Chicago Fire Soccer club - Wikipedia Chicago Fire Soccer club Chicago Fire Full name Chicago Fire Soccer Club Nickname ( s ) Men in Red Founded October 8, 1997 ; 20 years ago ( 1997 - 10 - 08 ) Stadium Toyota Park Bridgeview, Illinois Ground Capacity 20,000 Chairman Andrew Hauptman Head coach Veljko Paunović League Major League Soccer 2017 Eastern Conference : 3rd Overall : 3rd Playoffs : Knockout round Website Club website Home colors Away colors Current season Chicago Fire Soccer Club is an American professional soccer club based in the Chicago suburb of Bridgeview, Illinois. The team competes in Major League Soccer ( MLS ) as a member of the league 's Eastern Conference, having moved to the conference in 2002. The franchise is named after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, and was founded on October 8, 1997, the event 's 126th anniversary. The team began play in 1998 as one of the league 's first expansion teams. The Fire won the MLS Cup as well as the U.S. Open Cup ( the `` double '' ) on their first season. They also won U.S. Open Cups in 2000, 2003, and 2006, in addition to the 2003 MLS Supporters ' Shield. The Fire maintains an extensive development system, consisting of the Chicago Fire U-23 ( Premier Development League and Super-20 League teams ), the Chicago Fire Development Academy, and the Chicago Fire Juniors youth organization. They also operate the Chicago Fire Foundation, the team 's community - based charitable division. Toyota Park is the Fire 's home stadium. Contents 1 History 1.1 Overview 1.2 Foundation and initial success ( 1997 -- 2000 ) 1.3 Nomadic times ( 2002 -- 2004 ) 1.4 Turmoil, and a permanent home ( 2005 -- 2007 ) 1.5 New ownership ( 2007 -- 2009 ) 1.6 A team in flux ( 2010 -- 2012 ) 1.7 Missing the playoffs 2 Colors and badge 2.1 Sponsorship 3 Stadium 3.1 Home stadiums 3.2 Other stadiums 4 Club culture 4.1 Supporters 4.2 Mascot 4.3 Rivalries 5 Broadcasting 6 Players 6.1 Current roster 6.2 Ring of Fire 7 Staff 7.1 Head coaches 7.2 Club presidents 7.2. 1 Vice presidents 7.3 General managers 7.4 Chief Operating Officer 7.5 Technical directors 7.6 Directors of player personnel 7.7 Assistant coaches 7.8 Team physicians 8 Honors 9 Record 9.1 Top goalscorers 9.2 Year - by - year 10 Team awards 11 Average attendance 12 Affiliations 13 References 14 External links History Overview Founded on October 8, 1997, the Fire were originally based at Soldier Field. Since 2006, the club plays at their own stadium, Toyota Park at 71st and Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview. The owners of the Fire are Andell Holdings, who purchased the club in 2007. Andell Holdings chairman Andrew Hauptman acts as club chairman, while the general manager is Nelson Rodriguez and the chief operating officer is Atul Khosla. The Fire are historically most successful in the U.S. Open Cup ; winning championships in 1998, 2000, 2003, and 2006. The Fire keep a close connection with the Chicago Sting, its predecessor team in the NASL, by holding frequent commemorative events and reunions, and wearing Sting - inspired shirts. Many notable players have worn the Fire shirt, including U.S. internationals Chris Armas, Carlos Bocanegra, Frank Klopas, DaMarcus Beasley, Brian McBride, Tony Sanneh, Cory Gibbs, Ante Razov, Josh Wolff and Eric Wynalda. Some of the club 's other notable American professional players include C.J. Brown, Jesse Marsch, Chris Rolfe, and Zach Thornton. The Fire also have a reputation for importing international talent, from established veterans like Bastian Schweinsteiger, Pável Pardo, Piotr Nowak, Cuauhtémoc Blanco, Tomasz Frankowski, Lubos Kubik and Hristo Stoichkov ; in addition to younger players such as Patrick Nyarko, Marco Pappa, Damani Ralph, Bakary Soumaré and Nery Castillo. The Chicago Fire are named after the Great Chicago Fire that happened in 1871. Foundation and initial success ( 1997 -- 2000 ) The Fire ( in red ) at home to the Dallas Burn in July 1998 Founded in 1997 at Navy Pier, on the anniversary of the Great Fire, the Fire immediately tapped into the diverse ethnic makeup of the city. The team brought in Polish players Piotr Nowak, Jerzy Podbrozny, and Roman Kosecki ; the Mexican Jorge Campos ; and the Czech Lubos Kubik. While all showed their talent while playing for Chicago that first year, American players ( Zach Thornton, Chris Armas, C.J. Brown ) proved most integral to the Fire 's continued success. Under the club 's first head coach, Bob Bradley -- and against all expectation -- the team completed the double in its first competitive year, beating D.C. United in the 1998 MLS Cup Final, and defeating the Columbus Crew in Chicago to win the 1998 U.S. Open Cup a week later. The team 's momentum continued, reaching the 2000 MLS Cup final ( losing to Kansas City ) and winning the 2000 U.S. Open Cup. Internationally experienced players such as Hristo Stoitchkov joined the Fire, while young American talents such as DaMarcus Beasley developed. The Fire quickly became cemented as one of the league 's preeminent teams. Nomadic times ( 2002 -- 2004 ) With Soldier Field undergoing massive renovations, the Fire moved to the western Chicago suburb of Naperville, Illinois in 2002. That same year, Bob Bradley abruptly departed the team to lead the MetroStars, from his home state of New Jersey. The Fire then selected the U.S. men 's national team 's top assistant, Dave Sarachan, to assume the vacant post. Chicago qualified for the league final while also capturing the Supporters ' Shield and 2003 U.S. Open Cup along the way. The team returned to Chicago and the renovated Soldier Field midway through the 2003 season. After that season, longtime captain Piotr Nowak retired to take a position in the front office. He departed a year later to become manager of D.C. United. In this period new talent emerged, including Jamaican striker Damani Ralph. Still, stagnating performances and the building strength of the Eastern Conference made Chicago 's league position ever more tenuous. In 2004, the team missed the league playoffs for the first time in their history. Turmoil, and a permanent home ( 2005 -- 2007 ) The 2005 season began with the unexpected dismissal of popular club president Peter Wilt by then - owners AEG, a move decried by fans, many players, and club staff. This came as a shock, given his brokering of a $100 m deal to build the Fire a stadium in the collar suburb of Bridgeview. He was immediately replaced by MetroStars executive John Guppy. Competitively, the season was most notable for the blockbuster visit of Milan from Italy 's Serie A, and the surprising 4 -- 0 away defeat of D.C. United in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals. 2006 arrived, and the Fire moved from Soldier Field into its new stadium in Bridgeview, a southwest suburb of Chicago : Toyota Park, located at the corner of 71st Street and Harlem Avenue. In its first season, it played host to an unspectacular league campaign ; but victory in the 2006 U.S. Open Cup marked a continuation of the club 's successes and promise for the future. The anxiety to win another league title continued to grow, however. Sarachan entered 2007 ( his fifth season in