Chicago Fire Tickets
The Chicago Fire, an American soccer team based out of Bridgeview, Illinois, are one of the preeminent MLS teams. Since their creation in 1997, the team has made it to three MLS Cup championship games, winning one. The team was founded in October 1997, on the 126th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire that burned down the majority of the city in 1871. The team won the MLS Cup in their first league season in 1998, also winning the U.S. Open Cup that same year. The team has won the U.S. Open Cup three other times in 2000, 2003, and 2006. The team plays its home games at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois, a 20,000 seat soccer-specific stadium, and built at a cost of $100 million. Before Toyota Park’s opening in 2006, the team played its home games at Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears.
Some of the U.S. National Team’s most skilled players have played their club soccer with the Chicago Fire. These players include Chris Armas, Carlos Bocanegra, DaMarcus Beasley, Brian McBride and many more. The team has also been aggressive as MLS teams go in the international market with players such as Pavel Pardo, Tomasz Frankowski, and more. In the team’s inaugural year, under the direction of coach Bob Bradley, former U.S. National Team coach, they completed “the double” winning the MLS Cup and the U.S. Open Cup. The first half of the 2000s brought more success to the Fire; however, they have been unable to win a MLS Cup since their first year.
The team moved into their permanent home in 2006, and since winning the U.S. Open Cup that first year, the team’s success has fallen off significantly. In 2011, the team finished 11th overall in the MLS, a far cry from their prior success as constant managerial changes have plagued the team since the mid point of the 2000s.
The team, despite its recent struggles, is known for their fervent fan-base. Chicago is known for having a strong collection of fans for all teams within the metropolitan area, and the area’s support for the Fire is no different. The supporters are known as Section 8, due to the section they were originally in at Soldier Field. They are famous for having a lot of call-and-response cheering as well as section-wide choreographed sequences.
