Chicago Fire Premier - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Chicago Fire Premier is an American soccer team based in Chicago, Illinois, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Founded in 2001, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League

USL Premier Development League

The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid...

(PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid

American Soccer Pyramid

The United States soccer pyramid is a term used in soccer to describe the structure of the league system in the United States. The country's governing body for the sport, the United States Soccer Federation , oversees the system but does not operate any of its component leagues—with one temporary...

, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.

The team plays its home games at the artificial turf practice field adjacent to Toyota Park in bridgeview, IL. The team's colors are red and white.

Until 2005 they were known as the Chicago Fire Reserves. As of the 2008 season, the team is usually referred to as Chicago Fire PDL, although the official name of the team has not changed.

History

Chicago Fire Reserves entered the PDL in 2001 as part of an effort on the part of MLS

Major League Soccer

Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...

franchise Chicago Fire to develop and enhance the level of youth soccer in the Chicago area. Playing under the auspices of a professional club gave the Fire an advantage in terms of organization and player talent identification, which has led to them becoming one of the most successful teams in the PDL, winning their divisional title on all but one occasion, and having many of their players graduate on to the biggest of soccer stages.

The team's first season was a winning one, as they took the Great Lakes Division with a 15-1-4 record, ten points clear of second place West Michigan Edge

West Michigan Edge

West Michigan Edge was an American soccer team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1995, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2008, when the franchise folded and the team left the league.The team played...

, and into the playoffs at the first time of asking. Their opponent in the semi final was Mid-South Division champs Texas Spurs who they beat 1-0; unfortunately for the Fire, they lost the Central Conference championship game to Heartland Division champions Sioux Falls Spitfire

Sioux Falls Spitfire

Sioux Falls Spitfire was an American soccer team, founded in 2001. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2007, when the team left the league and the franchise was terminated.The team played its home...

(who went on to finish third in the national playoffs), but is still marked an excellent debut for the team - so much so that head coach Bret Hall

Bret Hall

Bret Hall is a retired American soccer player who played in the NASL, Major Indoor Soccer League and National Professional Soccer League. He has coached at the collegiate, professional and national team levels.-Player:...

was named PDL Coach of the Year in the end of season awards. The Class of 2001 also featured future international stars Jay DeMerit

Jay DeMerit

Jay Michael DeMerit is an American soccer player who plays for Vancouver Whitecaps FC in Major League Soccer, and for the United States national team...

and Gavin Glinton

Gavin Glinton

Gavin Glinton is a Turks and Caicos Islands soccer player who currently plays for Nam Dinh FC in the V-League.-College and amateur:...

.

2002 was much of the same for the Fire. Despite moving to the Great Lakes Division they took the title easily, with a 14-3-1 record, 9 points clear of second place Mid-Michigan Bucks and into the playoffs once more. However, somewhat surprisingly, they lost their Conference Semifinal to Heartland Division runners-up Boulder Rapids Reserve

Boulder Rapids Reserve

Colorado Rapids U23's was an American soccer team based in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Founded in 2000 as part of the development system for the Colorado Rapids Major League Soccer franchise, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer...

, who would go on to reach the Championship Game. Despite this unexpected loss, Chicago remained a force to be reckoned with in the Central Conference, as evidenced by the fact that goalkeeper Matt Pickens

Matt Pickens

Matt Pickens is an American soccer player who currently plays for Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer.-Youth and Amateur:...

and defender Denny Clanton

Denny Clanton

Denny Clanton is an American soccer player who last played defense for the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer....

were named the 'Best of the Year' for their respective positions by the PDL.

Chicago's 2003 campaign was the most successful in their history to date; despite losing their opening salvo 2-0 away at Des Moines Menace

Des Moines Menace

Des Moines Menace is an American soccer team based in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1994, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Heartland Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at Valley...

, the Fire recovered to rattle off eight consecutive wins in their next eight games, including a 5-0 drubbing of Sioux Falls Spitfire

Sioux Falls Spitfire

that featured a Robert Mouw hat trick, three 4-goal victories over St. Louis, Thunder Bay and Kansas, and a four-game streak in mid June where they did not concede a single goal. A hard-fought game against the St. Louis Strikers

St. Louis Strikers

St. Louis Strikers were an American soccer team, founded in 2003, and was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2004, when the team left the league and the franchise was terminated.The Strikers played their home...

ended with a 4-3 loss for Chicago, but this was their only stutter in the latter part of the regular season, which saw them end with a 10-game unbeaten streak. Fire annihilated the Wisconsin Rebels

Wisconsin Rebels

Wisconsin Rebels were an American soccer team, founded in 1998, originally as the Fox River Rebels. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2004, when the team left the league and the franchise was...