charge ) under intense pressure from fans and the administration to produce a league championship. Tension mounted further on April 3, 2007, when the Fire signed Mexico and América star Cuauhtémoc Blanco to a Designated Player contract. After a perfect three matches to open the year, they won only one of their next eight, and Sarachan was dismissed. Following a brief search, Millonarios manager Juan Carlos Osorio was named the club 's third head coach. New ownership ( 2007 -- 2009 ) A home game at Toyota Park in 2007 More change came soon afterward. On September 6, 2007, Andell Holdings, a Los Angeles - based private investment firm controlled by chairman Andrew Hauptman, acquired AEG 's interest in the Chicago Fire Soccer Club. Reports estimated the purchase price to be upwards of $35 million. The team has not won a major trophy since Hauptman bought the team. On the field, behind Blanco and Wilman Conde, Osorio 's central defender at Millionarios, the Fire went on an extended unbeaten run to close the season, easily qualifying for the playoffs but were defeated at New England in the Eastern Conference Final. On December 10, 2007, the Fire announced Osorio 's resignation. He was named manager of the New York Red Bulls eight days later. Hauptman filed tampering charges with the league in protest, and the Fire were compensated by the Red Bulls with cash and draft picks. Changes came quickly in Osorio 's wake. On January 17, 2008, former Fire star Frank Klopas was named Technical Director in charge of player personnel, and longtime Fire assistant Denis Hamlett was appointed manager. While the Fire struggled at home in 2008 the team found unusual success on the road, gathering 22 out of a possible 45 away points. Momentum grew with the long - anticipated signing of Chicago native Brian McBride on a free transfer in July 2008. After disposing of the Red Bulls 5 -- 2 in the season 's final game, they decisively conquered New England in the first round of the playoffs with a 3 -- 0 victory at home. This was Chicago 's first playoff advancement over the Revolution in four consecutive seasons. But triumph only lasted for a week, as they again missed the league final with their 2 -- 1 Eastern Conference Final loss to eventual champion Columbus. The 2009 season saw few alterations to the previous year 's roster. The story of the season was much the same, as continued poor home form offset excellent performances away from Toyota Park. This led to a second place Eastern Conference finish behind Columbus. Despite this, Real Salt Lake managed to upset the Crew in the quarterfinals, meaning Chicago would host the semi-final for the first time in six years. Chicago 's nearly flawless home playoff history meant little in the end, as they lost to Salt Lake, 5 -- 3, on penalties after 120 scoreless minutes. Shortly thereafter, manager Denis Hamlett was dismissed. A team in flux ( 2010 -- 2012 ) Leading up to 2010, Chicago hired Carlos de los Cobos as head coach, previously manager of El Salvador. Cuauhtémoc Blanco, Chris Rolfe and Gonzalo Segares all departed. More changes came in the summer transfer window with the trade of Justin Mapp to Philadelphia, the acquisition of Mexican international striker Nery Castillo, and the trade for former Swedish international midfielder Fredrik Ljungberg. Defender Gonzalo Segares returned to the Fire, leaving Apollon Limassol after only six months away. Despite these reinforcements, the Fire failed to qualify for the playoffs for only the second time in club history. Former U.S. international Brian McBride and club original C.J. Brown retired at season 's end, followed closely by the departures of Wilman Conde, Ljungberg, and Castillo. 2011 began much in the way of 2010, with foundering performances both home and away. After nine winless matches, Carlos de los Cobos was let go on May 30, 2011. Technical Director Frank Klopas was named interim head coach. Behind summer reinforcements Pável Pardo and Sebastián Grazzini, as well as forward Dominic Oduro 's 12 goals after being acquired in a trade from Houston and Dan Gargan 's defensive addition, the Fire qualified for the U.S. Open Cup Final ( lost at Seattle ) and narrowly missed making the playoffs after gaining 24 points in their last 12 league matches. After the season 's conclusion, Klopas was given the permanent manager job on November 3, 2011. Although expectations were modest for 2012, Klopas ' first full season as coach, the year saw a change in fortune for the Fire. The spring and summer months saw several new acquisitions for the club, starting with the reacquiring of Chris Rolfe from Aalborg BK. Rolfe, who scored eight goals and 12 assists in the 21 games he played in 2012, would later be named the Fire 's MVP. Other signings included Brazilian midfielders Alex Monteiro de Lima from the Swiss side FC Wohlen, Alvaro Fernandez from Seattle Sounders FC, forward Sherjill MacDonald from Beerschot AC of Belgium and veteran defender Arne Friedrich from VfL Wolfsburg. Although they would fall out of the U.S. Open tournament early that season, the Fire eventually compiled a 17 -- 11 -- 6 record, their best since 2000, and ranked as high as second in the Eastern Conference before ending the year in fourth place. On October 31, 2012, in their first playoff appearance since 2009, the Fire lost their first - round MLS Cup playoff match - up at home against the Houston Dynamo, 2 -- 1. Missing the playoffs In the 2012 -- 2013 offseason, the franchise made some moves to improve on 2012 's success. The team acquired Joel Lindpere and Jeff Larentowicz and also traded Dominic Oduro for Dilly Duka and the rights to Robbie Rogers. The beginning of the season saw the team struggling to score goals, resulting in a record of 2 -- 5 -- 1 through April. After two successive losses to the Union in May, and with veteran Arne Friedrich still on injured reserve, the Fire acquired their former centerback Bakary Soumaré from Philadelphia. Also in May, Robbie Rogers expressed an interest to play in Southern California, at which point a deal was brokered for Rogers ' rights in exchange for Chicago native Mike Magee from the Los Angeles Galaxy. On June 23, 2013, Friedrich, who had not played a 2012 -- 13 game due to recurring injuries, announced his retirement. After starting the season 2 -- 7 -- 3, the additions of Soumare and Magee led to seven wins in the squad 's last 10 games. The Fire were busy in the transfer window as well, adding veteran defensive midfielder Arévalo Ríos and forward Juan Luis Anangonó. The Chicago Fire also advanced to host the semifinal of the 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, but fell 2 -- 0 to eventual champions D.C. United. Alleged fan actions in the stadium that night led to a famous editorial piece, `` What it means to be a part of the Fire family '', being penned by the club 's Director of Communications, which was seen as an odd attack on the fan base and widely panned by local and national media. After a 12 -- 6 -- 6 finish to the season, the Fire narrowly missed the playoffs for the third time in the last four years -- losing out to the Montreal Impact on goal difference. On October 30, 