New role is personal for Fire's Klopas

Photo provided by Chicago Fire

By Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Chicago Fire technical director and now interim head coach Frank Klopas wears his Fire passion at the highest level.

Klopas' soccer roots are embedded within the Fire organization and the city of Chicago, and he wants to see this club return to its glory years that he experienced as a player. But Klopas also is responsible for assembling the bulk of this year's Fire squad, which has posted a 1-4-6 record this season under recently fired head coach Carlos de los Cobos.

Klopas did not want to take the coaching reigns, but this assignment is personal.

"I'm going to do everything possible to make sure that when I was technical director to do the work to bring the right players here, and now as a coach, to make sure that myself and the staff do everything humanly possible to prepare the guys and give them every opportunity to be successful," Klopas said. "Then I can walk away with my head high and say I've done everything possible that I could. Then I will feel good about it."

Read more at ESPNChicago.com.

2010-11 MISL Goals of the Year

MISL Communications: Chicago Riot goalkeeper Ante Cop's game-winning strike against the Baltimore Blast ranked third among the 2010-2011 Major Indoor Soccer League Goals of the Year.

Fire dismiss Carlos de los Cobos

Carlos de los Cobos -- Getty Images

By Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- With the Chicago Fire off to their worst start in franchise history, the team fired head coach Carlos de los Cobos on Monday.

De los Cobos' squad has posted a 1-4-6 record this year and is in the midst of a nine-game stretch without a victory, tying for the longest winless streak in team history.

Fire technical director Frank Klopas takes over as interim head coach. Klopas was a coaching possibility following the 2009 season, but the squad eventually decided on de los Cobos as its next head coach heading into the 2010 campaign to replace Denis Hamlett.

The Fire posted a 10-16-15 record during de los Cobos' tenure, and Chicago missed the playoffs for only the second time in franchise history in 2010. Chicago is second-to-last in the Eastern Conference through a third of the 2011 season, and the team's postseason hopes already are fading as the Fire nurse a double-digit points deficit behind the East-leading Philadelphia Union.

Read more at ESPNChicago.com.

Trib Local: Red Stars' Ewing, Mutz, Samp, Weber featured

Julie Ewing -- Trib photo

Tribune reporter Jeff Vorva chatted with several other players during the Chicago Red Stars' recent media day.

Soccer star Mutz ready for Red Stars

Weber, Samp looking for big summer with Red Stars

Long drives to Libertyville pay off for Batavia's Ewing

The Red Stars' Women's Premier Soccer League season kicks off at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 1 at Minnesota Kings FC.

Fire draw, but winless streak hits 9

Gaston Puerari -- Getty Images

By Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire's seemingly endless winless streak continued to press on, but things could have been much worse.

Fire defender Cory Gibbs' 80th-minute header salvaged a 2-2 draw against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday in front of 11,926 at Toyota Park. But Chicago's winless streak reached nine games, posting a 0-4-5 record during that stretch, while posting a 1-4-6 record overall.

"Right now we're not getting results," Fire captain Logan Pause said. "Listen, let's behonest, one win out of 11 is not good enough, and we know that."

Gibbs' diving header struck just inside the near right post to equalize the match. Baggio Husidic sent the ball in from the right side, and Gibbs dove straight forward. Former Fire and current Quakes goalkeeper Jon Busch was trying to cover the near right post, but he could not get there in time. Gibbs ripped off his shirt in celebration, taking a yellow card in the process.

Dominic Oduro also scored for the Fire, posting the 100th regular-season goal in team history.

Both Fire goals came after Chicago fell behind on two different occasions in the second half. Ramiro Corrales and Chris Wondolowski netted goals to garner 1-0 and 2-1 leads, respectively, for the Quakes.

Read more at ESPNChicago.com.

Fire go for 2-game sweep of Quakes

Marco Pappa -- Getty Images

The Chicago Fire, fresh off of a victory to clinch a 14th straight appearance in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, are hoping they achieved some bit of momentum.

Chicago edged the San Jose Earthquakes, 5-4, in a shootout on Tuesday during an Open Cup play-in match. Now both sides return to MLS play this Saturday as the Fire host the Quakes at Toyota Park.

"I'm very pleased because the team is doing well again," Fire midfielder Marco Pappa said after the play-in victory. "The players are happy because we won, and we hope to beat them again at home."

Read more at ESPNChicago.com.

Four more join Red Stars for 2011; team's WPSL schedule finalized

The 2011 Red Stars huddle up Wednesday.

CHICAGO (May 27, 2011) -- The Chicago Red Stars of the Women's Premier Soccer League announce the additions of goalkeeper Jamie Forbes (St. Charles, Ill.) and defenders Shannon McDonnell (Orland Park, Ill.), Kecia Morway (Lake Villa, Ill.) and Sammy Scofield (Geneva, Ill.) to the team's roster for the 2011 season. A few final roster additions are forthcoming.

The team also announced its finalized 10-game schedule. Chicago's first WPSL match kicks off at 6 p.m. this Wednesday, June 1, at Minnesota Kings FC in St. Michael, Minn. The Red Stars host two matches open to the public on July 2 and 10 at the Village of Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex, 5700 College Road, in west suburban Lisle, Ill. Chicago hosts the Iowa Rush at 5:15 p.m. Saturday, July 2, and the Red Stars host Minnesota Kings FC at 6 p.m. Sunday, July 10.

All game action will be tweeted live at www.twitter.com/chicagoredstars.

For more about the Red Stars, CLICK HERE for the team's WPSL page.

Daily Herald: Local players to see action with Red Stars

Co-owner Arnim Whisler (center)

By Orrin Schwarz
Daily Herald

The Chicago Red Stars refuse to fade away.

Left for dead over the winter when they couldn’t find enough investors to remain in Women’s Professional Soccer for the upcoming season, the Red Stars revived to join the semipro Women’s Premier Soccer League. They will play their home games at Benedictine University in Lisle instead of Toyota Park in Bridgeview.

“The main thing was the owners wanted to keep the Red Stars alive,” one of those owners, Arnim Whisler, said before the team’s first practice Wednesday. “They wanted to make sure that we continue to provide something for the father-daughter-young girl fan base, to continue to see their stars and their heroes. This was the best fit between affordability, quality of play and schedule availability.”

Read more at DailyHerald.com.