10-0 in the penultimate regular season game, with goals from future pros Chris Rolfe

Chris Rolfe

Chris Rolfe is an American soccer player who currently plays for AaB in the Danish Superliga.-College:...

and Ryan Miller amongst others, and wrapped up their third consecutive divisional title with a 4-0 victory away in Wisconsin. The playoffs were hosted by the Michigan Bucks

Michigan Bucks

Michigan Bucks is an American soccer team based in Pontiac, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1995, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at the...

, and Fire progressed in impressive form with an 8-0 demolition of Indiana Invaders

Indiana Invaders

Indiana Invaders is an American soccer team based in South Bend, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1998, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at the...

in the semi-final that saw Patrick Grange, Jamal Sutton

Jamal Sutton

Jamal Sutton was an American soccer forward who played professionally in Major League Soccer and the USL First Division....

and Kirk Harwat each grab two goals each. Fire overcame hosts Michigan 2-0 in the Central Conference final to progress to the national final four; they beat Western Conference champions Orange County Blue Star

Orange County Blue Star

Orange County Blue Star is an American soccer team based in Irvine, California, United States. Founded in 1997, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference.The team plays its home games at...

3-1 with goals from Jamal Sutton

Jamal Sutton

Jamal Sutton was an American soccer forward who played professionally in Major League Soccer and the USL First Division....

and Chris Rolfe

Chris Rolfe

Chris Rolfe is an American soccer player who currently plays for AaB in the Danish Superliga.-College:...

to progress to their first PDL Championship Game. Their opponents in the final were the Cape Cod Crusaders

Cape Cod Crusaders

Cape Cod Crusaders were an American soccer team based in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1994, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2008, when the franchise folded and the team left the league.The team...

, who scored a goal in each half to take the title 2-0.

Chicago continued to dominate in 2004, winning the Heartland Division with a 17-0-1 record, scoring 73 goals while conceding just 7 all season long, and ending the regular season campaign with the best record in the entire PDL. Chicago were simply unstoppable all season long: they scored 32 goals without reply in the month of May, overwhelming Wisconsin Rebels

Wisconsin Rebels

8-0, flattening Sioux Falls Spitfire

Sioux Falls Spitfire

9-0 with three goals from Patrick Grange and braces from both James Klatter and Hamid Mehreioskouei, and putting five goals past Indiana Blast

Indiana Blast

Indiana Blast were an American soccer team, founded in 1997. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues, and played in the D-3 Pro League, the A-League and the USL Premier Development League, until folding at the end of the 2004 season....

. Fire didn't concede their first goal until the seventh game of the season (a 3-1 win over the Michigan Bucks

Michigan Bucks

), but their exquisite form in front of goal continued unabated: five goals against Kansas City Brass

Kansas City Brass

Kansas City Brass is an American soccer team based in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1997, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Heartland Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games on...

, six on the road over St. Louis Strikers

St. Louis Strikers

, and another five against the hapless Wisconsin Rebels

Wisconsin Rebels

were the June highlights, with Nowaf Jaman hitting four goals in the Kansas game, and Thabiso Khumalo

Thabiso Khumalo

Thabiso "Boyzzz" Khumalo is a South African footballer currently playing for Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the USL Professional Division.-Early Life and College:...

netting a hat trick against St. Louis. Chicago's amazing form gave their first ever berth in the US Open Cup; they flattened Illinois-based USASA

USASA

The United States Adult Soccer Association is a national organization and sanctioning body for amateur soccer in the United States...

side S.A.C. Wisla 5-1 in their first round tie, with two of the goals being scored by Julian Nash

Julian Nash

Julian Nash is an American soccer player who currently plays for Bay Area Ambassadors in the National Premier Soccer League.-High school and College:...

, and even more impressively overcame PSL

USL Second Division

The United Soccer Leagues Second Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, part of the United Soccer Leagues league pyramid...

stalwarts New Hampshire Phantoms

New Hampshire Phantoms

New Hampshire Phantoms is an American soccer team based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States. Founded in 1996, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference.The team plays its home...

by the same scoreline in the second round, despite the game being Chicago's first ever match against professional opposition. Fire's fairytale run ended in the third round with a 1-0 defeat at the hands of A-League

USL First Division

The United Soccer Leagues First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico....

side Rochester Raging Rhinos

Rochester Raging Rhinos

The Rochester Rhinos are an American professional soccer team based in Rochester, New York, United States. Founded in 1996, the team plays in the National Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, having self-relegated from the USSF D2 Pro League...

