.

Death to Toronto! Death to Canada! (Sorry, that was harsh, eh?)

Missing Chris?

Missing your Chris Rolfe fix? We aren't getting much of last year's Golden Boot winner this year - Hamlet has him riding lumber due to poor conditioning as a result of a stomach virus.

Well, there's no substitute for watching Chris bulge the old onion bag live - but since we'll have to wait for that, here's some retro Chris to hold you through to Rolfe's first start....Red Bull?

Download Your Game Guide Here...

The Fire go up against DC United (Die! Die! Die!) today. You can download your game guide here. (Although I'll eat my supporter scarf if this is really the starting line up!) (not to mention I'll loose fantasy points...)

GO FIRE!

The Number One Fire Fan...

In case your wondering who the #1 Fire Fan is...well, his name is Jim. Who else?

Fire Fans Wanna Win

Do they ever!

Week one has ended, and "Fire Fans Wanna Win", managed by John Britvich, has jumped out to an early lead - doubling the median score of the field!

Last year's winner, Jason, is respectably in the pack, while my team is eating everyone else's dust (*cough*)

Tania has a tenuous lock on second place at the moment and Kris is right behind in third.

Remember, the Caliphate of Turkmenistan is on the line. So get busy trading players and shoring up your starting eleven....cuz I'm commin' for ya! (from way back - but I'm commin')

Beckham and Posh on Ali G

As promised, here's that hilarious interview of Becks and Posh by Ali G during the Save Africa telethon several years ago.

Week One Under Way

Week 1 of MFLS is underway, and with it, the quest to defeat Jason. To spice up the competition this year, I've decided we'll compete for 10 FANTASTIC prizes, to be given away to the point winner over each 3 week period. Emphasis on Fantastic.

Our first Fantastic prize........drum roll..........The Caliphate of Turkmenistan!

Yes, score the most Fantasy points and you will be crowned the Caliph of Turkmenistan. What a Fantastic prize! Don't you think? True, there aren't many people in Turkmenistan - but all there are will worship you as their Divine Ruler!

But don't count your slaves yet. First you need to score the most Fantasy points between now and the end of Week 3.

Good Luck!

What's That Sound?

What's that sound? It's me sitting in front of my TV yelling "Holy Crap!".

Did we just witness the birth (or rebirth) of what will be the most storied side in MLS?

Okay, I know, calm down - its just one game. But Holy Crap! That was the soccer equivalent of "Shock and Awe". Did you see Angel at the end of the game? He was just standing in the center of the field turning in circles. And did you catch the camera pan across the Red Bull bench? Juan Carlos was sitting at the end of the bench with his trench coat pulled up over his head, his thumb in his mouth, rocking back and forth mumbling "Mio Dios, Mio Dios, Mio Dios...".

In the 73rd minute, I actually saw a kitchen sink hit Goldwaith.

I was actually considering not going to the Seattle game.

CHANGE OF PLANS!!!!!!!

Beckham Love-O-Meter on the Decline?

In the wake of the Milan/Beckham deal, lots of talking heads are proposing the end of the Beckham love fest. Maybe? Don't know. But if so, this commercial might be a glimpse into the future....

Nyarko Late Season 'Slo-Mo' Finally Explained

John made the observation last year that Nyarko looked like he had lost a step after returning from the knee injury he suffered earlier in the year. I never heard an official explanation for that, until I saw this blurb in the Trib...

Feeling better: Patrick Nyarko's knee continued to bother him even after his MCL surgery in August. According to the Fire forward, a cyst built up in the back of his knee after the surgery."At the end of last season, I was getting shots before games," said Nyarko about the pain.Nyarko had the cyst removed after the MLS season and spent about a month on crutches. The 23-year old forward since has recovered and has not missed any time during the pre-season."There's some soreness, so I ice it after practice," Nyarko said. "But the knee is getting stronger every day."

John's future as an MLS trainer or talent scout is secure. We'll know Nyarko is fully recovered when we see John add him to his Fantasy Roster!

