CRISTIANE, LLOYD AMONG WOMEN'S PROFESSIONAL SOCCER'S FREE AGENTS

Red Stars hoping to bring back team's scoring leader for 2010

The first day of Women's Professional Soccer's free agency had some pretty big names on the list, including Brazilian forward Cristiane (pictured right) and U.S. Women's National Team midfielder Carli Lloyd (pictured left) from the Chicago Red Stars' 2009 roster.

But the team immediately made it known that it wants to bring Cristiane back. She clearly was a vital component and an exciting presence, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the Red Stars' offense this past season.

"With free agency opening Wednesday, we are taking the step to speak with Cris about next season and the Red Stars," general manager Marcia McDermott said in a release. "We are excited about the core we are returning and are focused on putting together a playoff-caliber team this off-season."

CLICK HERE for the team's release.

ROCKFORD RAMPAGE'S 2009 NISL HOME OPENER SLATED FOR NOV. 27

Some of you professional indoor soccer fans might be considering making the occasional trek to our neighbors to the northwest, the Rockford Rampage, since the Chicago Storm are officially on hiatus. The Rampage listed on their Twitter page Monday afternoon that the team's home opener will take place at 7:35 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 27, at the Rockford MetroCentre. The official National Indoor Soccer League schedule is supposed to come out sometime this week. There is the possibility this home opener date could change.

Rockford Rampage mascot Rocky was recently in the Chicago area during halftime of the Chicago Fire's Sept. 20 game against the Columbus Crew.

RED STARS PICK UP '10 OPTIONS FOR NINE

On Monday the Chicago Red Stars of Women's Professional Soccer exercised the 2010 contract options for nine players: Marian Dalmy, Ifeoma Dieke, Chioma Igwe, Caroline Jonsson, Brittany Klein, Ella Masar, Jill Oakes, Megan Rapinoe and Natalie Spilger.

With Karen Carney, Kate Markgraf and Lindsay Tarpley also under contract, the team currently returns 12 players from this past season's squad. Markgraf's Red Stars debut was delayed for a season after giving birth to twins.

FIRE 2, TORONTO FC 2

McBride nets game-tying goal, but potential winner evades Carr

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. - The Chicago Fire are likely bound for the postseason, but the degree of their mishaps do not exactly paint the picture of a playoff team.

The Fire did fight back for a 2-all draw Saturday night when they earned 1 point against Toronto FC at Toyota Park. The aura of disappointment, however, was pretty evident throughout the locker room - a typical feeling during the Fire's 4-4-6 campaign at Toyota Park.

"It takes everybody being on the same (bleeping) page and being disciplined. And right now we're not in our last couple games," Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch said. "And there's no excuse for that.

"We're just giving away easy goals and it's putting us behind the 8-ball. That's the bottom line tonight, again. We're going to score goals. We've got creative players. We get chances every game. But we can't get in these shootouts we keep getting in. And in the playoffs, it's about discipline. And right now we have zero. We have to sort that out very quickly."

Despite the blunders, the Fire had an opportune moment in second-half stoppage time when Patrick Nyarko crossed the ball from the right side. Calen Carr put a foot on the ball at the far post but it went wide left. Carr had a clear path, and the Toyota Park crowd groaned in unision. Then referee Edvin Jurisevic blew the final whistle.

The Toronto goals Busch referred to include the Reds' 6th-minute goal by Dwayne De Rosario off of a defensive blunder by C.J. Brown and Wilman Conde, and then a Chad Barrett tally in the 46th minute, which was a strong run and execution from Toronto's side.

"The whole group tonight defensively, we were no good," Fire head coach Denis Hamlett said. "We gave them two goals tonight. ... I'm disappointed with the easy goals we've conceded so far this season at home. That part needs to get better. We did create some chances. But at the end it's still about defending."

The thing is Chicago was given a present early in the first half when Toronto's Nick Garcia scored an own goal in the 14th minute, tying the score at 1-all. But the Fire did not put a shot on goal throughout that first half.