, but their efforts still illustrated the strength of the team. Back in league play, Chicago's only dropped points came in the game against Kalamazoo Kingdom

Kalamazoo Kingdom

Kalamazoo Kingdom were an American soccer team, founded in 1996. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2006, when the team left the league and the franchise was terminated.The Kingdom folded their...

, which finished 0-0, but as the season wound down Fire still punished their luckless opponents: young Bosnian striker Vedad Ibišević

Vedad Ibiševic

Vedad Ibišević is a Bosnian footballer playing as striker for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in the German Bundesliga and the Bosnian national team. He has also played in Switzerland, the USA and France...

scored twice in their 4-1 win over Wisconsin, and Khumalo scored another two in the 5-0 win over Indiana Invaders

Indiana Invaders

which secured the divisional title. Fort Wayne Fever

Fort Wayne Fever

Fort Wayne Fever was an American soccer team based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States. Founded in 2003, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2009, after which the franchise folded and the team left the league.The team...

hosted the Central Conference playoffs, and Chicago overcame the hosts 3-1 in the semi final, to set up a decider with the Boulder Rapids Reserve

Boulder Rapids Reserve

in the conference championship. However, after a 0-0 tie in regulation time, Boulder midfielder John Pulido

John Pulido

John Pulido is a Colombian footballer who is currently without a club.-Youth and College:Pulido grew up in Miami, Florida, attended American High School, winning a high school championship in 1999, and played college soccer at Florida International University.-Professional:Pulido was drafted in...

scored a 98th minute golden goal

Golden goal

The golden goal is a method used in association football, field hockey, ice hockey and korfball to decide the winner of games in elimination matches which end in a draw after the end of regulation time. It is a type of sudden death. Golden goal rules allow the team that scores the first goal during...

to send the Colorado team the national final four, and send the Fire home disappointed. The 2004 Fire team was awash with future stars: in addition to top scorers Nowaf Jaman and Julian Nash

Julian Nash

Julian Nash is an American soccer player who currently plays for Bay Area Ambassadors in the National Premier Soccer League.-High school and College:...

, who scored 12 goals each, players such as Drew Moor

Drew Moor

Drew Moor is an American soccer player who currently plays for Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer. He is consistently ranked by major publications as one of the top defenders in the league.-College:...

, Dasan Robinson

Dasan Robinson

Dasan Alexander Robinson is an American soccer player who currently plays for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:Robinson grew up in the Cleveland area and graduated from Elyria High School...

, Chris Rolfe

Chris Rolfe

Chris Rolfe is an American soccer player who currently plays for AaB in the Danish Superliga.-College:...

all featured for the team, while goalkeeper Brad Guzan

Brad Guzan

Bradley Edwin "Brad" Guzan is an American soccer player who plays for Aston Villa of the Premier League.-Early Career:...

posted the best GK stats in the PDL - 0.388 goals against - before turning pro with Chivas USA.

Fire moved back to the Great Lakes division in 2005, but still ran away with their fifth divisional title in five years, enjoying a superb 14-1-1 record, nine points clear of second-placed Michigan Bucks

Michigan Bucks

. Their single defeat was a 3-2 loss against Indiana Invaders

Indiana Invaders

in a bad-tempered match which saw Fire coach Mike Matkovich and Indiana striker Leonardo Peirano-Pardeiro both sent off; however, the rest of the season was comparative plain sailing for Chicago, despite the team having no permanent home, instead traveling all around southern Illinois in search of a stadium to play in. The regular season highlights included a 4-0 thrashing of Fort Wayne Fever

Fort Wayne Fever

in late May which features a brace from striker Kyle Brown

Kyle Brown

Kyle Brown is an American soccer player, currently without a club.-College and Amateur:Brown attended Carroll High School, and played college soccer for the University of Tulsa from 2001 to 2005, receiving All-Conference honors in all four years he played...