2013, the club announced that the president of soccer operations Javier Leon and head coach Frank Klopas had stepped down, but the Fire front office had a replacement one day later. On October 31, 2013 Chicago Fire named Frank Yallop as its new head coach and director of soccer. On December 5, 2013, Fire MVP Mike Magee became the first Fire player to win the MLS MVP Award -- beating out Los Angeles Galaxy 's Robbie Keane and Montreal Impact 's Marco Di Vaio for the honor. Meanwhile, Yallop was busy recruiting a new coaching staff which included `` Ring of Fire '' member and Chicago Fire veteran C.J. Brown and former U.S. International striker Clint Mathis as the team 's assistant coaches, adding Columbus Crew 's Brian Bliss as Technical Director. Former Fire forward Brian McBride was added as an assistant coach in May 2014 for a short - term assignment. The shake - up extended to the roster, as Yallop moved team veterans and starters and brought in youth prospects -- reforming the team while freeing up cap space. Major exits in early 2014 included Chris Rolfe, Austin Berry, Jalil Anibaba, Daniel Paladini, and Paolo Tornaghi. Filling that void was a handful of youth prospects including Harrison Shipp ( homegrown player ), Benji Joya ( via MLS `` weighted lottery '' ), and Grant Ward on loan from Tottenham Hotspur. Despite rarely looking like a team that could advance to the MLS Cup Playoffs, the team once again advanced to the semifinals of the 2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, but were routed 6 -- 0 by eventual champions Seattle Sounders FC on August 13. The result was the worst competitive defeat in club history and saw Frank Yallop issue an apology to Chicago Fire supporters on the club 's official website. As the Cup run had, the season ended in disappointment, with the Fire ending the season with a 6 -- 18 -- 10 record, with 18 draws, also setting a record for most draws in an MLS season in the process. The club began 2015 with renewed hope, bringing three new Designated Player signings in David Accam, Shaun Maloney and Kennedy Igboananike to bolster an anemic attack. The club also signed products Michael Stephens and Eric Gehrig as well as Trinindad & Tobago international Joevin Jones. With so many new pieces needing to adjust, 2015 marked the first time in club history the side began the season with an 0 -- 3 -- 0 record, but they showed signs of recovery by winning their next three matches. Unfortunately, April was the last time the club would be anywhere near equal on wins and losses, but the side did still advance to another Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinal. Playing in front of a sparse crowd at the Philadelphia Union 's PPL Park, the Fire fell 1 -- 0 at the same hurdle for the third straight season. Less than two weeks later, Maloney, who was the club 's center piece offseason signing, was transferred back to England with Hull City sighting personal reasons. Despite no hope for a Cup final, widespread fan protests and dim likelihood of a playoff berth, the club did n't part ways with Frank Yallop until September 20, 2015, one day after another listless 1 -- 0 home defeat to Orlando City SC. Along with Yallop 's departure, the club announced it had named long - time MLS executive Nelson Rodriguez as the club 's new General Manager, with his first job being to commence a search for a new head coach. Technical director Brian Bliss was given the interim head coaching job, with former player and current club vice president Logan Pause assisting for the remaining five matches. The club has finished the 2015 season with an overall record of 8 wins, 20 losses and 6 ties. For the first time in the club 's history Fire finished the season with zero road wins ( 0 - 12 - 5 ). Twenty losses in a season became the highest in the club 's history. On November 18, 2015, Rodriguez made his first moves as GM, firing most of Yallop 's remaining technical staff, including goalkeeping coach Aron Hyde, fitness coach Adrian Lamb and Director of Scouting Trevor James. Rodriguez also parted ways with the club 's long - time Director of First Team Operations Ron Stern, Equipment Manager Charles Raycroft and Assistant Equipment Manager Allan Araujo. On November 24, 2015, the club announced that Veljko Paunovic, former coach of the Serbian U-20 side that won the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup, had been named the new head coach of the Chicago Fire. On January 5, 2016, technical director Brian Bliss also departed the Fire to join Sporting Kansas City as Director of Player Personnel, completing the total overhaul of the technical staff. On March 21, 2017 Manchester United allowed Bastian Schweinsteiger to join Chicago Fire, subject to a medical and a visa being secured. The move from Manchester United was completed on March 29, 2017. Colors and badge Chicago Fire alternate logo ( 1998 -- 2006 ) The official club colors are red and white. Over its history, the Fire have also employed navy blue, sky blue, and black as alternate colors. The Chicago Fire logo is derived from the standard shape of a fire department 's crest ( also shown by the Chicago Fire Department ), also known as a Florian 's cross. This style was chosen by the original general manager, Peter Wilt, to establish a timeless image evocative of both classic American sports ( as in the logos of the NHL Original Six ) and the traditions of European soccer. The logo features a stylized ' C ' at its heart ( representing Chicago ), similar to the logos of the Bears and Cubs. The six points in a ring around the center allude to the stars in the Municipal Flag of Chicago, specifically the one commemorating the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Nike, the Fire 's original equipment supplier, intended for the team to be named the Chicago Rhythm. The Rhythm identity featured a turquoise, black and green color scheme, and a logo adorned with a cobra. Team officials ignored Nike 's work, and privately developed the Fire identity with the help of Adrenalin, Inc., a well - known sports - specific branding agency. The original Fire shirts were chosen because of their resemblance to a Chicago fireman 's coat, featuring broad horizontal stripes across the torso and sleeves. In the first year, the home jersey was red and white with a silver `` FIRE '' on the stripe ; while the away shirts were white and black in the same style. The jersey has remained remarkably constant ever since, continually maintaining the same format of an all - red shirt with a white horizontal chest stripe, even through changes in equipment sponsor ( from Nike, to Puma, and currently adidas ), until 2012 when the white stripe was exchanged for a blue stripe. Conversely, the Fire 's secondary shirts have changed much over the years from white with black, to white with navy, to white with red, to all - white style and the all - blue currently used. Third shirts have often been yellow ( originally to honor the Chicago Sting, later for the expired partnership with Morelia ). A popular light blue third shirt was worn in 2005, based on the Municipal Flag of Chicago but was discontinued during the sponsorship change