

Off the field
Blanco, Ref’s, Columbus, and Club America
By: irish_steve |After the Fire’s brilliant comeback in Columbus Saturday, news of some strange goings on with Blanco and referee Jair Marrufo.
Both Blanco and the ref were under investigation due to the fact that Marrufo accepted a signed jersey from Blanco in the locker room after the game. We all know that it is against the [...]
Portrait of the blogger as a middle-aged soccer geek
By: Sean |Hey fanaticos! It’s time for that another pre-season tradition: Welcoming the new blogger to the Chicago Fire Offside!
Obviously, I’ve got some serious shoes to fill. Tom Dunsmore has moved on to greener pastures. Johnathon did an admirable job handling the playoff denouement, despite its downbeat ending. And now … me.
My name’s Sean Spence, and I [...]
You’d rather die
By: Tom |Before tomorrow’s tailgate and key match-up with the New York New Jersey Metro Red Star Bulls completely erases my memory of the previous game, I feel I should share my roadtrip memories from Columbus as I promised to do so earlier this week. Well over 200 Fire fans made the trip, despite the torrential [...]
And we’re back
By: Tom |Apologies for the lack of updates this week. I hate to be one of those bloggers, but it’s been a busy time, and it’s not going to be much better next week as I’m out of town on the east coast. I will be catching a Fire game on my way back, as I’ll [...]
New Fire Signing
By: Tom |Reports are coming out that the Fire have signed a Colombian defender, from Osorio’s old club. The AP says:
Thirteen-time Colombian league champion Millonarios said Thursday it had sold 25-year-old defender Wilman Code to the Chicago Fire, reuniting him with manager Juan Carlos Osorio.
Daniel Jankowski, the Fire’s director of media relations, would not confirm the [...]
Brazil in Chicago!
By: Tom |Alright, this isn’t exactly Fire related, but any big soccer event in Chicago is good for the game here, and this one’s a big ‘un: according to Steven Goff, the U.S. will host Brazil at Soldier Field this September 9th.
USA-Mexico at Azteca on Sept. 9, rumored to be in trouble, has been cancelled. USA-Brazil [...]
Former Fire News
By: Tom |Not much going on in Chicago Fireland this week, with no game coming up this weekend, but there’s some news from former Fire stars worth reporting on.
Firstly, DaMarcus Beasley scored for Ranger, but unfortunately had to endure racist abuse in the Champions League qualifier against FK Zeta.
Former PSV Eindhoven winger Beasley, who hit the 81st-minute [...]
Calen Carr, Good Guy
By: Tom |Calen Carr has taken a bit of heat on this blog from time to time, particularly in the comments. As I’ve mentioned, it’s tough to blame a guy when he’s clearly trying hard, but he can be frustrating to watch: sometimes, he’s like a devilish whippet with the ball, yet at other times, a [...]
Stand and Deliver
By: Tom |Brandon Kitchens, a Fire supporter and Section 8 mainstay, died a week ago today playing soccer, after suffering a seizure. He was just 23, and had survived several tours of duty in Iraq, making his sudden death a terrible shock to the section.
As this Tribune article describes, he was as passionate as they come about [...]
Peter Wilt and Milwaukee Expansion
By: Tom |Many Fire fans will have mixed feelings if Peter Wilt, the Fire’s former GM, ends up at the helm of another MLS team. The latest plans for MLS expansion to Milwaukee (the project he’s behind) include hosting games at a historic speedway nearby. This idea eceived some criticism around the blogosphere, including here on [...]