, a 4-0 win over 10-man Thunder Bay Chill

Thunder Bay Chill

Thunder Bay Chill is a Canadian soccer team based in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 2000, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American and Canadian soccer pyramids, in the Heartland Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games...

in mid-June off two more Brown goals, and a 6-0 demolition of Toledo Slayers

Toledo Slayers

Toledo Slayers were an American soccer team, founded in 2003. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2005, when they left the league and the franchise was terminated.The Slayers played their home games in...

in July with two goals from super-sub Hamid Mehreioskouei. Chicago returned to the US Open Cup for the second time in 2005, and enjoyed another taste of success amongst the big boys, beating local USASA

USASA

The United States Adult Soccer Association is a national organization and sanctioning body for amateur soccer in the United States...

team AAC Eagles 4-1 in the first round, and pushed USL First Division

USL First Division

The United Soccer Leagues First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico....

powerhouse Minnesota Thunder

Minnesota Thunder

Minnesota Thunder was an American professional soccer team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1990, the team played in the USL First Division , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2009. The team played its home games at the National Sports Center in nearby...

all the way in the second round before being narrowly defeated 2-1 off a heartbreaking late own goal. Fire's trip to the playoffs was yet again a frustrating one, as the #1 seeds fell 4-0 to Heartland Division runners-up Des Moines Menace

Des Moines Menace

in the conference semi-final. Dave Leung was Fire's top scorer, with 8 goals (closely followed by Brown and Mehreioskouei with 6 each), while Leung, John DiRaimondo

John DiRaimondo

John DiRaimondo is an American soccer player currently without a club.-Youth:DiRaimondo went through an accelerated high school program at St. Louis University High that allowed him to graduate a year early alongside fellow soccer player and childhood friend Brian Grazier...

and John Michael Hayden

John Michael Hayden

John Michael Hayden is an American soccer player, currently playing for semi-professional indoor soccer team, the Louisville Lightning.-Youth and College:...

all contributed 3 assists.

The team changed its name to Chicago Fire Premier in 2006, and made it six for six in league play, taking Great Lakes Division once more with an impressive 14-2-0 regular season record, 12 points clear of perennial bridesmaids, Michigan Bucks

Michigan Bucks

. Chicago actually lost their second game of the season, 2-0 at home to Kalamazoo Kingdom

Kalamazoo Kingdom

but recovered quickly to rattle off eleven consecutive victories over the next two months. Striker Ryan Anderson

Ryan Anderson

Ryan Anderson may refer to:*Ryan Anderson , ex-member of indie rock band Füxa*Ryan Anderson , professional baseball pitcher for the Seattle Mariners minor league system*Ryan G. Anderson , U.S...

scored a hat trick in the 4-0 win over Indiana Invaders

Indiana Invaders

in late May, and then held on to take a 4-3 victory in the see-sawing return fixture in South Bend in June. The 5-0 win over Cleveland Internationals

Cleveland Internationals

Cleveland Internationals was an American soccer team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Founded in 2004, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference...

on July 1 was the most comprehensive victory of the season and again featured goals from Ryan Anderson, and despite being unexpectedly dropped 3-1 by West Michigan Edge

West Michigan Edge

on the road, had already clinched their division by the time they walloped Thunder Bay Chill

Thunder Bay Chill

on the final day of the regular season. The Central Conference playoff semi-final against Des Moines Menace

Des Moines Menace

was a classic: 1-1 at the end of regular time, and with a man advantage following Danilo Oliveira's red card, Chicago scored twice in extra time to be 3-1 ahead with just nine minutes to play, only to see Des Moines come back and score twice to take the game to penalties. Chicago keeper Evan Bush

Evan Bush

Evan Bush is an American soccer player currently playing for Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...

saved from Alexander Munns in the shootout, and the rest of the team kept their heads to win the shootout 5-3. However the exertions of the day took its toll on the team, when they lost the Conference final by a comprehensive 4-1 scoreline to the Michigan Bucks

Michigan Bucks

. Ryan Anderson

Ryan Anderson

Ryan Anderson may refer to:*Ryan Anderson , ex-member of indie rock band Füxa*Ryan Anderson , professional baseball pitcher for the Seattle Mariners minor league system*Ryan G. Anderson , U.S...

was Chicago's top scorer, with 11 goals; Siniša Ubiparipović

Siniša Ubiparipovic

Siniša Ubiparipović is a Bosnian footballer who currently plays for Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer.-Early life:...

and Cesar Zambrano

Cesar Zambrano

Cesar Zambrano is an American soccer player. Attended Brother Rice High School . He attended college at the University of Illinois at Chicago....

led the assists stats with 3.