to Adidas the next year. The club and their fans make frequent use of the symbols of Chicago, as a show of civic pride. Most prominent are the six - pointed Chicago stars, but the light blue color associated with the city, the municipal device, and the city skyline appear regularly on materials produced by the club and its fans. The municipal flag of Chicago is also favored by fans and often seen at the stadium, in a manner akin to the use of the flag of Catalonia by FC Barcelona fans but without a nationalist subtext. Sponsorship Seasons Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor 1998 -- 2002 Nike None 2003 -- 2005 Puma 2006 -- 2007 Adidas 2008 -- 2010 Best Buy 2011 None 2012 -- 2015 Quaker 2016 -- present Valspar Stadium Toyota Park, Chicago Fire 's home stadium since 2006 Chicago plays its home games at Toyota Park, a soccer - specific stadium located at 71st Street and Harlem Avenue in the Chicago suburb of Bridgeview, Illinois, about 12 miles southwest from downtown Chicago. The stadium opened on June 11, 2006 and was developed at a cost of around $100 million. The Village of Bridgeview owns and operates Toyota Park. Toyota Park will be renamed SeatGeek Stadium after the end of the 2018 season, with an estimated price between 2.5 million to 4 million per year. For its first years in the league the Fire played at Soldier Field, the 61,500 - capacity home of the Chicago Bears of the NFL and one of the main venues of the 1994 FIFA World Cup. While that stadium was undergoing a $632 million renovation, the Fire played at Cardinal Stadium in Naperville, Illinois, on the outskirts of the Chicago metropolitan area. They returned to Soldier Field toward the end of 2003, remaining there through the end of 2005. Home stadiums Soldier Field ; Chicago ( 1998 -- 2001 ), ( 2003 -- 2005 ) Cardinal Stadium ; Naperville, Illinois ( 2002 -- 2003 ) Toyota Park ; Bridgeview, Illinois ( 2006 -- present ) Other stadiums Benedetti -- Wehrli Stadium ; Naperville, Illinois ( 2004 ) 1 game in U.S. Open Cup Forest View Park ; Arlington Heights, Illinois ( 2000 ) 1 game in U.S. Open Cup Milwaukee Sports Complex ; Franklin, Wisconsin ( 2001 ) 1 game in U.S. Open Cup McCully Field ; Wheaton, Illinois ( 2001 ) 1 game in U.S. Open Cup Shea Stadium, Peoria, Illinois ( 2008, 2011 ) 2 games in U.S. Open Cup Qualifying Club culture Supporters `` Section 8 '', the supporters area at Toyota Park There is a noteworthy fan culture for the Fire, existing from the date the club was founded, and building on an enthusiasm throughout Chicago sports. At matches, supporters and ultras groups occupy a standing area directly behind the north goal, in the Harlem End of Toyota Park. This area is referred to as Section 8, originating from the numbering of the corresponding section at Soldier Field and the American military designation of mentally unfit soldiers. Section 8 Chicago, the Independent Supporters ' Association ( ISA ) for the Fire, oversees the activities of these numerous groups. While incorporating a worldwide variety of styles with a Chicago bent, groups as part of Section 8 generally fall under the ultras designation. Additionally, an associated spinoff group called `` Sector Latino '' congregates in the corner - kick Section 101 at the stadium 's southwest end. There are also several other affiliated ultras and supporters groups, including The Arsonists, Banter Buddies, Blitzer Mob, Husaria, Fire Ultras 98, Partisans, Red Scare, Second City North, The Western Front, Ultras Red - Side, and Whiskey Brothers Aught - Five. The Section 8 Chicago ISA is a registered 501 ( c ) 7 non-profit organization run by volunteers through an elected board of directors. Match atmosphere is known for organized displays of stadium - wide support, particularly for matches of prime competitive importance. Call - and - response cheering amongst the crowd is commonplace. Fans at Toyota Park for Fire matches periodically choreograph tifo presentations both to show their pride and inspire the players on the field. Toyota Park remains one of the few American environments to conduct such fan - driven presentations on a large scale. Mascot Their official mascot is Sparky, an anthropomorphic Dalmatian dog. Sparky is usually shown wearing the club 's jersey but also arrives wearing firefighter attire. Rivalries While the Fire have heated rivalries with a number of different MLS teams, Fire supporters of different ages will likely give different responses as to who the club 's main rival is. The earliest Fire supporters would list Brimstone Cup rival FC Dallas as the Fire 's nemesis, or Los Angeles Galaxy following heated playoff and cup matches with Dallas and L.A. in the league 's early years. After the Fire moved to the Eastern Conference, meetings with Dallas and LA became less frequent. Rivalries with D.C. United and New England Revolution were stoked following several thrilling playoff meetings. The Fire and Revolution are MLS ' most frequent playoff matchup, meeting in the MLS Cup Playoffs 8 different times in 10 seasons from 2000 to 2009, splitting those encounters 4 -- 4, with the Fire winning in 2000, 2003, 2008, and 2009. New England ended the Fire 's playoff runs in 2002, 2005, 2006, and 2007. Newer rivals include Columbus Crew, who are the closest MLS team geographically to the Fire, and New York Red Bulls following the departure of former Fire head coach Juan Carlos Osorio to New York in 2007. Broadcasting In 2015, the Chicago Fire and NBC Sports Chicago ( then Comcast SportsNet Chicago ) agreed to a three - year deal, which includes 21 regular season and postseason matches for 2015. Fire matches were televised locally on NBC Sports Chicago. Dan Kelly and former Fire coach Frank Klopas provided play - by - play and color commentary, respectively. Matches were previously televised by NBC Chicago Nonstop and WPWR - TV. In 2016, the Chicago Fire and Tribune Broadcasting agreed to a three - year deal, which will see all regular season and postseason matches broadcast on WGN Radio and their internet - only sister station WGN Plus starting in the 2017 MLS season. On March 9, 2018, the Chicago Fire announced that ESPN had acquired the regional television rights to the team through 2020, and that their regionally - televised matches will stream exclusively on ESPN 's upcoming subscription service ESPN+. The team 's matches would be streamed online for free until the launch of ESPN+ on April 12, 2018. Behind Los Angeles FC, the Fire are the second MLS franchise to sell their regional television rights exclusively to an over-the - top content provider ( with the former having signed with YouTube TV ). ESPN+ also holds the out - of - market streaming rights for regional MLS matches as part of its overall service. Players For details on former players, see All - time Chicago Fire roster. Current roster As of February 6, 2018 No. Position Player Nation Midfielder Polster, Matt Matt Polster United States Defender Vincent, Brandon Brandon Vincent United States Defender Kappelhof, Johan Johan Kappelhof Netherlands 5 Defender Ellis, Kevin Kevin Ellis United States 6 Midfielder McCarty, Dax Dax McCarty United States 8 Forward de Leeuw, Michael