CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The Chicago Fire will look to extend their preseason unbeaten run to four games Wednesday night when they face Carolina Challenge Cup hosts Charleston Battery at 6:15pm CT (LIVE webcast on Chicago-Fire.com).
* First bit of business: goalkeeper James Belshaw has departed Charleston, leaving Sean Johnson, Paolo Tornaghi and trialing goalkeeper Alec Kann as the three left in camp.
READ: Charleston Trialist List
* All available players in camp will be dressing Wednesday night.
* With the game being the second in the three tournament matches, expect to see more time given to reserves than what was seen in Saturday’s 3-2 win vs. Houston.
* Having come out of Saturday’s game with an ankle injury, Fire defender
Gonzalo Segares
will be a game-time decision Wednesday night.
* Charleston comes into the match having lost 3-2 to Vancouver in Saturday’s second game. After going down 3-0 to the Whitecaps, the Battery used goals from Nicki Patterson and Dane Kelly to valiantly pull the score line back to 3-2.
* The Fire are 1-0-1 in competitive matches all-time against Charleston. Previously the Fire beat the Battery 1-0 in Extra Time of the 2004 U.S. Open Cup semifinals and drew 0-0 before falling 3-0 on penalties in the third round of the 2010 Open Cup.
* In 2011, the Fire drew 0-0 with Charleston in the Carolina Challenge Cup and had last year’s encounter canceled due to a water-logged pitch.
* The Battery feature former Fire trialist and defender Amadou Sanyang as well as midfielder Tommy Catalano, who scored the first goal in the Michigan Bucks 3-2 U.S. Open Cup upset of the Fire last season.
* Now in their 21st season of existence, the Battery are the longest running professional soccer club in the United States and come off of their fourth league championship last season.
* The Fire are 3-2-1 (2011-2012) all-time at the Carolina Challenge Cup while the hosting Battery are 3-16-7.
* While always the underdogs in their own tournament, it would be wrong for the Fire to take the Battery lightly tonight. Charleston has found a way to take at least one point from MLS sides in eight of the nine previous editions of the Challenge Cup.
* No matter the result of tonight's first match between Vancouver and Houston, a Fire win would set the team up for a good chance to take the Challenge Cup title on Saturday vs. Whitecaps.
* The Fire enter Saturday’s game with a 3-1-1 record so far this preseason...
* Previous Results: 2-0 win vs. Florida Gulf Coast (Jan. 27), 2-1 L vs. Columbus Crew (Jan. 30), 1-1 draw vs. Chivas USA (Feb. 5), 1-0 win vs. San Jose Earthquakes (Feb. 9), 3-2 win vs. Houston Dynamo (Feb. 17).
* Fire Goal Scorers: Jeff Larentowicz (2), Yazid Atouba (2), Daniel Paladini, Sherjill MacDonald.
2013 Carolina Challenge Cup Table
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Team</strong></span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>GP</strong></span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>W</strong></span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>L</strong></span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>D</strong></span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Pts.</strong></span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>GF</strong></span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>GA</strong></span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>GD</strong></span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Chicago Fire</span></strong></span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">1</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">1</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">0</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">0</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">3</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">3</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">2</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">+1</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Vancouver Whitecaps</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">1</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">1</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">0</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">0</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">3</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">3</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">2</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">+1</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Charleston Battery</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">1</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">0</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">1</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">0</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">0</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">2</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">3</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">-1</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Houston Dynamo</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">1</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">0</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">1</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">0</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">0</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">2</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">3</span></span> |
<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">-1</span></span> |