Barrett's tally against his former Fire squad gave Toronto a 2-1 advantage. Chicago fought back, though.

Brian McBride (pictured above) scored his seventh goal of the season with a 78th-minute header off of a Justin Mapp cross from the left side to tie the score at 2-all. It was McBride's first goal since May 16 against Toronto. But then after McBride went through a scoring drought and had shoulder surgery.

Chicago dropped in the Eastern Conference standings with the first-place Columbus Crew earning 3 points Saturday with a 2-0 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy. That gives Columbus 46 points. The Crew are followed by the Houston Dynamo (43 points), Fire (41) and Galaxy (41) in the race for the Supporters' Shield.

The Fire are now 10-6-11 on the season while Toronto is 9-10-8.

Fire midfielder/forward Chris Rolfe was a late scratch for Hamlett. Rolfe suffered a hamstring injury during practice earlier in the week. Defender Gonzalo Segares is day-to-day with that sprained MCL, and he stated after the game that he had a setback earlier in the week. So his status remains to be seen.

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Next up: The Fire begin a two-game road trip when they head out west to take on the Los Angeles Galaxy for a 10 p.m. (CST) match on Friday, Oct. 2. The game will be televised on ESPN2.

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SlideTackles.net thoughts: There is no question that the defense had its problems Saturday. And while that was much of the focus postgame, I was surprised that an equal amount of blame was not directed toward the offense for not finishing things off. After all, they had a 15-8 edge in shots and were spotted a goal by Toronto. That doesn't exactly happen a whole lot at Toyota Park.

McBride had a strike at close range in the 34th minute that probably should have been a goal, or minimally at the net. In the 89th, Stefan Dimitrov had a header that went over the net, with Peter Lowry providing a perfect cross from the left side.

Mapp had one of his better games and had a bunch of crosses that could have led to even more scoring opportunities, but instead many of those chances the ball trickled away or Toronto was able to clear.

One interesting statistic was that the Fire committed only two fouls which ties a league record for the fewest, set by FC Dallas on July 4 earlier this season. Whether that's a meaningless statistic or whether that's a sign of a not-aggressive-enough bunch, you can decipher that at your leisure.

Between the Fire's health and the team's execution, Chicago is a talented squad filled with numerous question marks.

PREVIEW: TORONTO FC AT FIRE

The Chicago Fire are down to four regular-season games remaining, including two at home. The first of those two takes place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday against Toronto FC at Toyota Park (televised on My50).

Toronto (9-10-7, 34 points) still is working in its recent designated player signing (Julian de Guzman). Chicago's DP, however, could be absent with a hamstring injury. Cuauhtemoc Blanco will be a question mark for Chicago (10-6-10, 40 points), and with John Thorrington still out with a groin injury, the Fire's midfield will be hoping for the types of contributions that 23-year-old Peter Lowry (pictured) provided last week against the Columbus Crew.

Defensive outside back Gonzalo Segares was taken off the injury report, though a Saturday appearance could be rushing things a bit. Mike Banner, while a bit unconventional at left back, is holding his own.

Toronto boasts a pretty solid midfield group led by the dangerous Dwayne De Rosario, who has 10 goals this season. De Guzman's MLS impact remains to be seen solely for the fact that he has only played in one match and is quickly adapting to his team's tendencies. But with his international experience, de Guzman obviously is expected to be a big threat. Then you have Honduran international Amado Guevara, who leads Toronto with six assists and is behind De Rosario with five goals.

On May 16, the Fire topped the Reds, 2-0, at BMO Field with goals from second-half sub Chris Rolfe and Brian McBride, and three saves from Jon Busch for the clean sheet.

That match happened to be the last time McBride scored a goal, his league-leading sixth of the season. He went through a drought and then spent a couple months away from the team with a shoulder injury.

McBride still is trying to find his timing out there, and clearly Chicago needs him to be the main weapon who can either fight for some hard-nosed goals or draw defenders to set up the likes of Rolfe and Marco Pappa.