The 2007 season was the first blip in the history books for Chicago, as they narrowly failed to win their division, instead finishing second to the Michigan Bucks

Michigan Bucks

. Chicago actually started the season with a wobble, tying Indiana Invaders

Indiana Invaders

1-1 in their first game, beating Fort Wayne Fever

Fort Wayne Fever

and West Michigan Edge

West Michigan Edge

, but then tying 2-2 with league new boys Toronto Lynx

Toronto Lynx

Toronto Lynx is a Canadian soccer team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1997, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference....

, and suffering a 4-0 loss at the hands of Michigan Bucks

Michigan Bucks

, the team's worst result in many years. Fire were still victorious more often than not, but somehow seemed to lose the sheen of invincibility that had followed them for more than half a decade: Cleveland Internationals

Cleveland Internationals

pushed them all the way in their 2-1 win in Ohio, Toronto and West Michigan held on for a pair of 0-0 ties, and Indiana stole all three points in their game in South Bend, holding on for a 2-1 victory. Fire's biggest win of the season was the 5-0 hammering of Fort Wayne Fever

Fort Wayne Fever

in mid-June that featured a brace from substitute striker Strider Elass, but they were already too far behind Michigan to catch them on the run-in, and were lucky not to be caught at the post themselves with two more losses in July, including a 2-0 final day defeat to Cleveland. Chicago overcame Thunder Bay Chill

Thunder Bay Chill

3-1 in the Central Conference playoff semi-final with two late goals from Braden Fleak, but yet again were unable to make that final step onto the national stage, losing 3-0 to Michigan in the Conference final. Strider Elass was Chicago's top scorer with 5 goals, while David Roth

David Roth

David Roth is an American magician.Roth is widely regarded as one of the world's greatest living coin magicians. Roth is known both for tremendous technical mastery and for playful and surrealistic formal performance pieces...

contributed 4 assists.

Normal service was resumed in 2008, with Chicago reclaiming their divisional title - the 7th in 8 years - ahead of Kalamazoo Outrage

Kalamazoo Outrage

Kalamazoo Outrage was an American soccer team based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. Founded in 2007, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid...

with an 8-2-6 record. The season started well for Fire, who rattled off five wins in their first six games, including a comprehensive 3-0 win on the road against new boys Kalamazoo. Ties became Chicago's problem during the mid-seasons stretch: they were forced to endure four of them in five games during June, although the 2-2 tie with West Virginia Chaos

West Virginia Chaos

West Virginia Chaos is an American soccer team based in Charleston, West Virginia, United States. Founded in 2003, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the South Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.The team plays its home...

was more a relief, as they had been 2 goals down with less than 20 minutes to play. Midfielder Michael Ferguson scored twice in their hard-fought 3-2 win over the Cincinnati Kings

Cincinnati Kings

Cincinnati Kings is an American soccer team based in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. Founded in 2005, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at the...

in July, and they enjoyed the best result of the season with their 6-0 hammering of West Michigan Edge

West Michigan Edge

on the final weekend - a game which saw all six Fire goals scored by different players. Chicago lost 2-0 to Kalamazoo in the playoff divisional round, a result which, for the fifth consecutive year, saw a superb regular season end with a disappointing playoff campaign. Michael Ferguson and Carlos Franca were Chicago's top performers, with 4 goals and 3 assists each.

Fire started the 2009 season superbly, winning four of their first five games, including three back-to-back road victories over Cleveland, Fort Wayne and Toronto, and qualifying for the U.S. Open Cup. Their cup run was brief but satisfying, beating the National Premier Soccer League

National Premier Soccer League

The National Premier Soccer League is a United States soccer league recognized by the United States Soccer Federation and FIFA as a Division IV league...

's Milwaukee Bavarians

Milwaukee Bavarians

Milwaukee Bavarians is an American soccer team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1929, the team plays in National Premier Soccer League , a national amateur league at the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Midwest Division.The team plays its home games in the...

before falling to the professional Minnesota Thunder

Minnesota Thunder

4-0 in the second round. Chicago's biggest rival throughout the season was Kalamazoo Outrage

Kalamazoo Outrage

, who handed Chicago their only defeat of the regular season, a 2-1 loss at home in early June. Elsewhere, however, Chicago were virtually flawless; they outclassed the Michigan Bucks

Michigan Bucks

3-0 in early July, put five past the Cincinnati Kings

Cincinnati Kings

, and ended Forest City London

Forest City London

Forest City London is a Canadian soccer team based in London, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 2008, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference....