Mapp Scores, Nyarko Continues to Show

Justin Mapp scored the Fire's only goal in a preseason freindly today vs a Mexican side in Mexico. Reports say it was a right footed effort assisted by Chris Rolfe.

Nyarko played forward, again getting valuable minutes to show his stuff pre-season. The Trib had an interview in which Nyarko reported that most of his time has been at Temo's position, and the "obviously, he would need to give it up". Nyarko sounded a bit worried about his prospects to break into the line against Rolfe, McBride, Mapp, Temo, Thorrington, and Papa. He reported that he's been working hard on his "defensive positioning". Could it be that Nyarko thinks his best chance is to move from Forward to holding mid and challenge Logan Pause for his spot? Nyarko's coming after Logan's spot from the front and Conde's coming from the back. Sucks to be Pause.

Ofcourse, Conde can only advance to mid if Brown or Robinson can step into the roll of ceterback. So far, I haven't heard anything about Brown this year and his injuries. Again this year we might have more talent than we know what to do with. Sweet.

Major League Fantasy 2009

The 2009 Fantasy Soccer League kicks off this Sunday (Feb 22)! Feel free to start your teams immediately. Remember, unlimited transfers until opening day.

I'll post more on what prizes we'll have this year.

Obviously, if you haven't been paying attention to the preseason, the time to start is now!

Find the links you need to navigate to the site on the sidebar - same as last year.

Get Jason!

Pan Pacific Tourney Kicks Off Tomorrow

The Pan Pacific Tournament, which features the LA Galaxy vs. Asia (the continent) starts Wednesday, February 18, at 7:30 CST. Two games will be played the first night (the second game starts at 10:00) and two games will be played Saturday (same times).

I'm actually interested to see the Galaxy without Donovan and Beckham. What will Lewis do? Who will they put in goal? Will there be anything remotely resembling a defense on the field?

All games will be televised on Fox Soccer Channel.

The Prodigal Son Returns...

At the border they don't take American Express...but that's ok, cuz Conde's got a Visa!

Our beloved unfrozen caveman fullback has cleared customs and immigration and it back for another season of "Conde CRUSH Little Man" and "Conde SMASH Bouncy Ball" and "Conde no like man with tweety whistle"

Let's hope this is a smooth year for Conde. On the bright side, he's only missed half of the pre-season. His agent is a known factor. And, since he gave his phone away (see earlier posts), JCO can't call him and sow dissent ("Tricksy Words Make Conde Brain Hurt").

All I know is - It's a good season for me when Conde is in the back!! GO FIRE!!

Conde Watch

The Word from Diego....Conde is resolving Visa issues and will be reporting to camp as soon as those matters are...um...resolved.

A negotiating tactic? I have no idea. You would, however, think that by now US immigration would realize he's a soccer player (and not the Progressive Insurance spokesman) and wave him through.

Regardless, the Fire dropped a pre-season game today to the Wizards, 3-2. Nyarko scored 2 (John will be happy), but then gave up three (one on PK). Busch, Rolfe, and Thorrington are in USMNT camp, so Nobel had the GK duties. Defense was same as last year, except no Conde and no Diego.

Hurry Conde! Baky misses you!

The Fans Formerly Known as...

It's official. We are no longer Fans from Section 108 at Toyota Park. Our relocated seats are now in Section 107.

As such, our supporter group needs a new name.

Ok all you suppressed marketing types, lets have your best ideas. And not just a name; this time I want a NAME and A LOGO IDEA. Because this time, we are going to have our own Supporter Group Flag to fly at the tailgates!

Start posting your suggestions to the comments! Time is short cuz I sew slow!

Oh, and don't duplicate any other supporter group names/logos...we're not ready to rumble!

Conde Watch

Update on Senor Conde:

You may have heard that Diego Gutierrez has become a sports talent agent. But you probably didn't hear that the ever mercurial Wilman Conde has signed with Diego.

I'm guessing this is good news; since Diego doesn't get paid unless Wilman is playing, I'm hoping he won't be counseling him to sit out the season in the Colombian jungle!

Jealous Much?

The following post has no purpose other than to flash a picture of the Red Bull Stadium currently under construction.

