and play in the CFRS leagues on the north side, but this signing is pretty uninspiring and doesn't really move the fan needle all that much. I'd love to have a reason to be in to the Fire but between moves like this (a one year deal isn't going to help them win) and the stadium being out in the middle of nowhere, I just can't get interested.

I thought the expansion was heading south on Cicero to the mall near 76th? I didn't realize they were going to go further out.

Friend works in ticketing and its been the busiest day of his life.

I'm happy I already got my tickets before this and cannot wait to see him play.

The Fire needed this they were actually talking about the team on sports radio. that never happens.

I got approached by four different colleagues at work about it. That also never happens. I think he has something left as well. The Fire still have a couple of holes but they've had a real solid offseason.

still have to drive to Bridgeview. This is a short term win for them which will do nothing more than put people in seats for 2017. Until they get out of that area of the city, they'll remain mostly irrelevant.

This is putting a band aid on a bleeding carotid.

The stadium situation is a frigging albatross.

It's not lost on anyone that our city is hosting the All Star game, but we're doing it at Soldier Field, because Toyota Park sucks donkey dick and is a pain in the fucking ass to get to.

The Fire have gone left every time they should have gone right and right every time they should have gone left.

This signing is a nice short term proposition, but the 1 year contract is a huge problem, and Toyota Park is still Toyota Park.


PS - I'm curious what the starting 11 is going to look like with Schweinsteiger, McCarty and Juninho. Is there really room for all 3?

That these moves are all an advertisement to get an owner willing to do what needs to be done to get the team back in the city, which would mean buying out that ridiculous lease agreement in Bridgview. I really don't believe them.

But at the same time Hauptmann's divorced his wife (Probably the other way around) which is where alot of his money comes from, the league is also helping (probably how we could afford Bastian in the first place)


Honestly, with the emergence of pub to pitch I have no problem with the stadium location. If we're good we will sell out just like we did when we had Blanco.

If you still live in the city.

I'd still have to get to the city, and then back home.

Either way, matches involve me driving, which means no drinking. I'm fine with that, but given the shitload of public transportation in this city, the fact that getting to Toyota is such a huge PITA, versus any other sporting event/venue in the city, I just don't do it.

I guess I could uber there and back

doesn't mean you're a regular supporter, which is what the Fire desperately need.

With 18 years left on the stadium, it really wouldn't be a huge sum to buy out if a new ownership group emerged given the cost of expansion is in the 9 figures, but they still need a a ton more work after they lock down a new group someday in the future.

In the meantime, it's been interesting (if not a bit slow going) watching the NASL power structure try to start up a Chicago entity.

The Sting's stated downtown stadium requirement is a huge step in the right direction.

My kids will beg me to take them to Chicago to watch him. They have never asked to go see the Fire. And my oldest plays for a Fire affiliated youth club.

When the Fire come to Red Bull Arena. I'm not a huge MLS fan, but I do watch a game or two every few weeks. Never been to one in person, but I have been pushing the idea to my roommates, and they seem interested. Unfortunately, there won't be many USMNT players on display in that match - just Kljestan and McCarty - but if Schweinsteiger is even half of what he used to be, the ticket will be worth it.

As for what Schweinsteiger used to be, I always think back to Euro 2008. Podolski, Lahm, and Schweinsteiger really shined at that tournament. I only began following club soccer seriously after World Cup 2006. Like most Americans, I started by watching the EPL. I chose to follow Fulham, since Dempsey had become my favorite player during the lead up to the World Cup. But after watching Germany in Euro 2008 and seeing that almost all of their stars were playing in Germany, I became obsessed with the Bundesliga. Germany blew me away in the World Cup, but when they were just as impressive in 2008, I was convinced that generation of Germans would win the next World Cup. I was wrong of course, but only by a few years.

I reckon I'm too old to have sports heroes anymore, but Schweinsteiger is among the last from my youth who's still playing the game. I'm definitely excited to see him in MLS.

And this may get me to actually buy a ticket and head back down to Toyota Park.

But given how much of a pain in the ass it was last time I went down there, I'm not inclined to make it a regular occurrence.

I want to embrace the Fire, but the stadium situation really really really really sucks.

But after moving to the burbs, that became much harder. I no longer pay membership dues to CIA and haven't watched with the Chicago folks in some time, but I did way back, and it was fun.

I also watched matches with Irishted on several occasions.

Several Chelsea fans I know can't stand their chairman

Ever since they moved to the new location on Ashland, I think the heads of the group are new, or newer.

Like I said, it's been about 7 years since I watched with them in the city, and it wasn't at the new location.


Just went back, and yeah, I dropped out once it moved to AJ Hudsons (couldn't remember the name). When I went it was to the Globe, which had Chelsea folks, but also a bunch of other soccer fans as well. They had folks at Fado too. Definitely a new guy based on the CIA website.

that really hurt his club career, especially coming into the MLS All Star game late and then getting his ankle trucked over.

Fussballgott

I think he would happily keep that WC final in his pocket than getting a couple more years at Bayern (or United) on the 1st team.

He clearly gave it all in that match and short of a broken bone that would have kept him from running, he wasn't coming off the pitch other than getting his bleeding stopped.

that game will live on in my heart and memory for the rest of my life.

He is my favorite player of all time.

I wouldn't drive down there to go see Schweinsteiger, but I'd drive down to see Zlatan when he comes to town with the Galaxy!