7th September 2000
Fire clinches Central title
The Fire clinched Major League Soccer's Central Division title and home-field
advantage in the first round of the playoffs Wednesday with a 3-1 victory over the
Columbus Crew at Soldier Field.
The first came from an unexpected source. Veteran defender Tom Soehn ventured up
front for Hristo Stoitchkov's corner kick in the eighth minute and headed the ball into
the net over the head of Crew goalkeeper Mark Dougherty. Soehn, who took the
captain's armband in Nowak's absence, scored his second MLS goal in five seasons.
The first came last season, also against Columbus.
Razov made it 2-0 in the 40th minute with Stoitchkov again assisting. The Bulgarian
striker fed Evans, who set up Razov from 25 yards. The two first-half scores were the
seventh and eighth unanswered goals against the Crew, which started the night with
MLS' ninth-best record. The top eight teams make the playoffs.
Columbus led Tampa Bay 3-1 before losing 4-3, then dropped a 3-0 decision to San
Jose.
The Crew's drought ended in the 59th minute when Ansil Elcock took a pass from
Brian McBride and blasted a shot into the net from 20 yards out. But Stoitchkov
restored the two-goal advantage with a penalty kick in the 82nd minute. It was set up
when Miroslaw Rzepa pulled down Razov in the penalty box.
7th September 2000
Since the beginning of the season, Razov and Stoitchkov have denied
that they do not get along. In the season opener in Dallas, Razov
said Stoitchkov was running around like he knew everything, despite
the fact he had been with the team for less than a week.
Razov scored in the 40th minute and Stoitchkov assisted on two
goals in addition to his goal.
7th September 2000
Chicago took just eight minutes to get on the score sheet, courtesy of
defender Tom Soehn.
Bulgarian star Hristo Stoichkov swung in a powerful curling corner kick deep
into the penalty area, where Soehn rose to power in the header, for his first
goal of the season.
That lead was then doubled thanks to top scorer Ante Razov who unleashed a
powerful curling drive past Crew keeper Mark Dougherty.
Miroslav Rzepa pulled back Razov in
the penalty area.
The referee didn't hesitate in sending Rzepa off for a professional foul, and
awarded the Fire the penalty. Then came a moment of drama that may decide
the future of Razov, as Stoichkov fired in the penalty for the 3-1 lead for the
Fire, in the 82nd minute. Razov, who clearly wanted to take the spot-kick,
stormed over to the bench.
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3rd September 2000
CHICAGO - Chicago's Dema Kovalenko tallied two goals in the first half to lead
the Fire to a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids Sunday night at Soldier Field.
With the win, the Fire overtakes the Tampa Bay Mutiny for the Central Division
lead, due to Chicago's superior head-to-head record. Kovalenko evened the score in the 26th minute, putting home a fortunate rebound
for his ninth goal of the season. Midfielder Hristo Stoitchkov, taking a pass from
Peter Nowak at the top of the box, unleashed a rocket of a shot that struck the
crossbar. The ricochet landed at Kovalenko's feet, who slotted it past goalkeeper
David Kramer to knot the score at 1-1.
3rd September 2000
Younger players learn from veteran
As the crowd around Fire rookie
DaMarcus Beasley's locker grew, a
wise veteran offered a last bit of advice
about how to behave in front of the
media.
Class is always in session when Hristo
Stoitchkov is around.
"He stays on top of guys for the decisions they make in games, how
they train and how they warm up," coach Bob Bradley said. "I've
seen him whack a guy on a shoulder during warmups and give him a
look that says, 'That's not how you warm up.'"
Despite injuries that have limited Stoitchkov to 15 matches this
season, he has been every bit the offensive force the Fire hoped. The
leadership and mentoring, though, have been a bonus.
"He's taught me a lot of things," Beasley said. "He's told me to be
confident and how to [handle myself] on and off the field."
Stoitchkov is following a Fire tradition. Every foreign player the team
has brought in has taken an active role in teaching the younger
American players what it means to be a professional.
"They all came here with an attitude that they wanted to help soccer
in the United States," Bradley said. "Hristo takes special pride in
trying to work with all our younger guys."
Stoitchkov has been watching Beasley and Josh Wolff.
"Very good, both of them," Stoitchkov said after Wednesday's 4-0
victory over the Dallas Burn. "When I talk to people in Europe, I
always tell them about both."
He then stole another glance at Beasley, 18, perhaps envisioning the
potential. "Very good," he said.
The same could be said of Stoitchkov this season. He won't
challenge Tampa Bay forward Mamadou Diallo for the goals or points
title, but Stoitchkov may be the most dangerous offensive force Major
League Soccer has seen in its five seasons. In just 15 matches,
Stoitchkov has eight goals, playing a full 90 minutes just a few times.