I kind of like the transparent roof thingy (seeing as we got drenched twice this year).

On the other hand. Leave it to New Yorkers to hide from the elements. Typical.

Regardless, the point is probably moot; the stadium is being built in New Jersey and, as you might expect, political interference has already delayed construction completion from summer 2006 (not a typo) until summer 2010, at the earliest (still not a typo).

I intend to write a letter tonight to the NJ EPA asking if they're certain Red Bull Stadium will not endanger the fragile New Jersey swamp skrewt. That'll get 'em two more years! Take that JCO!

Got Schedule?

The league is dropping hints that next week will be the week. The week when the rest of the regular season schedule is released, that is.

Guess we better pick our seats!!

Meet Richard Jata

Starting at about 3:55 into this clip from the "Lalas Show" (sorry for anyone who doesn't think there might be two too many Lalases in Major League Soccer) is a clip of an acceptance speech given by Richard Jata, the fourth round pick of the Fire.



He's listed as a Midfielder (he looks like a midfielder). Apparently, he sat in the audience the whole time until he was picked. That's like all day. Bodes well for his work ethic.

Anyway, I thought you might be interested to see a little preview of a new player.

If you really want to see a preview, here's a highlight reel, created by a family member of Richards and posted to YouTube.

North Meets South - Cross Border Competition Announced

The Fire and Club America have agreed to hold an annual home-and-home competition between the two clubs for a-yet-to-be-named cup. The games would be at Toyota Park (obviously) and Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. No rules yet on tie breakers, etc.

Bonus Game Anyone!

I think this is a fantastic idea! Certainly, for us it is. Will it be as popular in Mexico once Temo retires or leaves Chicago, um, probably not. But, who knows how long Temo will stay and who will replace him.

Now the only questions is, what will we name the Cup? We already compete for the Brimstone Cup with FC Dallas (made more sense when they were called the Dallas Burn). What's a good name for a cup between Club America and the Chicago Fire? (ps - Club America are "The Eagles" or "Las Aguilas")

Copa America
Copa del Norte
The Green Card Cup
Two Eagles Cup
Copa de las Aguilas
The New World Cup

Got any ideas? Post them in the comments section...

There goes another day!

Nobody likes Monday. Sunday's out because, well, the next day is Monday. Tuesday? No good - still recovering from Monday. Friday, Saturday - OK. That leaves Wednesday and Thursday. Until today, Thursday was my favorite because, of course, MLS Primetime Thursday in glorious HD was on (at least for 31 Thursdays per year).

But as of today, that appears to have changed. ESPN announced that they will no longer be doing the Thursday Night Prime Time thing. Not good enough ratings!

Nobody called me! I was watching every Thursday! Ask my wife!

Great. Now Thursday sucks.

Of course, this might mean fewer Thursday games on the home schedule, which is a plus.

Regardless, apparently ESPN will still continue to broadcast the same number of MLS games, they'll just do weekend games instead.

To bad. I liked the Thursday thing. Beats watching "The Biggest Looser Dances with Super Nanny's Mamma's Boy" (I can't keep track anymore).

Second Round Pick better than First

The Fire might have pulled a rabbit out of their hat with a crafty trade and second round pick Thursday at the Super Draft in St. Louis. Here a story from the Trib concerning the Fire's maneuver.

Baggio Husidic is a local player and a Generation Addidas player, like Sumare, so his contract will not count against the team's salary cap. And that is probably the best part of this deal.

Armas Moves On

Did you know Chris Armas was from New York? Why am I always the last to know?

Well, the original Fire fixture, Chris Armas is moving on after 10 years in the red and 1 on the bench as assistant coach. And how many years as captain?

Too bad for us. I liked to see Chris on the side with his headset getting signals from God.

So long Chris. Good Luck.

(And it goes without saying that here we have yet another New York connection - JC Moriarty at work again)

New Year Resolutions - For the Section 108 Fan

John sent an email today that reminded me we should be making resolutions for the upcoming Fan Year. Here's a start. Please join in and add to the list as you think of things...

The Fans of Section 108 Hear by Resolve...

