MATCH INFO
• The Chicago Fire return from a 20-day MLS hiatus looking to secure a third consecutive home victory when the club hosts expansion New York City FC Friday night at Toyota Park. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. CT. As of Thursday, a limited number of tickets and standing room-only tickets remained available and may be purchased here.
• The first-ever meeting in the series will air nationally on Univision Deportes as part of an MLS double-header. To locate Univision Deportes on your cable network and to learn how to access an English-language broadcast, visit
MLSsoccer.com/sap
. Univision also will continue to stream Friday night matches on its
web and mobile homes
(MLS Live streams are blacked out for all national broadcasts).
• A Spanish-language radio broadcast also is available via ESPN Deportes 97.5 FM in Chicago.
• Fans 21-and-over in attendance Friday night are invited to enjoy $2 Heineken Light, Tecate Light and select domestic drafts while watching the Men In Red. Click here to view a season-long list of theme nights, giveaways and promotions coming to Chicago Fire matches in 2015.
#CHIvNYC NOTES
• Despite the lengthy layoff, the Fire are aiming to continue the momentum gained with a clean sheet and a win vs. Philadelphia (March 29) followed by a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over Toronto FC (April 4). A win Friday against NYCFC would give the Men In Red their first three-match winning streak since Oct. 4-19, 2013.
• Chicago and NYCFC (1-3-3) currently stand tied for sixth in the Eastern Conference standings with six points apiece, but the Fire have two games in hand on their upcoming opponent with only five matches played. NYCFC first and, to date, only victory of its inaugural campaign came on March 15 against New England. The New York Red Bulls stand atop the East thanks to an unbeaten start in five matches (3-0-2, 11 points), while Philadelphia finds itself below the playoff line despite a league-most eight games played.
WATCH: Gehrig, Accam Preview NYCFC Match | #CHIvNYC Match Poster
• The Fire's five goals in five matches this season have been scored by five different players. Captain Jeff Larentowicz accounted for the match-winner vs. Toronto FC, depositing his free kick from distance for his ninth goal for the club and the 32nd of his 11-year MLS career.
• Jason Kreis' NYCFC squad is dealing with a recent rash of injuries, most notably with Spanish forward David Villa missing several matches of late while coping with a hamstring injury. U.S. Men's National Team midfielder Mix Diskerud also missed the side's most recent match after being injured in warm-ups, while midfielder Tony Taylor (2 appearances, 1 start) suffered a torn ACL Sunday vs. Portland Timbers and will miss the remainder of the season.
• NYCFC midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy, who scored in his side's 1-1 draw with Philadelphia last Thursday, plied his trade under Fire manager Frank Yallop for two seasons (2012-13) at the San Jose Earthquakes.
• NYCFC midfielder Ned Grabavoy is a product of the Chicago Fire PDL program. Born in Joliet, Ill., Grabavoy was named the 2000 Gatorade and NSCAA/adidas National High School Player of the Year during his senior season at Lincoln-Way Central High School in New Lenox, Ill. and led Lincoln-Way Central to two-straight Illinois state championship games.
BROWN NOW IN BLUE
Fire fans are likely to recognize a familiar face on the NYCFC bench Friday night. C.J. Brown, who played 13 seasons for the Men In Red en route to becoming the club’s all-time leader in games played and a member of the Ring of Fire, is in his first season as an assistant coach for the expansion NYCFC side. Brown spent the 2014 season as an assistant to Frank Yallop here in Chicago before joining up with Jason Kreis and NYCFC on Dec. 1.
CHICAGO FIRE SOCCER CLUB TO HOLD FIFTH ANNUAL PRACTICE IN THE COMMUNITY
The Chicago Fire Soccer Club is set to host the fifth annual Practice in the Community, presented by the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System (UI Health), at Gary and Ortiz Elementary School (3470 West 31st Street, Chicago) on Saturday, April 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. CT. Following the Fire's first team training, the event will showcase a practice with our Premier Skills team, an after-school sports development program. The first team will engage in a practice session open to the general public, allowing supporters and members of the local community a chance to see the squad train up close and personal. The event will also feature complimentary food, music, giveaways and interactive games. Attendees will get an opportunity to collect autographs and interact with Fire players and coaches.
Additionally, UI Health will be on site with Get Covered Illinois bilingual counselors helping fans sign up for health insurance enrollment and providing further information. UI Health nurses will also be on site to provide stroke education and BMI (body mass index) screenings.
For more information on Practice in the Community, please visit www.chicago-fire.com/practice.