Michael de Leeuw Netherlands 9 Forward Solignac, Luis Luis Solignac Argentina 10 Midfielder Katai, Aleksandar Aleksandar Katai ( on loan from Alavés ) Serbia 12 Midfielder Tchani, Tony Tony Tchani Cameroon 13 Midfielder Bronico, Brandt Brandt Bronico United States 14 Midfielder Mihailovic, Djordje Djordje Mihailovic ( HGP ) United States 15 Defender Lillard, Grant Grant Lillard ( HGP ) United States 16 Defender Campbell, Jonathan Jonathan Campbell United States 17 Forward Campos, Diego Diego Campos Costa Rica 18 Midfielder Conner, Drew Drew Conner ( HGP ) United States 19 Midfielder Adams, Mo Mo Adams ( GA ) England 20 Midfielder Johnson, Daniel Daniel Johnson United States 21 Forward Gordon, Alan Alan Gordon United States 22 Forward Bakero, Jon Jon Bakero Spain 23 Forward Nikolić, Nemanja Nemanja Nikolić ( DP ) Hungary 25 Defender Corrales, Jorge Jorge Corrales Cuba 26 Defender Dean, Christian Christian Dean United States 27 Defender Ramos, Rafael Rafael Ramos Portugal 28 Forward Collier, Elliot Elliot Collier New Zealand 30 Goalkeeper Cleveland, Stefan Stefan Cleveland United States 31 Midfielder Schweinsteiger, Bastian Bastian Schweinsteiger ( DP ) Germany 32 Goalkeeper McLain, Patrick Patrick McLain United States 45 Goalkeeper Sánchez, Richard Richard Sánchez ( HGP ) Mexico Ring of Fire The `` Ring of Fire '' was established in 2003 by Chicago Fire Soccer Club and the Chicago Fire Alumni Association as permanent tribute to honor those who have made the club proud and successful over its history. Aside from the initial member Piotr Nowak, only `` Ring of Fire '' members can select new inductees, and no more than one can be selected any year. Names and numbers ( if applicable ) are prominently displayed inside Toyota Park. There were no inductees in 2008, 2010, or 2011. In 2008, the members voted to honor two recently deceased fans ( supporter leaders Dan Parry and Brandon Kitchens ) but were overruled by the club chairman Andrew Hauptman. Parry and Kitchens were later made members of the Wall of Honor, a special recognition for Fire fans. In addition to Parry and Kitchens, the late Fire fans Euan McLean and Al Hack have been inducted into the Wall of Honor as of 2011. C.J. Brown was expected to be honored in 2011, but a new rule was established that inductees must have been away from the club for at least a calendar year. Brown, at the time an assistant head coach at Real Salt Lake, was officially inducted at the halftime ceremony during the home game vs. Real Salt Lake in Toyota Park on May 9, 2012. On October 3, 2015, Ante Razov, the club 's all - time leading scorer, became the eight individual to be inducted into the club 's Ring of Fire Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place on that day during the halftime of the regular season home match against New England Revolution. 10 Piotr Nowak ( inducted 2003 ) 41 Frank Klopas ( inducted 2004 ) 5 Luboš Kubík ( inducted 2005 ) Former general manager and club president Peter Wilt ( inducted 2006 ) Former head coach Bob Bradley ( inducted 2007 ) 14 Chris Armas ( inducted 2009 ) 2 C.J. Brown ( inducted 2012 ) 9 Ante Razov ( inducted 2015 ) Staff This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( August 2015 ) Head coaches Name Nationality Tenure Bob Bradley United States October 30, 1997 -- October 5, 2002 Dave Sarachan United States November 4, 2002 -- June 20, 2007 Juan Carlos Osorio Colombia July 1, 2007 -- December 10, 2007 Denis Hamlett Costa Rica January 11, 2008 -- November 24, 2009 Carlos de los Cobos Mexico January 1, 2010 -- May 30, 2011 Frank Klopas United States May 30, 2011 -- October 30, 2013 Frank Yallop Canada October 31, 2013 -- September 20, 2015 Brian Bliss ( interim ) United States September 20, 2015 -- November 24, 2015 Veljko Paunović Serbia November 24, 2015 -- Club presidents Name Tenure Robert Sanderman 1997 -- 2000 Peter Wilt 2001 -- 2005 John Guppy 2005 -- 2008 Javier León ( interim ) 2008 Dave Greeley 2008 -- 2010 Javier León ( interim ) Julian Posada 2010 -- 2012 Nelson Rodríguez 2018 -- present Vice presidents Logan Pause ( November 3, 2014 -- January 11, 2017 ) General managers Name Tenure Peter Wilt 1997 -- 2005 Nelson Rodriguez 2015 -- present Chief Operating Officer Name Tenure John Urban 2018 -- present Technical directors Frank Klopas ( 2008 -- 11 ) Brian Bliss ( December 6, 2013 -- January 5, 2016 ) Directors of player personnel Mike Jeffries ( 2010 -- 12 ) Assistant coaches Denis Hamlett ( 1998 -- 07 ) Mike Jeffries ( 1998 -- 00, 2008 -- 09 ) Frank Klopas ( 2000 ) Daryl Shore ( 2000 -- 09 ) Tom Soehn ( 2001 -- 03 ) Craig Reynolds ( 2004 -- 07 ) Chris Armas ( 2008 -- 09 ) Alvaro Briones ( 2010 ) Larry Sunderland ( 2010 -- 11 ) Mike Matkovich ( 2009 -- 10, 2012 -- November 4, 2013 ) Leo Percovich ( 2011 -- November 4, 2013 ) Aron Hyde ( 2010 -- November 19, 2015 ) C.J. Brown ( December 11, 2013 -- December 1, 2014 ) Clint Mathis ( January 31, 2014 -- September 20, 2015 ) Marc Bircham ( February 6, 2015 -- September 20, 2015 ) Marko Mitrović ( November 24, 2015 -- ) Eric Gehrig ( February 15, 2017 -- ) Team physicians Dr. Preston Wolin ( 1998 -- 08 ) Dr. Gilberto Muñoz ( 1999 -- 15 ) Dr. Jeffrey Mjaanes, M.D. ( 2015 -- ) Dr. Joshua Blomgren, D.O. ( 2015 -- ) Honors This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( August 2015 ) Continental Competitions Titles Seasons National Competitions Titles Seasons MLS Cup 1998 Supporters ' Shield 2003 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006 Eastern Conference 3 * 1998 †, 2000 †, 2003 Eastern Conference ( regular season ) 3 * 2000 †, 2001 †, 2003 † Chicago Fire was a member of the Western Conference from 1998 -- 1999 and the Central Division from 2000 -- 2001. Minor Trophies MLS Team Fair Play Award : 2009 Record Top goalscorers As of January 20, 2018 # Name Career MLS Playoffs Open Cup CCL Total Ante Razov 1998 -- 2000 2001 -- 2004 76 10 6 94 Chris Rolfe 2005 -- 2009 2012 -- 2014 48 0 55 Josh Wolff 1998 -- 2002 32 0 6 39 David Accam 2015 -- 2017 33 0 5 0 38 5 Dema Kovalenko 1999 -- 2002 22 5 5 35 6 Piotr Nowak 1998 -- 2002 26 0 0 29 7 Damani Ralph 2003 -- 2004 22 28 8 Mike Magee 2013 -- 2015 22 0 5 0 27 9 Nemanja Nikolić 2017 -- present 24 0 0 0 24 Hristo Stoichkov 2000 - 2002 17 0 24 Year - by - year As of November 10, 2017 Season Regular Season Season Record MLS Cup Playoffs U.S. Open Cup CONCACAF Champions League 1998 2nd West, 3rd overall 20 -- 12 -- 0 Won MLS Cup ( D.C. United 2 -- 0 ) Champions Did not qualify 1999 3rd West, 4th overall 18 -- 14 -- 0 Lost Conference Semi-finals ( Dallas Burn 1 -- 2 ) Round of 16 3rd place 2000 1st Central, 2nd overall 17 -- 9 -- 6 Lost MLS Cup ( Kansas City Wizards 0 -- 1 ) Champions Did not qualify 2001 1st Central, 2nd overall 16 -- 6 -- 5 Lost Semi-finals ( Los Angeles Galaxy 1 -- 2 ) Semi-finals Not held 2002 3rd East, 7th overall 11 -- 13 -- 4 Lost Conference Semi-finals ( New England Revolution 1 -- 2 ) Round of 16 Quarter - finals 2003 1st East, 1st overall Won Supporters ' Shield 15 -- 7 -- 8 Lost MLS Cup ( San Jose Earthquakes 2 -- 4 ) Champions Did not qualify 5th East, 10th overall 8 -- 13 -- 9 Did not qualify Runners - up Semi-finals 2005 3rd East, 4th overall 