1. To flash yellow and red cards any time the opposing team nicks Blanco, Rolfe, McBride, Mapp or Thorington;
2. To enjoy a Heineken mini keg at at least one game this season (and sing the UEFA Champions League Anthem);
3. To paint our faces, or otherwise dress embarrassingly, in manic support of our team (once or twice);
4. To come up with a Section One Oh! Eight Emblem and Banner which we will fly proudly at each and every game;
5. To invent ridiculous nicknames for each other;
6. To get better (much better) at washers;
7. To bring better mix tapes (or IPOD play lists) to the games;
8. To win Season Ticket Holders of the Game like 8 times.

Your turn.

Wilman Conde Bucking for a Discharge??? Again??

Yes, this is the second time I've used this head line.

Yes, he's at it again.

Apparently, Wilman has moved out of his apartment and sold or given away all of his possessions. This according to a "friend". His cell phone is disconnected. He's left the country.

Klopas says, predictably, "He's still under contract for the next 2 years. We fully expect him to be at camp and playing for the Fire come February. We have no current plans to trade or loan Wilman." (I'm paraphrasing, but you get the picture)

Word is Wilman wants to play in Europe or South America, not New York. Yet, I can't help feeling the tingle of web strands being pulled by that master of intrigue, Juan Carlos Moriarty.

Paranoid? We'll see...

Later Lider

Lider Marmol has left the building.

Remember Lider? We first encountered him as part of a devious conspiracy, hatched by Juan Carlos Osario (the Moriarty of the MLS), to thwart the Fire.

Well, after a less than satisfying season with the Fire, the club granted his request to be release from his contract to play for a team in his native Paraguay.

Don't be surprised, however, if he shows up on the Red Bull roster as Joe Smith, or something.

Juan Carlos is devious.....oh so devious.......

Draft Preview

Jason asked if there were any major talents waiting to be picked in the MLS Superdraft Thursday.

"Ummm, Idohno", said I.

But this guy knows...so here are some links to a blogger who thinks he knows.

Combine News

I would post speculation on who will be drafted in the first round, but the Fire don't have a pick until, like, number 24 or 27. Virtually the third round, so I think we'll be focusing on deals outside of the draft!!

2009 Season Kickoff Luncheon

The Fire have announced the date for the Kickoff Lunch Program they do every year. Players will appear (at least twenty of them (more on that later) and there is a silent auction for stuff (balls, sweated on jerseys, etc.).

This year the program will be Tuesday, March 24th, at 11:00am - ?? and will be held at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, 301 East North Water Street (East North??).

Tickets cost $65, or $60 if you buy ten. Also, if you are among the first twenty tables of ten, a Fire player (hopefully one with good manners) will eat with you.

I have blown this off every year. But it occurred to me that I really should be offering this to everyone. I have some interest. I'm sure Tania would have some interest (since the kids will be in school - unless we take them out to attend). Maybe, we have enough interest to get a table of 10 and eat with Blanco. Kris could translate. Or better yet, the Jamrowski's could translate!

Anyway, just throwing it out there. Comment back if you have any interest and, if so, we can look into it further.

Blaaaancoooo! G'oooooal!

Whew!
The Fire have signed Temo! And we are guaranteed that the rest of the league will despise us for at least one more season!

Here's the Blanco promo Video. Enjoy!

The Year in Review

The beginning of the new year is always a good time to take some time to organize your thoughts and review the year past. In that spirit, I sat down to review the year as recorded by the Section (one oh!) Eight Fan Blog...

The "fan year" started off distressingly; First, our newly minted (and, we thought, beloved coach), Juan Carlos Osario (hereafter JCO), defected to the NY Red Bull siting "family reasons" (his son needed an XBox AND a Play Station 3 for each room in the house). Fan Ire followed. Soon after, the truly beloved Wilman Conde wrote an open letter asking to be transferred to NYRB and a wide ranging conspiracy, worthy of an Illinois Governor, became apparent to the Fire faithful.