Still, the eye-catching aspect of Stoitchkov's play has been his
passing. He is credited with just three assists, but his playmaking
abilities have forced players such as Ante Razov, Beasley and Wolff
to constantly be ready.
"The guy can find you anywhere on the field," Wolff said. "He works
with us on functional drills and shows us the kind of runs that a
forward has to make to get himself into position."
The big worry before the start of the season was whether Stoitchkov's
legendary temper would get the best of him. Thus far, he has had his
share of arguments and has received one red-card ejection.
"I knew that wherever he had been, his teammates all thought he was
a great teammate," Bradley said. "The reputation of being difficult
came only because he was competitive and wanted to win."
31st August 2000
Josh Wolff gave the Fire a 4-0 victory over the Dallas Burn on Wednesday. Wolff was the recipient of two beautiful passes from Peter Nowak and
Hristo Stoitchkov in the 59th minute for his second.
26th August 2000
Fire 3, Mutiny 3, Tie
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Hristo Stoitchkov scored in the 88th minute as the Chicago
Fire battled back from a two-goal deficit to tie the Tampa Bay Mutiny 3-3 Saturday.
Stoitchkov's goal from 16 yards out deflected off goalkeeper Scott Garlick. It was
one of two goals the Fire scored while the Mutiny played shorthanded. Peter Nowak
got Chicago within 3-2 on a 73rd-minute goal after Josh Keller received his second
yellow card in the 55th minute.
Tampa Bay's Mamadou Diallo scored his league-leading 23rd goal. Steve Trittschuh
and Manny Lagos also scored for the Mutiny, who lead MLS' Central Division by
three points over Chicago.
Ante Razov, who received a red card during second-half injury time for taking down Dominic Kinnear, had Chicago's
other goal. Razov, who has 16 goals, started the day tied for second in goal-scoring.
Headers by Diallo, in the 38th minute, and Trittschuh, during injury time, gave Tampa Bay a 2-1 halftime lead. The
Mutiny had gone 303 minutes without a goal against the Fire.
Razov's goal opened the scoring in the 7th minute.
Lagos put the Mutiny up 3-1 in the 58th minute.
Mutiny defender Chad McCarty, who was selected to the U.S. Olympic team earlier this month, was out of the
starting lineup because of a right ankle bone contusion. Chicago defender Andrew Lewis, who hurt his left ankle
Wednesday, did not play.
Fire defender Carlos Bocanegra left late in the first half with a left ankle sprain. Tampa Bay midfielder Eric Quill
departed in the second half with a thigh contusion.
The contest was delayed twice by lightning. There was a 50-minute stoppage in the first half. The start of the second
half, which was played in rain and occasional lightning, was pushed back 40 minutes.
26th August 2000
Fire rallies to force 3-3 draw
TAMPA, Fla. - The Chicago Fire could not gain any ground in the battle for the
Central Division title, but a 3-3 draw with the Tampa Bay Mutiny at Raymond
James Stadium insures that the playoff race will remain heated. Bulgarian superstar
Hristo Stoitchkov netted the crucial equalizing goal in the closing stages of match,
sending the game into overtime.
The Fire wasted no time in getting on the board as Peter Nowak and Ante Razov
combined to score in the 7th minute of play. Taking advantage of an
offensive-minded Mutiny back line, Nowak and Razov started a quick
counterattack that caught the defense flat-footed. As goalkeeper Scott Garlick was
forced off of his line to cut down Nowak's shooting angle, the veteran midfielder
played the ball off to Razov, who was able to slot it into the back of the empty net.
Following a 50-minute delay due to inclement weather, league-leading scorer
Mamadou Diallo was able to tie the game in the 38th minute. As Dominic Kinnear
chipped a perfect ball from the Fire corner, Diallo drifted in from the back post.
Diallo's header left goalkeeper Zach Thornton no chance, as the ball entered the
net low to the near post. The goal was Diallo's 23rd of the year, bringing the
Senegalese striker to within four goals of Roy Lassiter's all-time record of 27 tallies
in a single season.
Defender Steve Trittschuh came up big for the Mutiny in the closing seconds of the
first half, powering home the go-ahead goal in the 45th minute. Eric Quill's corner
kick was lofted nicely into the box, apparently targeting a waiting Diallo. Instead,
Trittschuh broke free from his defender and headed the ball past Thornton to put
Tampa Bay up 2-1.
In the second half, Tampa Bay added another goal, despite playing short handed
since Josh Keller was sent off the field after receiving a second yellow card in the
55th minute. Quill set up Manny Lagos' insurance goal just three minutes later,
threading the ball through to Lagos on the left side of the box. Lagos' shot caught
Thornton changing directions, and rolled in off of the goalkeeper's outstretched leg.
