What a season. The Fire were eliminated from playoff contention this weekend, and in a season full of weird, ironic, unexpected twists, it was almost unsurprising that they got eliminated after their best game of the year. Against a solid Columbus team (who, granted, already qualified for the playoffs), it looked like Coach Carlos de los Cobos finally found a way to blend the new signings, the youth, and the veterans. As you can see from the highlights above, the Fire bossed the game from the start. more ›

The Chicago Fire put together a strong team performance to earn three points on the road against the defending MLS champions Houston Dynamo. Chris Rolfe tallied the lone goal in the 60th minute to propel the Fire to their best start in franchise history. After four games the Fire are 3-0-1, earning them 10 points, tying them with the New York Red Bulls (3-0-1) at the top of the seven-team Eastern conference. The Fire's previous... more ›

Major League Soccer selected Chicago Fire goalkeeper Matt Pickens as the Player of the Month for September. Pickens is the first Chicago Fire player to earn that honor during the 2006 season. When starting goalkeeper Zach Thornton injured his quadricep, Matt Pickens answered the call, getting his first MLS start of 2006 on September 3 in a game that had the Fire defeating the N.Y. Red Bulls 2-1. Matt Pickens was rewarded by Major League... more ›

United States National Soccer Team Manager Bruce Arena plans to announce the 23 player roster for the 2006 FIFA World Cup tonight at 5pm on ESPN's Sportscenter. Arena is announcing the squad 13 days before the official roster submission date, when the rosters for all 32 teams will be finalized. We feel there are 13 players who can rest easy today as their place on the roster is a sure thing (denoted in italics below).... more ›