Eventually, Dennis Hamlet was named coach (at the time, it was quite the let down from JCO). Wilman and Lider DID NOT transfer. We bled off some defensive players on waiver and picked up Brandon Prideax (soon to become our most solid defender, with the exception of Gonzo - but at the time, I remember saying "who?"). We also signed Andy Herron and Tomas Frankowski to the offensive ranks. Suddenly, just as season tickets were arriving, we looked like we might be an offensive powerhouse with Barret, Rolfe, Herron, Frankowski, Mapp, Blanco, first-round draftee Nyarko, Thorrington, and Calen Carr all with striker potential.

The season opener came, and then another game, and we were waiting for the offense to develop, although the defense looked fairly solid considering we had a rookie in the middle and Diego playing Center Back (remember how short Diego Gutierrez looked lined up next to Sumare?), an unusual position for the veteran. Then, the home opener arrived on a cold and wet day in April. A grudge match if ever there was a grudge match. I need say no more, but after this game we all came away believing that we might really be an offensive power house and hoping that we were in for a special season. And for the next few games, the offense was ever-present, even racking up a couple Sierra Mist GOTW.

But then things settled down and we came to understand we would be a great defensive team with a competent possession game and sometimes spotty offensive finishing. Never the less, except for the fact that we seemed to do all the winning away from home, the season continued to be a blast.

Detour now to the Fantasy League. By now, our experimental foray into Fantasy Football (EU Football) was underway and we all had a shot at the title. Looking back, I realize that I should have had an award for best team name (O'Leary's Cow would have taken it). However, it was a good overall competition. You can review the final results here.

Back to the season - Second place overall - WOW! A fantastic showing by the Fire. But even better, the final home game of the season turns out to be against the Hated Revs!! The symmetry was preternatural, as you'll see in the posting for that game...

Alas, that would be our last win, as the Crew came back to beat us in the Conference Final. A great season. The one blemish - JCO and RBNY won the Western Conference (nobody has yet managed to explain to me how NEW YORK could be WESTERN Conference Champion?!!). But, I just remind myself that we beat the NYRB 5-0 and 5-1 this season...

It's also worth mentioning that the Fire roster picked up a huge amount of International Experience this year. Rolfe, Thorrington, Blanco, Marco Pappa, Gonzo, Mapp, Conde, Busch, and don't forget McBride. We look strong and stable.

I'll part with a link to a highlight reel, just for reminiscence and all.

Season ticket planning starts February - First home game April 5th! Oh yes, and don't forget, that home opener is against JCO and RBNY (can we go for 6-0 this time?!!).

HAPPY NEW YEAR SECTION ONE OH EIGHT!!

New Year Resolutions

Do people still make New Year resolutions?

I admit that my life has become so busy that I hardly notice the passing of the new year; work, work, work, pop cork, work... Am I alone? I doubt it. Maybe its the kids, etc., but I bet we've all become desensitised to big calendar moments as we become more and more driven by the little calendar events that crop up every week.

Well, I'm bucking the trend (on behalf of the Chicago Fire) and making up my New Year's Resolution list for the Fire. Here are the things that, I think, the Fire should resolve to change in the coming year.

1. Keep Chris Rolfe under Contract. This guy is an amazing professional. We need him. Others will want him. Don't let him go. Keep him happy and productive.
2. Get Marco Pappa into the lineup. I'm very premature in saying this, but I have the feeling that Marco could, just maybe, be the understudy we need to take over for Blanco when he leaves.
3. Re-up Blanco for one more year. He's still exciting to watch and he's good for the team and the league. He gets more cheers and more boos than any other player in the MLS. He was the All Star MVP for a reason and we need him in the lineup.
4. Figure out how to use Mapp in the system or trade him. I've been watching Mapp for 3 years and he's always on the verge of a break out. If Justin can't break out with us, trade him to another team and give him a chance in another system.
5. Find some ridiculous speed - somewhere. Maybe Africa. Every other team seams to be finding speedy African talent. Maybe Nyarko (if that knee injury hasn't hobbled him). Maybe Carr. Whatever, we have McBride and Blanco. Great, but these guys are not going to win any races.

Well, that's five. More than I made for myself. How about you guys? Got some resolutions for the fire (or Section 108) for the New Year? Let's here 'em - post away!