's hopes of a divisional title with a 3-1 win in mid-July. They finished the year in second place in the Great Lakes division, and began the playoffs by defeating London for a second time in the first round. Subsequent victories over Kalamazoo and the Ocean City Barons

Ocean City Barons

Ocean City Nor'easters is an American soccer team based in Ocean City, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1996, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Mid-Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.The team plays its home...

gave Chicago a second Conference title; they overcame the Cary Clarets

Cary Clarets

Cary Clarets was an American soccer team based in Cary, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 2002, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2009, after which the franchise folded and the team left the league.During their...

2-1 in extra time in a bad-tempered semi-final in which two players and two coaches were red carded, and travelled to California for the PDL Championship game against Ventura County Fusion

Ventura County Fusion

Ventura County Fusion is an American soccer team based in Ventura, California, United States. Founded in 2006, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference.The team plays its home games in...

. Despite having a numerical advantage for more than an hour, Chicago were beaten by an injury time goal from Ventura's Alfonso Motagalvan

Alfonso Motagalvan

Alfonso Motagalvan is an American soccer player currently playing for Rochester Rhinos in the USL Professional Division.-College and Amateur:...

, and had to be content with the runners up spot. Andre Akpan

Andre Akpan

Andre Akpan is an American soccer player who currently plays for Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:Akpan was born in Grand Prairie, Texas to a Nigerian father and an American mother...

was the team's top scorer, with seven goals, while Rich Balchan

Rich Balchan

Rich Balchan is an American soccer player currently playing for the Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...

contributed three assists. Goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer

Jimmy Maurer

Jimmy Maurer is an American soccer player currently playing for Atlanta Silverbacks in the North American Soccer League.-College and Amateur:...

was also voted the PDL Goalkeeper of the Year.

Current roster

As of June 9, 2011.

Notable former players

This list of notable former players comprises players who went on to play professional soccer after playing for the team in the Premier Development League, or those who previously played professionally before joining the team.

Andre Akpan

Andre Akpan

Rich Balchan

Rich Balchan is an American soccer player currently playing for the Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...

J. C. Banks

Jimmy "J. C." Banks is an American soccer player currently playing for Rochester Rhinos in the USL Professional Division.-College and amateur:...

Brandon Barklage

Brandon Barklage is an American soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...

Matt Bobo Freddie Braun

Freddie Braun

Freddie Braun is an American soccer player currently playing for the Portland Timbers in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...

Kyle Brown

Efrain Burgos, Jr.

Efrain "Junior" Burgos, Jr. is a Salvadoran footballer. He is the son of former footballer Efrain Burgos.-College and Amateur:...

Ray Burse

Ray Burse, Jr. is an American soccer player who currently plays for the Puerto Rico Islanders in the North American Soccer League.-College and Amateur:...

Evan Bush

Evan Bush is an American soccer player currently playing for Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...

Blake Camp

Blake Camp is an American soccer midfielder currently plays for the Atlanta Silverbacks of the USL First Division.Camp played some youth soccer in England and has trained with several prestigious professional clubs, including Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers in England, Real Valladolid in...

Denny Clanton

Denny Clanton is an American soccer player who last played defense for the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer....

Ricardo Clark

Ricardo Clark is an American soccer player who currently plays for Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga.-High School and College:...

Jay DeMerit

Jay Michael DeMerit is an American soccer player who plays for Vancouver Whitecaps FC in Major League Soccer, and for the United States national team...

John DiRaimondo

Tighe Dombrowski

Tighe Dombrowski is an American soccer player, currently without a club.Dombrowski played four years of college soccer for the UW–Milwaukee Panthers of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee from 2000–2003, during which he was named first team All-Horizon League three times. He was named an...

Gavin Glinton

Gavin Glinton is a Turks and Caicos Islands soccer player who currently plays for Nam Dinh FC in the V-League.-College and amateur:...

Ned Grabavoy

Ned Grabavoy is an American soccer player who currently plays for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:Grabavoy played his youth soccer with the Chicago Magic Soccer Club under coach Mike Matkovich....

Brad Guzan

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John Michael Hayden

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Vedad Ibišević

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Nikola Katic

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Thabiso Khumalo

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C. J. Klaas Cameron Knowles

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Luke Kreamalmeyer is an American soccer player.-College and Amateur:Kreamalmeyer attended Edwardsville High School where he scored a hat trick in the final state championship soccer game. He then played college soccer at Bradley University from 2001 to 2004...

