The Chicago Fire traveled to Texas on Sunday in an early season clash with the defending MLS Cup Champs, the Houston Dynamo. To return to the windy city with a suitcase empty is understandable, to return with a point would be an achievement, to somehow earn all three points, the far side of unexpected. With his second goal of the young season the third year striker Chris Rolfe put the Fire again on top of the Eastern Conference standings, level with the Red Bulls at 10 points.
Throughout the match the Fire played as a well organized side, with the focus on defense set behind a one man attack of Chad Barrett up top as the point man. Although he did not feature on the score sheet the inform Barrett was a hand fold all day causing the suspect Dynamo defense troubles.
The inspired play of C.J. Brown and Dasan Robinson and the ever industrious Gonzalo Segares countered all the Dynamo threw at the Fire. After the full 90, it ultimately was the overall balanced play of this well blended team that earned all three points from Houston, the odds on favorite to repeat as MLS Cup Champs. It is now on to Boston for those tea dumping yahoos and the in form Taylor Twellman and his league leading 4 goals for the rematch of the season opener. It’s 2180 miles down, 3024 to go on the season high three game road trip.

The Chicago Fire is on Fire!
With 10 points from four games, the Chicago Fire have started the 2007 MLS season on ‘Fire,’ exactly what their name says. The record of 3-0-1 (W-L-D) is the best in franchise history to start the season, any season. Even better than the storied 1998 MLS Cup winning season.
This comes a year after overachieving on the pitch and inactivity off it, which gave little hope to even the most diehard Section 8 Supporter. Now with the departure of several players well past their ‘sell by date,’ the arrival of key support players and the massive anticipation in the summer arrival of Blanco, the future looks very bright. The team that GM/President John Guppy has assembled gives a realistic optimism of what this city needs; a second MLS Championship. Good job Guppy and Co.

MLS Attendances are up
It is a very exciting time to be a soccer/football fan in America. This season will go down as the turning point of Major League Soccer. The arrivals of Beckham, Blanco, Reyna, Angel, Schelotto, Fred, and Emilio will be a benchmark in what will be the most exciting season in the 12 years of the league; however what is even more exciting is the rise in attendance around the league.
With 6 soccer/football specific stadiums for 7 teams to showcase the MLS, fans are turning out on average of 15,993 per game, through 25 games (to 4/29). This may not seem like much, but this is the first time in three years that attendance is up, and could be only the second time the league will average above 16,000 per game on the year – that being the first season of 1996.
This trend is very promising, as many sell-outs will take place during the improved summer weather and because of the arrivals of Beckham and Blanco. It is this increased attendance and fan support which created a feeling of excitement, resulting in electricity that ran through the 27,000 supporters who packed The Home Depot Center over the weekend to see L.A. beat Chivas USA 3-1. This excitement has been replicated around the league and will only get better as Beckham has driven sales through the roof.
Locally we hope that Blanco will put 20,000 singing, screaming and cheering fans into the seats of Toyota Park each and every game and add to the one of a kind Section 8 Supporters. Even selling out one game this year, will be a huge accomplishment- something that has happened only twice since the park opened up last June, but a very realistic goal. Yes, it is an exciting time to be a soccer/football fan in America!
Ethan C. Bontly covers Major Leagues Soccer, Puro Futbol. He has experience at all levels in both the United States and England. He can be contacted at ebontly@purofutbolonline.com