15 -- 13 -- 4 Lost Conference Finals ( New England Revolution 0 -- 1 ) Semi-finals Did not qualify 2006 3rd East, 4th overall 13 -- 11 -- 8 Lost Conference Semi-finals ( New England Revolution 2 -- 4 ) Champions 2007 4th East, 7th overall 10 -- 10 -- 10 Lost Conference Finals ( New England Revolution 0 -- 1 ) Round of 16 2008 2nd East, 3rd overall 13 -- 10 -- 7 Lost Conference Finals ( Columbus Crew 1 -- 2 ) Quarter - finals 2009 2nd East, 5th overall 11 -- 7 -- 12 Lost Conference Finals ( Real Salt Lake 4 -- 5 ) Round of 16 4th East, 10th overall 9 -- 12 -- 9 Did not qualify Round of 16 2011 6th East, 11th overall 9 -- 9 -- 16 Runners - up 2012 4th East, 6th overall 17 -- 11 -- 6 Lost Knockout Round ( Houston Dynamo 1 -- 2 ) Round of 32 2013 6th East, 12th overall 14 -- 13 -- 7 Did not qualify Semi-finals 2014 9th East, 15th overall 6 -- 10 -- 18 Semi-finals 2015 10th East, 20th overall 8 -- 20 -- 6 Semi-finals 2016 10th East, 20th overall 7 -- 17 -- 10 Semi-finals 2017 3rd East, 3rd overall 16 -- 11 -- 7 Lost Knockout Round ( New York Red Bulls 0 - 4 ) Round of 16 Did not qualify Team awards As of January 18, 2018 Year Team MVP Golden Boot * Defender of the Year Winner Goals 1998 Piotr Nowak Ante Razov 10 Luboš Kubík 1999 Luboš Kubík Ante Razov 14 Luboš Kubík 2000 Piotr Nowak Ante Razov 18 Carlos Bocanegra 2001 Piotr Nowak Eric Wynalda 10 Zach Thornton 2002 Zach Thornton Ante Razov 14 Zach Thornton 2003 Chris Armas Ante Razov 14 Carlos Bocanegra Henry Ring Damani Ralph 11 Jim Curtin 2005 Ivan Guerrero Chris Rolfe 8 Ivan Guerrero 2006 Andy Herron Andy Herron 9 CJ Brown 2007 Cuauhtémoc Blanco Chad Barrett 7 Gonzalo Segares 2008 Jon Busch Chris Rolfe 9 Bakary Soumaré 2009 Brian McBride Brian McBride 7 Wilman Conde Logan Pause Marco Pappa 7 CJ Brown 2011 Dominic Oduro Dominic Oduro 12 Cory Gibbs 2012 Chris Rolfe Chris Rolfe 8 Arne Friedrich 2013 Mike Magee Mike Magee 15 Sean Johnson 2014 Sean Johnson Quincy Amarikwa 8 Sean Johnson 2015 David Accam David Accam 10 Eric Gehrig 2016 David Accam David Accam 9 Johan Kappelhof 2017 Nemanja Nikolić Nemanja Nikolić 24 Johan Kappelhof * Golden Boot is the team leader in goals ( regular season games only ). Average attendance Regular season / Play - offs 1998 : 17,887 / 22,677 1999 : 16,016 / 8,197 2000 : 13,387 / 8,431 2001 : 16,388 / 11,239 2002 : 12,922 / 9,434 2003 : 14,005 / 14,961 2004 : 17,153 / missed playoffs 2005 : 17,238 / 11,493 2006 : 14,088 / 10,217 2007 : 16,490 / 17,834 2008 : 17,034 / 17,312 2009 : 14,689 / 21,626 2010 : 15,814 / missed playoffs 2011 : 14,553 / missed playoffs 2012 : 16,407 / 10,923 2013 : 15,228 / missed playoffs 2014 : 16,076 / missed playoffs 2015 : 16,003 / missed playoffs 2016 : 15,602 / missed playoffs 2017 : 17,383 / 11,647 Affiliations Tulsa Roughnecks FC -- United Soccer League ( 2nd division ) References Jump up ^ `` Chicago Fire Club History ''. chicago-fire.com. Jump up ^ `` Fire Fire Peter Wilt, Fans Protest ''. chicagoist.com. Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved December 31, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Hauptman to Purchase Chicago Fire ''. Thesportsbizblog.blogspot.com. July 12, 2007. Retrieved December 3, 2011. Jump up ^ `` The owner that wo n't let go ''. soccerbyives.net. Jump up ^ `` Fire sack Hamlett ''. fifa.com. Jump up ^ `` Monday Kickaround ''. washingtonpost.com. Jump up ^ `` Fire, CLDC Part Ways ''. Jump up ^ `` FIRE NAMES FRANK KLOPAS HEAD COACH ''. Jump up ^ `` Fire reacquire forward Chris Rolfe ''. Jump up ^ `` Fire Announce 2012 Team Award Winners ''. Jump up ^ `` 2012 Regular Season Standings ''. Jump up ^ `` 2013 M.L.S. Preview : Eastern Conference ''. Jump up ^ Bell, Jack ; Das, Andrew ( February 28, 2013 ). `` 2013 M.L.S. Preview : Eastern Conference ''. The New York Times. Jump up ^ `` Union trade Bakary Soumaré to Chicago Fire ''. May 23, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2013. Jump up ^ McCarthy, Jack ( May 25, 2013 ). `` Magee trade for Rogers confirmed, expected to join Fire Monday ''. Chicago Tribune. Jump up ^ `` Chicago Fire Defender Arne Friedrich Announces Retirement ''. chicago-fire.com. June 23, 2013. Retrieved June 23, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Chicago Fire coach Frank Klopas raves about new DP Arevalo Rios : `` This guy 's a world - class player '' ``. MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved June 30, 2015. Jump up ^ `` EDITORIAL : What it means to be a part of the Fire family ''. Chicago-Fire.com. Archived from the original on July 4, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Chicago Fire Soccer Club President of Soccer Operations Javier Leon and Head Coach Frank Klopas To Step Down ''. chicago-fire.com. October 30, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Chicago Fire Names Frank Yallop as New Head Coach and Director of Soccer ''. chicago-fire.com. October 31, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Marco Di Vaio, Robbie Keane & Mike Magee vie for Volkswagen MVP as MLS reveals award finalists ''. mlssoccer.com. November 20, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Chicago Fire forward Mike Magee voted 2013 Volkswagen MLS Most Valuable Player ''. mlssoccer.com. December 5, 2013. Jump up ^ `` RELEASE : Chicago Fire Forward Mike Magee Wins 2013 Volkswagen MLS Most Valuable Player Award ''. chicago-fire.com. December 5, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Chicago Fire name longtime Columbus Crew fixture Brian Bliss as new technical director ''. MLSsoccer.com. December 6, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Chicago Fire Soccer Club Adds Clint Mathis to Coaching Staff ''. Chicago-Fire.com. January 31, 2014. Jump up ^ `` RELEASE : Chicago Fire Soccer Club Names C.J. Brown Assistant Coach ''. chicago-fire.com. December 11, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Brian McBride rejoins Fire -- as an assistant ''. Chicago Tribune. May 28, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Chicago Fire trade Chris Rolfe to D.C. United for allocation money ''. MLSsoccer.com. April 2, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Chicago Fire deal ironman defender, 2012 Rookie of the Year Austin Berry to Philadelphia Union ''. February 24, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Fire head coach Frank Yallop apologizes to supporters for Open Cup semifinal defeat ''. Chicago-Fire.com. August 14, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Report : Chicago Fire set to transfer midfielder Shaun Maloney to Hull City ''. MLSsoccer.com. August 20, 2015. Jump up ^ `` # HauptmanOut : Fire fans protest against ownership ''. hottimeinoldtown.com. July 7, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Chicago Fire soccer fans in the mud pit of hell ''. chicagotribune.com. September 30, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Chicago Fire Soccer Club Names Former MLS Executive Nelson Rodríguez General Manager ''. Chicago Fire. Archived from the original on October 17, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Bliss : Fire Should Hold Heads High Despite Season - Ending Loss to Red Bulls ''. chicago-fire.com. October 25, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Chicago