Say what you want, but this Sunday’s game between our Chicago Fire and the New York Red Bulls at Toyota Park (8 PM) is the most important game in Chicago Fire history. Yeah yeah, we’ve been in bigger games. The 1998 MLS Championship and runner-up showings in 2000 and 2003 come to mind, as do the 1998, 2000, 2003, and 2006 U.S. Open triumphs; then there are some of the more memorable friendlies (A.C. Milan visiting Soldier Field in 2005 especially). But Sunday night tops it all. more ›

And you thought the Spice Girls had all the fun? Portland, Oregon's Uncle Earl, an all-woman string band, knows how have a good time banging out the bluegrass and old-time music. Closer to The Be Good Tanyas or The Yonder Mountain String Band than anything to do with Mrs. David Beckham, the ladies (or "g'Earls") of Uncle Earl have been touring in support of their latest release, Waterloo, Tennessee, produced by Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones. more ›

U.S. Soccer announced the selections for the 2007 Best of U.S. Soccer Awards and Chicago has several representatives in the competition. For Best Fan Atmosphere Chicago's Soldier Field gets two nods: one for this sSummer's Gold Cup Final in which the United States defeated Mexico and the other for the U.S. game versus Brazil in September. Chicagoist is voting for the Gold Cup game--it wasn't the most pro-U.S. crowd, but the fans filling Soldier field... more ›

The Chicago Fire clinched a playoff spot in their final regular season match of the year, defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0 in front a record-breaking 21,374 fans at Toyota Park. Right from the start, the Fire was clearly the hungrier squad. They nearly scored in the opening minute and continued to dominate play through the first half with successive shots on Los Angeles Galaxy goalkeeper Joe Cannon. A combination of some great saves... more ›

Neither the Los Angeles Galaxy nor the Chicago Fire have lost in their last seven games. Their recent successes have helped make up for poor starts and given them both a chance to earn the final playoff spot this afternoon in the Major League Soccer regular-season finale. The Fire advance to the post-season with a win or a tie, but the Galaxy need a victory to advance. The game will feature two of Major League... more ›

Mexican Primera Division club Cruz Azul, or if you prefer, Club Deportivo Social y Cultural Cruz Azul, arrived in Chicago yesterday for their Wednesday night friendly with the Fire. The game will feature two of Mexico's more prolific goal scorers; the Fire's Blanco, who has been on fire, pun intended, since arriving in Chicago scoring four goals and providing six assists in just 12 games, will try to show up Cruz Azul forward Jared Borgetti... more ›

Only four of the thirteen Major League Soccer teams took advantage of Major League Soccer's new Designated Player Rule, made most famous by the signing of David Beckham by the Los Angeles Galaxy, signing a total of five players. This weekend, arguably the two most impactful designated players, Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Juan Pablo Angel, will match up at Toyota Park. Blanco has played just seven games but has helped the Fire to earn 13 points... more ›

Chicago Fire Forward Cuauhtémoc Blanco proved that David Beckham is not the only recent Major League Soccer acquisition that can be deadly accurate on free kicks. Kansas City came into Toyota Park after their midweek 3-2 victory over the Fire and dominated the first half of play, heavily out shooting the Fire. Just before the halftime break Fire midfielder Ivan Guerrero was tripped up just outside the Kansas City penalty area resulting in a... more ›

Londonist are starting to think their city is getting just a little bit too expensive, when even Christian Slater can't afford to go out there. And there's no escaping, as local singer Lily Allen discovered when she was barred entry to the US. The British mapping agency caused further bad karma, by blocking a 3-D representation of London in Google Earth. But the smiles returned to Londonist's faces as they interviewed Baroness von Reichardt,... more ›

Last month we shared with you the rumors that the Chicago Fire were in talks with Mexican Soccer Star Cuauhtémoc Blanco. The Fire announced on Sunday that Blanco would be coming to Chicago on Monday to sign a Designated Player (DP) contract with the Fire. The Fire will become only the third team to take advantage of Major League Soccer's Designated Player rule. The rule allows MLS teams to sign a player and have only... more ›

Today Major League Soccer hosted its 2007 SuperDraft. The draft was overshadowed by yesterday's announcement that David Beckham has signed with the LA Galaxy. Today's newest members of Major League Soccer will get paid significantly less than Beckham's nearly $1 million per week in salary and endorsements. Toronto FC, an MLS expansion team, had the first selection and picked University of Maryland product midfielder Maurice Edu. The Columbus Crew was scheduled to have the second... more ›

This weekend many MLS fans were expecting to hear about new acquisitions to their teams via the Major League Soccer SuperDraft, which takes place tomorrow in Indianapolis. Los Angeles has upstaged the entire MLS SuperDraft hullabaloo by finally, after months of rumors, inking a deal to bring soccer star David Beckham to play with the L.A. Galaxy. Beckham agreed to a five-year, $250 million deal with the Galaxy and will leave Real Madrid at the... more ›

The Chicago Fire can start thinking about 2007, now that their first match is scheduled. The Fire will host the New England Revolution on April 7 at Toyota Park in Bridgeview to kick off the 2007 campaign. The Revolution and the Fire have developed a solid, bitter rivalry over the years highlighted by the Revs ending the Fire's 2006 season in New England in penalty kicks. Four of the five times the Fire have met... more ›

If ever there was an occasion for Chicago to become soccer mad, it was this past weekend. Real Madrid played an exhibition against Chivas Guadalajara, a match that had David Beckham -- the world's most famous soccer star -- playing against Mexico's most popular team. Real Madrid won the match 3-1 in front of a crowd of 54,432. "The atmosphere was electric, especially after the goals started going in," Beckham said. Yet there were about... more ›

The Bears opener is still 4 months away, but Soldier Field saw nearly 48,000 pass through its gates for a football game of the other kind on Saturday. The U.S. national soccer team played an exhibition against England, losing 2-1. England's team missed some of its biggest stars like David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen. Fans wishing to see those stars had to attend Tuesday's England-Colombia match in New York. The star of the... more ›