The Fire roared back in the 74th minute with a Nowak goal that pulled Chicago
back into the game. Nowak tapped in a loose ball at the back post after Mutiny
Garlick managed to parry a wicked Stoitchkov blast from the right side of the box.
Stoitchkov added his own goal in the 88th, knotting the game at 3-3. Stoitchkov
held on to the ball at the top of the Tampa Bay arc, looking for a target player. As
the defense afforded the wily midfielder space and time, Stoitchkov pulled the ball
to the side and ripped a low shot on goal. Garlick managed to get a piece of the
ball, but could not stop the shot from crossing the line.
26th August 2000
TAMPA - Saturday's 3-3 draw between
the Fire and Tampa Bay Mutiny had
about as many subplots as it did
players.
Among the main themes were the
weather, the standings and, of course,
the injuries.
Indeed, the Fire fell behind 3-1, but
goals by Peter Nowak and Hristo
Stoitchkov in the final 17 minutes saved
a point for the Fire.
"It's scary," Bradley said of his team's injury struggles.
Stoitchkov has been among the injured this season, which likely
would have taken a different turn had he been available for 90 minutes
each match.
Nowak's goal came after Stoitchkov blasted a shot Tampa Bay
goalkeeper Scott Garlick couldn't control. Minutes later Stoitchkov
rocketed a shot that short-hopped Garlick and bounced off his arm for
the tying goal in the 88th minute. It was Stoitchkov's eighth goal in
just 667 minutes, a span of about one goal every 83 minutes.
19th August 2000
CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Hristo Stoitchkov scored the tying goal and second-half
substitute Evan Whitfield tallied the game-winner as the Chicago Fire rallied for a
2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy.
10th August 2000
Chicago cruised to a 5-1 romp in front of a standing room only crowd of 7,096 in a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal Wednesday night in Naperville, IL. Stoitchkov came into play in the 69th minute.
7th August 2000
The big Stoitchkov is probably going to re-sign Fire in one month. At the moment Fire are discussing what kind of a contract to offer to the Dagger-a one or two year one. However, no matter what they decide, the most titled Bulgarian football player is going to accept it.
6th August 2000
Fire 3 MetroStars 1
Stoitchkov, recovering from
season-long groin problems, played 22 minutes--his longest stint since June 4.
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6th August 2000
The Fire regained a share of the Central
Division lead with its 3-1 victory over
the MetroStars before 19,549 at Soldier
Field on Sunday.Even Razov isn’t immune to the injury epidemic. He said he slightly
sprained his left knee in Tampa and felt some pain in it Sunday. He
took himself out of the match after 68 minutes, giving way to Hristo
Stoitchkov.
Stoitchkov scored the final goal of the match, five minutes into
stoppage time, after earning a penalty and red-card ejection from the
MetroStars’ Roy MyersMeyersCQ. Stoitchkov easily beat MetroStars
goalkeeper Mike Ammann with his spot kick.
6th August 2000
Stoitchkov, Matthaeus lose marquee
status
Major League Soccer expected today to be a highlight of its fifth regular season--a
head-to-head duel on national television between Hristo Stoitchkov of the Fire and
Lothar Matthaeus of the New York/New Jersey MetroStars at Soldier Field.
MLS had counted on Matthaeus and Stoitchkov, both legends in Europe, to build its
popularity this season, but neither has been a smashing success.
Matthaeus was playing for Germany and Stoitchkov was injured when the teams
played for the first time, a 4-1 MetroStars victory at Giants Stadium on May 27.
Now Matthaeus has an injury, and Stoitchkov is barely recovered from one. Neither
has had much impact this season--though their clubs are division leaders.
Stoitchkov, the Bulgarian striker, has been bothered by groin problems since joining
the Fire (11-8-5) a week before the season started. He had five goals and an assist
in his first nine games but missed the next 10. His eight-minute stint in Wednesday's
1-0 victory at Tampa Bay was Stoitchkov's first action since June 10. He could play
more today.
The Fire needs Stoitchkov more than the MetroStars need Matthaeus. Captain
Peter Nowak suffered a deep gash in his right shin at Tampa Bay, and another
midfield stalwart, Diego Gutierrez, is out with a sprained right ankle. The Fire got
through the Tampa game by using Lubos Kubik in Nowak's spot but more
firepower may be needed against the MetroStars, owners of a nine-game winning
streak until the loss to United.
Nowak, cut to the bone even through his sock and shin guard, was forced off the
field by his injury in Tampa but vowed to play today.
"We think there's no nerve damage, and the bone seems to be OK," he said. "I have
to play. It's a very big game for the team. I may just need to get strong shin guards."
The return of Kubik and Stoitchkov would mean the Fire will finally use all of its
foreign stars for two games in a row if Nowak can go.