Ross LaBauex

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Eric Lichaj

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Peri Marošević

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Rauwshan McKenzie

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Pascal Milien

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Drew Moor

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Brandon Moss

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Julian Nash

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Brad North

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Year-by-year

Year	Division	League	Regular Season	Playoffs	Open Cup
2001	4	USL PDL	1st, Great Lakes	Conference Finals	Did not qualify
2002	4	USL PDL	1st, Great Lakes	Conference Semifinals	Did not qualify
2003	4	USL PDL	1st, Heartland	National Final	Did not qualify
2004	4	USL PDL	1st, Heartland	Conference Finals	3rd Round
2005	4	USL PDL	1st, Great Lakes	Conference Semifinals	2nd Round
2006	4	USL PDL	1st, Great Lakes	Conference Finals	Did not qualify
2007	4	USL PDL	2nd, Great Lakes	Conference Finals	Did not qualify
2008	4	USL PDL	1st, Midwest	Divisional Round	Did not qualify
2009	4	USL PDL	2nd, Great Lakes	National Final	2nd Round
2010	4	USL PDL	4th, Great Lakes	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
2011	4	USL PDL	2nd, Great Lakes	Conference Semifinals	1st Round

Honors

USL PDL Central Conference Champion 2009
USL PDL Midwest Division Champion 2008
USL PDL Great Lakes Division Champion 2006
USL PDL Great Lakes Division Champion 2005
USL PDL Regular Season Champions 2004
USL PDL Heartland Division Champion 2004
USL PDL Central Conference Champion 2003
USL PDL Heartland Division Champion 2003
USL PDL Great Lakes Division Champion 2002
USL PDL Great Lakes Division Champion 2001

Head coaches

Bret Hall

(2001) Mike Matkovich (2002-2006) Larry Sunderland (2007-2010) Mark Spooner (2011-present)

Stadia

Stadium at Lemont High School
Lemont High School
Lemont High School, or LHS, is a public four-year high school located in Lemont, Illinois, a south-western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States...

; Lemont, Illinois
Lemont, Illinois
Lemont is a village located in Cook, DuPage, and Will Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, and is roughly southwest of Chicago. The population was 16,625 at the 2007 Special Census.-History:...

23 games (2003-2007)
Stadium at St. Laurence High School; Burbank, Illinois
Burbank, Illinois
Burbank is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 27,902 at the 2000 census. It is located at the southwest edge of the city of Chicago; the Chicago city limit – specifically that of the Ashburn neighborhood – is in common with Burbank's eastern city limit...

1 game (2003)
Stadium at Watseka Community High School; Watseka, Illinois
Watseka, Illinois
Watseka is a city in and the county seat of Iroquois County, Illinois, United States. It is located approximately west of the Illinois-Indiana state line on U.S...

2 games (2003-2004)
Stadium at Pontiac Township High School
Pontiac Township High School
Pontiac Township High School is a public high school for grades 9-12 in Pontiac, Illinois, USA.PTHS offers over 100 courses, including nine AP classes....

; Pontiac, Illinois
Pontiac, Illinois
Pontiac is a city in Livingston County, Illinois, United States. The population was 11,931 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Livingston County...

3 games (2003)
Stadium at St. Rita of Cascia High School
St. Rita of Cascia High School
St. Rita of Cascia High School is an all-male Roman Catholic high school located on the southwest side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago and is operated by the Order of Saint Augustine...

; Chicago, Illinois 2 games (2004-2005)
Loyola University Soccer Park; Chicago, Illinois 2 games (2004-2005)
Stadium at Eisenhower High School
Eisenhower High School (Decatur, Illinois)
Dwight Eisenhower High School is a public high school located in Decatur, Illinois. The school serves about 1200 students in grades 9 to 12 in Decatur Public Schools District 61...

; Decatur, Illinois
Decatur, Illinois
Decatur is the largest city and the county seat of Macon County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The city, sometimes called "the Soybean Capital of the World", was founded in 1823 and is located along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Central Illinois. In 2000 the city population was 81,500,...

2 games (2004)
Stadium at Moraine Valley Community College
Moraine Valley Community College
Moraine Valley Community College is a community college located in Palos Hills, Illinois in the southwest suburbs of Chicago. Founded in 1967, it is the second largest community college in the state. It has an enrollment of approximately 35,000...

