Fire's Dykstra stating his case in net

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- With six games under his belt -- 20 percent of the MLS regular season -- this seemed to be an appropriate time to get inside the mind of the Chicago Fire's Andrew Dykstra and his first season as the team's No. 1 goalkeeper.

The preseason fiasco of the late switch with Dykstra taking over Jon Busch's previous role has died down, and the 24-year-old has had ample opportunity to get into a comfortable place as Chicago's last line of defense.

"My personal play, I feel it has been very good," Dykstra said Tuesday following the Fire's training session. "When you look at young keepers that start out, you typically see a lot of dumb mistakes. And I can probably only say I've had half a dumb mistake, and that was the one against San Jose."

Read the rest of this interview at ESPNChicago.com.

Red Stars 7th in Goal.com's WPS rankings

Despite a 2-0 road victory over the Boston Breakers, the Chicago Red Stars maintained a 7th-place stance in Goal.com's Women's Professional Soccer Power Rankings.

The Red Stars could change the order quite a bit this Saturday if they find some success on the west coast when they take on the first-place FC Gold Pride.

For the full WPS Power Rankings, visit Goal.com.

Fire fall to 9th in ESPN power rankings

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire took a small step back in ESPNsoccernet.com's MLS Power Rankings, dropping from eighth to ninth place this week following their 1-1 home draw against Chivas USA on Saturday at Toyota Park.

Visit ESPNChicago.com for the full post and complete league rankings for Week 7.

Bleacher Report interview: Red Stars GK Davis

Bleacher Report contributor Lauren Salter chatted with Chicago Red Stars goalkeeper Kelsey Davis, but it wasn't about the X's and O's on the pitch. Salter focused on Davis' community service work, the Red Stars' partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities and more.

CLICK HERE to read Salter's piece on BleacherReport.com.

Red Stars move to 5th in Bleacher Report rankings

The Chicago Red Stars earned their first road victory since their inaugural 2009 WPS road match against Saint Louis Athletica, topping the Boston Breakers, 2-0.

So with the win, Bleacher Report decided to lift Chicago out of eighth place and into fifth.

Check out the rest of Bleacher Report's power rankings.

Red Stars-Breakers coverage

Here are some links focusing on the Chicago Red Stars' first win of the 2010 WPS season, a 2-0 victory over the Boston Breakers on Saturday:
• ESPNChicago.com
• Chicago Tribune
• Daily Herald
• Boston Herald
• Boston Globe
• Bleacher Report
• ChicagolandSoccerNews.com
• Examiner.com
• Goal.com WPS roundup
• Soccer-New-England.com
• WindyCitySoccer.net
• World Soccer Reader

Husidic strikes, but Fire draw against Chivas

Libertyville native and Chicago Fire midfielder Baggio Husidic netted his second goal in as many games, but Chicago had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Chivas USA on Saturday at Toyota Park in Bridgeview.

"He's having a good performance throughout these two matches," Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos said. "He's becoming one of the top members of the team."

You can read more from this match at ESPNChicago.com.

Red Stars net 1st win of season over Breakers

Casey Nogueira and Cristiane (pictured right) each netted a second-half goal as the Chicago Red Stars defeated the host Boston Breakers, 2-0, on Saturday in Women's Professional Soccer play at Harvard Stadium.

Nogueira made her first WPS start and leads the Red Stars with two goals this season. Cristiane contributed her first goal of the campaign after leading the team with seven goals during the inaugural 2009 WPS season.

"I think for the team, they really needed the result tonight," Red Stars head coach Emma Hayes said. "It was a great team performance all around, and the result was fully deserved."

You can read more from this match at ChicagoRedStars.com.