Toronto needs this game more than the Fire in terms of setting itself up for the postseason. But the scale is in Chicago's favor as the Fire appeared to have found some good form last week against the Eastern Conference-leading Crew, even though the match ended in a draw. Chicago Fire 2, Toronto FC 1

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• CLICK HERE for Examiner.com's Week 28 MLS preview, which includes a quick look at former Fire goalkeeper Zach Thornton's rejuvenated campaign.

MLS ANNOUNCES 2010 KICKOFF

Chicago Fire to host San Jose Earthquakes in Week 3

Major League Soccer unveiled its 2010 home openers on Thursday. The Chicago Fire's first match at Toyota Park takes place in Week 3 on Saturday, April 10, when they host the San Jose Earthquakes (7:30 p.m.). Chicago will be a part of history when New York makes its debut at Red Bull Arena and hosts the Fire in Week 1 for a 6 p.m. (CST) match on Saturday, March 27 (televised on ESPN2).

CLICK HERE for the full list of Major League Soccer's 2010 home openers.

MIDWEEK NEWS AND NOTES

Sting's '84 NASL title to be celebrated at Fire game

The Chicago Fire announced that the organization will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Chicago Sting's North American Soccer League title.

There will be a halftime ceremony and an autograph session before the Fire's match against Toronto FC on Saturday (7:30 p.m., My50) at Toyota Park. A commemorative Sting poster will be available, and 15 former Sting players and coaches from the '84 squad are expected to sign the posters in FireFest at Gate C, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

"I am very excited to see my former teammates this Saturday and bring the soccer community together for this important anniversary in Chicago soccer history," Fire technical director Frank Klopas said.

CLICK HERE for more information about the festivities.

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Fire's defensive line shows some positive signs

The Fire's 2-all draw against the Columbus Crew on Sunday did not sit too well. But in keeping an upbeat view on the game, it is noteworthy to mention that the Fire's defense limited the Crew to less than 10 shot attempts, and the back line is showing a bit more stability. There was not much the Fire could do about a controversial penalty call against Wilman Conde that led to Guillermo Barros Schelotto's game-tying penalty kick. And the lone lapse was Robbie Rogers beating Brandon Prideaux en route to Schelotto's first of two tallies.

The back line doesn't look the way the team drew it up at the start of the season. Outside backs Mike Banner (pictured) and Prideaux did shank a couple of clearances that did not hurt them against the Crew. But for the most part, this defensive group is coming around, and they anticipated Columbus' passing lanes relatively well Sunday.

"I think Banner's coming into his own, and that's fine. And Brandon's always pretty sharp playing at the right back," Fire captain and central defender C.J. Brown said. "With Wilman coming back (from a hamstring injury), he's huge in the middle. So I think we're all starting to get on the same page. And I think we've all devoted ourselves - especially this game (against Columbus) - to try and start that playoff mentality. Everybody was focused for it. They were all in tune for it. Every week we work on shifting and moving, staying on our block. And when we do that, it makes a difference."

Not only did the back line do an adequate job, but much of Schelotto's supporting cast did not have a huge impact. For example, the Fire limited Crew midfielder Emmanuel Ekpo to minimal touches, and he is Columbus' assists leader and ranks third on the squad in shots. Ekpo had so little value playing-wise that the Crew subbed him out.

"A lot of that is credit to your forwards and your midfielders," Brown said. "The forwards make it difficult for them to get out of the back, and our midfielders are shifting on the fly and doing the dirty work to prevent their midfielders from getting free looks at the ball. ... "If you look at (the game) soccer-wise, the guys should be happy with themselves with what they produced on the field."