; Palos Hills, Illinois
Palos Hills, Illinois
Palos Hills is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a suburb of Chicago. The population was 17,665 at the 2000 census. It is the home of Moraine Valley Community College as well as Amos Alonzo Stagg High School.-Geography:...

2 games (2005)
Toyota Park
Toyota Park (Bridgeview)
Toyota Park is a soccer-specific stadium located at 71st Street and Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview, Illinois. It is the home stadium of the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, members of Major League Soccer . Toyota Park was developed at a cost of around $100 million. The facility opened June 11, 2006...

; Bridgeview, Illinois
Bridgeview, Illinois
Bridgeview is a village in Cook County, Illinois in the United States. It is located approximately from the Chicago Loop. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 16,446...

12 games (2007-2010)
Stadium at Marist High School; Chicago, Illinois 1 game (2007)
Campton Hills Park; St. Charles, Illinois
St. Charles, Illinois
St. Charles is a Chicago suburb in Kane and DuPage counties of Illinois, United States, and is roughly west of Chicago on Illinois Route 64. According to a 2004 census estimate, the city has a total population of 32,134. The official city slogan is Pride of the Fox, after the Fox River that runs...

1 game (2007)
Stadium at Argo Community High School
Argo Community High School
Argo Community High School District 217 is a school located in Summit, Illinois, United States. The district draws students from the communities of Summit, Bedford Park, Bridgeview, Justice, Willow Springs, and a portion of Hickory Hills....

; Summit, Illinois
Summit, Illinois
Summit is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 10,637 at the 2000 census. The village is best known as the setting to Ernest Hemingway's 1927 short story "The Killers".-Geography:...

1 game (2009)
Loyola University Soccer Park; Chicago, Illinois 1 game (2009)
Stadium at Benedictine University
Benedictine University
Benedictine University is a private Catholic university located in Lisle, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. The institution has retained close relations with the Benedictine Order. Originally named St. Procopius College and located in the Pilsen community of Chicago, the school was founded in 1887 by...

; Lisle, Illinois
Lisle, Illinois
Lisle is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population was 22,930 at the 2011 census, and estimated to be 23,135 as of 2008. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor...

1 game (2009)
Stadium at Evanston Township High School
Evanston Township High School
Evanston Township High School District 202, is a four-year, comprehensive high school occupying a campus in Evanston, Illinois, a Chicago suburb along the Lake Michigan shore. ETHS serves the multiracial city of Evanston and a small portion of the neighboring village of Skokie, for a total...

; Evanston, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...

(2011-present)

Average attendance

Attendance stats are calculated by averaging each team's self-reported home attendances from the historical match archive at http://www.uslsoccer.com/history/index_E.html

2005: 266
2006: 1,816
2007: 169
2008: 82
2009: 87
2010: 53

Super-20 team

The Fire Premier, in its affiliation with the MLS Chicago Fire, became a member of the USL Super-20 league in 2007. Continuing with the program's successful tradition, the team qualified for the North American Finals with an undefeated regular season record in 2007. The team moved all the way through to the North American Championship defeating MLS player development teams from DC United and New York Red Bulls on the way, before falling in the North American Championship to the Player Development Academy of New Jersey, by a score of 3-1. Larry Sunderland was named Coach of the Year for the Super-20 division and players Chris Schuler (Creighton University) and Braden Fleak (Wright St. University) were named to the Super-20 All League team.

On August 3, 2008 the Chicago Fire Super-20 team became the first MLS player development team to win a league championship by becoming the North American Super 20 champions after defeating Toronto 2-1 in the Super-20 Final. The win capped a dominating finals competition in which the Fire went 5-0 and outscored the other conference qualifiers by an aggregate score of 17-2, including a 3-0 win over the DC United player development team in the semifinals. The Fire qualified for the North American Finals after finishing on top of the Midwest Conference with a record of 10-1-0. The Fire finished the season with a 15 game winning streak and a final record of 15-1-0. Their two year record of 23-2-3 is the best in North America in the Super 20 division. The team was led by captains and Super 20 League Co-MVP's Robert Younger (Illinois-Chicago) and Mark Blades (Northwestern). Mike Stephens (UCLA) and Chris Cutshaw (Bradley) were named to the All-Finals team and Matt Eliason (Northwestern) won the Golden Boot award as the leading scorer in the North American Finals with 6 goals in 5 matches, including the game winner in the 81st minute of the Championship match against Toronto.

External links

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