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Midweek links:
• Examiner.com: MLS Power Rankings, through Week 27 (Fire tied for third)
• Examiner.com: MLS race for playoffs tighter than ever (includes comments from Fire defender C.J. Brown)
• MLSnet.com: Armas to be inducted to 'Ring of Fire' Hall of Fame
• New York Times: Q&A: Brian McBride Responds to Readers
• Pitch Invasion: Hiring and Retaining a Good Front Office Team (by Red Stars CEO Peter Wilt)

FIRE 2, COLUMBUS CREW 2

Controversial penalty call assists Columbus' fate down stretch

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. - Soccer's dreaded 2-0 advantage doomed the Chicago Fire against the Colubmus Crew on Sunday afternoon at Toyota Park. The Fire's dwindling lead was partly due to one poor sequence to lead to one goal. The other was a highly debatable penalty kick call from referee Mark Geiger.

In the end, the Crew capitalized as the Fire walked away with a 2-all draw in a battle of the Eastern Conference's top two squads.

The result definitely added some controversy to the mix. It took place in the 77th minute when Fire defender Wilman Conde (pictured above) was called for a foul in the penalty box against Crew second-half substitution Steven Lenhart. The replays told a much different picture leading to Guillermo Barros Schelotto's game-tying, 79th-minute penalty kick.

"It's unfortunate that the game ended the way it ended," Fire head coach Denis Hamlett said. "Because we all saw it. The play that leads to the PK, the referee tells (assistant/goalkeeper coach) Daryl Shore after that game that he called a PK on Wilman because he knicked him. You saw the replay. Steven Lenhart comes in and does a karate kick and kicks Wilman. Wilman actually gets the ball. The referee decides to change the game. It's disappointing. With four or five games left in the season, everyone's fighting for points. You just hope that the players dictate the outcome of the game."

So instead, Schelotto fired the PK for his 12th goal of the season and second of the match. He had not scored a goal since a two-goal effort against Chivas USA on June 14. It soured what had been a relatively solid performance across the board for Chicago, with the exception of the Crew's first goal.

"We played very well, and we got done by a bad call," Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch said. "You look at it again ... we looked at it again when we came in (after the game). If anything it's a foul on Lenhart, not on Wilman. And it's very upsetting that we put so much into it and we created other quality chances that we still could have won the game. But we work so hard and the guys put everything in. And we end up dropping 2 points, which we never should have dropped. It had nothing to do with the way we played."

The Crew moved to 11-4-10 (43 points) and the Fire to 10-6-10 (40 points). Chicago is now 4-4-5 at Toyota Park.

Early on, it was all Fire. Peter Lowry was the offensive fuel with goals in the 6th and 35th minutes.

Lowry's first goal came during a sequence when defender Brandon Prideaux made a cross from the right flank to Brian McBride, who one-touched the ball to Lowry at the top of the box. Lowry struck the ball to the left side of the net past Crew goalkeeper William Hesmer for the 1-0 lead.

His second goal was a solid strike from nearly the same spot on the field and on net as he was at the right place at the right time when Crew defender Eric Brunner lazily attempted to clear the ball toward the wing. Chicago had the 2-0 lead and all of the momentum heading into halftime.

"We trained this week on some finishing and those were the kind of spots that we were hitting them," Lowry said. "Thankfully I hit both of them pretty well and they went in."

The Fire's defense had only one major lapse, and it occurred in the 55th minute. Prideaux took a gamble on the flank and Columbus' Robbie Rogers capitalized. He crossed from ball from the left wing to Schelotto for the header to cut the Fire's lead to 2-1.

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Next up: The Fire stay at home when they host Toronto FC for a 7:30 p.m. match on Saturday, Sept. 26. The game will be televised on My50.

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SlideTackles.net thoughts: To echo the team's sentiment, the Fire's play looked strong. It obviously is a bitter moment because this game had so much impact toward the Supporters' Shield.

They created some crisp passing, good movement of the ball, good player movement and regular development of scoring chances.

Chicago still has a good leg up on D.C. United in the East standings and has not been a part of that enormous batch of squads vying for a wild card. But one point versus three makes a big difference down this regular-season stretch.

Poor calls are bound to happen in any MLS game. But Geiger's judgment was pitiful. You never want to see a game come down to a referee's misstep, and it's safe to say you can put the end result squarely on Geiger's shoulders.