Fire Soccer Club Announce Soccer Staff Changes ''. Chicago-Fire.com. November 18, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Chicago Fire Soccer Club Hires Veljko Paunovic as Head Coach ''. Chicago Fire Communications. November 24, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Sporting KC Names Brian Bliss Director of Player Personnel ''. Sporting KC Communications. January 5, 2016. Jump up ^ Stone, Simon ( March 21, 2017 ). `` Bastian Schweinsteiger : Manchester United allow midfielder to join Chicago Fire ''. BBC Sport. Retrieved March 21, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Bastian Schweinsteiger says he is ' sad ' to leave Manchester United for Chicago Fire ''. Sky Sports. March 21, 2017. Retrieved March 21, 2017. Jump up ^ Marshall, Adam ( March 21, 2017 ). `` SCHWEINSTEIGER TO JOIN CHICAGO FIRE ''. manutd.com. Retrieved March 21, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Chicago Fire Soccer Club Acquires World Champion Bastian Schweinsteiger as Designated Player ''. chicago-fire.com. March 21, 2017. Retrieved March 21, 2017. Jump up ^ Stejskal, Sam ( March 22, 2017 ). `` How the Chicago Fire embraced past futility to land Bastian Schweinsteiger ''. mlssoccer.com. Retrieved March 22, 2017. Jump up ^ Marshall, Adam ( March 29, 2017 ). `` SCHWEINSTEIGER SEALS CHICAGO FIRE MOVE ''. Retrieved March 29, 2017. Jump up ^ DeSimone, Bonnie. `` Name Game Ends : It 's Fire, '' Chicago Tribune, Thursday, October 9, 1997. Jump up ^ `` Chicago Fire ''. Adrenalin, Inc. Retrieved June 30, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Chicago Fire sign Valspar as new jersey sponsor ''. chicagobusiness.com. October 14, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Indebted Chicago Suburb Catches a Break With Naming Rights Deal ''. Bloomberg.com. April 19, 2018. Retrieved April 25, 2018. Jump up ^ Crandall, Jeff. `` Stand Sing Participate ''. Chicago Fire. Retrieved December 18, 2016. Jump up ^ Parker, Graham ( March 18, 2015 ). `` ' We 're anarcho - syndicalists ' : an interview with Chicago Fire 's Section 8 ''. The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved December 11, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Mission Statement Section 8 Chicago ''. Section 8 Chicago. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 11, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Sector Latino ''. Retrieved December 18, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Supporters Groups ''. Retrieved March 5, 2018. Jump up ^ `` About Section 8 Chicago ''. Section 8 Chicago. Retrieved December 11, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Songs and Chants ''. Chicago Fire. Retrieved December 18, 2016. Jump up ^ Crandall, Jeff ( August 8, 2010 ). `` The Tifo Display ''. Chicago Fire. Retrieved December 18, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Sparky ''. Retrieved January 16, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Chicago Fire and Comcast SportsNet Chicago agree to multi-year broadcasting deal ''. Chicago Fire. January 26, 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Chicago Fire and Comcast SportsNet Chicago Announce Regional Broadcast Plans '' ( Press release ). Chicago, Illinois : Chicago Fire. February 23, 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2016. Jump up ^ Ecker, Danny ( January 26, 2015 ). `` Chicago Fire games moving back to CSN Chicago ''. Crain 's Chicago Business. Retrieved December 12, 2016. Jump up ^ Pimiento, Juan. `` Chicago Fire sign exclusive TV deal with ESPN+ streaming service ''. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 10, 2018. Jump up ^ `` How to watch out - of - market MLS matches in 2018 ''. MLSSoccer.com. Retrieved March 4, 2018. Jump up ^ `` ESPN 's Web Service Gains Exclusive Pro Soccer Rights ''. Bloomberg.com. February 13, 2018. Retrieved February 13, 2018. Jump up ^ `` FAQs : Chicago Fire on ESPN + ''. Chicago Fire. March 9, 2018. Retrieved March 9, 2018. Jump up ^ http://www.chicago-fire.com/players Jump up ^ `` Ring of Fire ''. Chicago Fire. Retrieved October 5, 2015. Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Archived June 7, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` Wall of Honor ''. Chicago Fire SC. Retrieved September 30, 2012. Jump up ^ Guillermo Rivera ( June 6, 2011 ). `` CJ Brown Will Have To Wait Chicago Fire Confidential ''. Chicagonow.com. Retrieved December 3, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Brown returns to Chicago for `` Ring of Fire '' induction ``. chicago-fire.com. May 9, 2012. Jump up ^ `` CJ Brown : Fire Legend, Ring of Fire Inductee ''. May 10, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Ring of Fire ''. chicago-fire.com. Jump up ^ `` Chicago Fire Host New England Revolution on Special Evening at Toyota Park ''. chicago-fire.com. ^ Jump up to : `` Chicago Fire Soccer Club Announces Executive Leadership Moves ''. Jump up ^ `` The Legend Continues : Logan Pause named Vice President of Chicago Fire Soccer Club ''. chicago-fire.com. November 3, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Fire Names Frank Klopas Head Coach ''. Chicago Fire. November 3, 2011. Retrieved December 11, 2016. Jump up ^ `` RELEASE : Chicago Fire appoints Brian Bliss Technical Director ''. chicago-fire.com. December 6, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Technical Staff ''. Chicago Fire. Retrieved May 25, 2013. Jump up ^ `` New York City FC Adds CJ Brown to Coaching Staff ''. nycfc.com. December 1, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Chicago Fire Soccer Club Adds Clint Mathis to Coaching Staff ''. chicago-fire.com. January 31, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Chicago Fire Announce Two Additions to Technical Staff ''. Chicago Fire. Retrieved June 30, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Retired Chicago Fire defender Eric Gehrig hired by club as assistant coach ''. mlssoccer.com. February 15, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Stats ''. Chicago Fire. Retrieved January 20, 2018. ) Jump up ^ http://www.mlssoccer.com/standings Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on May 3, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2011. Jump up ^ `` 2013 MLS Standings and Leaders '' ( PDF ). MLS Soccer. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on October 30, 2013. Retrieved October 31, 2013. page 4 Jump up ^ `` Chicago Fire announce affiliation with USL 's Tulsa Roughnecks FC ''. Major League Soccer. Retrieved February 20, 2017. External links Soccer in the United States portal Chicago portal Media related to Chicago Fire Soccer Club at Wikimedia Commons Official website Chicago Fire Bridgeview, Illinois The club History Seasons Records Players Stadiums Soldier Field Cardinal Stadium Toyota Park Development system USL Affiliate Tulsa Roughnecks Academy Chicago Fire Academy Youth Chicago Fire Juniors Culture Ring of Fire Section 8 Chicago ISA ( and affiliate groups ) NBC Sports Chicago Univision Chicago WGN Radio 97.5 FM Poder Rivalries Brimstone Cup Key personnel Owner Andell Holdings Chairman Andrew Hauptman Head Coach Veljko Paunović Major honors ( 6 ) MLS Cup ( 1 ) 1998 Supporters ' Shield ( 1 ) 2003 U.S. Open Cup ( 4 ) 1998 2000 2003 2006 Major League Soccer Seasons ( 20 ) 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Links to related articles Chicago Fire -- current squad 2 Polster 3 Vincent 4 Kappelhof 5 Ellis 6 McCarty 8 de Leeuw 9 Solignac 10 Katai 12 Tchani 13 Bronico 14 Mihailovic 15 Lillard 16 Campbell 17 Campos 18 Conner 19 Adams 20 Johnson 21 Gordon 22 Bakero 23 Nikolić 25 Corrales 26 Dean 27 Ramos 28 Collier 30 Cleveland 31 Schweinsteiger 32 McLain 45 Sánchez Head Coach : Paunović Assistant Coach : Gehrig Assistant Coach : Mitrović Goalkeeping Coach : Sarić General Manager : Rodriguez Chicago Fire -- Head coaches Bradley ( 1998 -- 2002 ) Sarachan ( 2003 -- 07 ) Hamlett ( interim ) ( 2007 ) Osorio ( 2007 ) Hamlett ( 2008 -- 09 ) de los Cobos ( 2010 -- 11 ) Klopas ( 2011 -- 13 ) Yallop ( 2014 -- 15 ) Bliss ( interim ) ( 2015 ) Paunović ( 2016 -- ) Chicago Fire matches MLS Cup Finals 1998 2000 2003 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Finals 1998 2000 2003 2006 2011 SuperLiga Finals 2009 Major League Soccer Seasons 2018 season Records and statistics ( Hat - tricks ) Players Union Rivalry cups History USSF CSA Eastern Conference Western Conference Atlanta United FC Chicago Fire Columbus Crew SC D.C. United Montreal Impact New England Revolution New York City FC New York Red Bulls Orlando City SC Philadelphia Union Toronto FC Colorado Rapids FC Dallas Houston Dynamo LA Galaxy Los Angeles FC Minnesota United FC Portland Timbers Real Salt Lake San Jose Earthquakes Seattle Sounders FC Sporting Kansas City Vancouver Whitecaps FC Future teams FC Cincinnati ( 2019 ) Miami ( 2020 ) Nashville ( 2020 ) Former teams Tampa Bay Mutiny ( 1996 -- 2001 ) Miami Fusion ( 1998 -- 2001 ) Chivas USA ( 2005 -- 2014 ) Personnel Foreign Capped Designated Player Homegrown Player Generation Adidas Cup Transfers Coaches Competition MLS Cup Playoffs Champions SuperDraft Stadiums Attendance Television Broadcasters MLS Cup Associated competitions Supporters ' Shield All - Star Game ( Homegrown Game ) CONCACAF Champions League U.S. Open Cup Canadian Championship Reserve League eMLS Cup Other MLS performance in the CONCACAF Champions League Portal Multimedia MLS Cup winners 1996 : D.C. United 1997 : D.C. United 1998 : Chicago Fire 1999 : D.C. United 2000 : Kansas City Wizards 2001 : San Jose Earthquakes 2002 : Los Angeles Galaxy 2003 : San Jose Earthquakes 2004 : D.C. United 2005 : Los Angeles Galaxy 2006 : Houston Dynamo 2007 : Houston Dynamo 2008 : Columbus Crew 2009 : Real Salt Lake 2010 : Colorado Rapids 2011 : LA Galaxy 2012 : LA Galaxy 2013 : Sporting Kansas City 2014 : LA Galaxy 2015 : Portland Timbers 2016 : Seattle Sounders FC 2017 : Toronto FC U.S. Open Cup winners 1914 : Brooklyn Field Club 1915 : Bethlehem Steel 1916 : Bethlehem Steel 1917 : Fall River Rovers 1918 : Bethlehem Steel 1919 : Bethlehem Steel 1920 : Ben Millers 1921 : Robins Dry Dock 1922 : Scullin Steel 1923 : Paterson 1924 : Fall River Marksmen 1925 : Shawsheen Indians 1926 : Bethlehem Steel 1927 : Fall River Marksmen 1928 : New York Nationals 1929 : New York Hakoah 1930 : Fall River Marksmen 1931 : Fall River Marksmen 1932 : New Bedford Whalers 1933 : Stix, Baer and Fuller 1934 : Stix, Baer and Fuller 1935 : Stix, Baer and Fuller 1936 : Uhrik Truckers 1937 : New York Americans 1938 : Chicago Sparta 1939 : Brooklyn St. Mary 's Celtic 1940 : Baltimore S.C. and Chicago Sparta 1941 : Pawtucket 1942 : Pawtucket 1943 : Brooklyn Hispano 1944 : Brooklyn Hispano 1945 : Brookhattan 1946 : Chicago Viking 1947 : Ponta Delgada 1948 : St. Louis Simpkins - Ford 1949 : Morgan Strasser 1950 : St. Louis Simpkins - Ford 1951 : New York German - Hungarian 1952 : Harmarville Hurricanes 1953 : Chicago Falcons 1954 : New York Americans 1955 : Eintracht 1956 : Harmarville Hurricanes 1957 : St. Louis Kutis 1958 : Los Angeles Kickers 1959 : McIlvaine Canvasbacks 1960 : Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals 1961 : Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals 1962 : New York Hungaria 1963 : Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals 1964 : Los Angeles Kickers 1965 : New York Ukrainians 1966 : Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals 1967 : New York Greek American Atlas 1968 : New York Greek American Atlas 1969 : New York Greek American Atlas 1970 : Elizabeth 1971 : New York Hota 1972 : Elizabeth 1973 : Maccabi Los Angeles 1974 : New York Greek American Atlas 1975 : Maccabi Los Angeles 1976 : San Francisco Italian Athletic 1977 : Maccabi Los Angeles 1978 : Maccabi Los Angeles 1979 : Brooklyn Dodgers 1980 : New York Pancyprian - Freedoms 1981 : Maccabi Los Angeles 1982 : New York Pancyprian - Freedoms 1983 : New York Pancyprian - Freedoms 1984 : New York AO Krete 1985 : San Francisco Greek - American 1986 : St. Louis Kutis 1987 : Club España 1988 : St. Louis Busch Seniors 1989 : St. Petersburg Kickers 1990 : A.A.C. Eagles 1991 : Brooklyn Italians 1992 : San Jose Oaks 1993 : El Farolito 1994 : San Francisco Greek - American 1995 : Richmond Kickers 1996 : D.C. United 1997 : Dallas Burn 1998 : Chicago Fire 1999 : Rochester Rhinos 2000 : Chicago Fire 2001 : LA Galaxy 2002 : Columbus Crew 2003 : Chicago Fire 2004 : Kansas City Wizards 2005 : LA Galaxy 2006 : Chicago Fire 2007 : New England Revolution 2008 : D.C. United 2009 : Seattle Sounders FC 2010 : Seattle Sounders FC 2011 : Seattle Sounders FC 2012 : Sporting Kansas City 2013 : D.C. United 2014 : Seattle Sounders FC 2015 : Sporting Kansas City 2016 : FC Dallas 2017 : Sporting Kansas City Soccer in the United States U.S. Soccer Federation USASA USCS State Soccer Associations League system History Hall of Fame Awards Clubs International competition Champions Venues ( stadiums by capacity SSS ) Women 's soccer in the United States Men 's national teams Senior ( results players ) U23 U20 U18 U17 Futsal Beach soccer Paralympic Cerebral palsy Women 's national teams Senior U23 U20 U18 U17 Men 's outdoor leagues Professional MLS Playoffs MLS Cup USL USL Cup NASL Soccer Bowl Proposed : NISA USL Division III Amateur / Semi-pro NPSL PDL APSL CSL EPLWA GCPL SFSFL SoCal UPSL USLPA Women 's outdoor leagues Professional NWSL NWSL Shield Playoffs Amateur / Semi-pro WPSL UWS Men 's indoor leagues MASL M2 PASL WISL Men 's futsal leagues PFL MLF Men 's Cup competitions U.S. Open Cup National Amateur Cup Hank Steinbrecher Cup Women 's Cup competitions SheBelieves Cup Tournament of Nations Women 's Open Men 's college soccer NCAA Championships ( Division I, Division II, Division III ) U.S. Soccer Spring Men 's College Program NAIA Championship Women 's college soccer NCAA Championships ( Division I, Division II, Division III ) NAIA Championship Youth soccer Leagues : AYSO NFHS USYSA U.S. Development Academy Super Y - League Competitions : US Youth Soccer National Championships Jefferson Cup Defunct men 's outdoor leagues AFA ( 1884 -- 1924 ) American Cup ( 1885 -- 1924 ) ALPF ( 1894 ) NAFL ( 1895 -- 98 ) AAFA Cup ( 1912 -- 13 ) ASL ( 1921 -- 33 ) ASL ( 1933 -- 83 ) NASFL ( 1946 -- 47 ) USA ( 1967 ) NPSL ( 1967 ) NASL ( 1968 -- 84 ) USL ( 1984 -- 85 ) LSSA ( 1987 -- 92 ) ASL ( 1988 -- 89 ) WSA ( 1989 ) USL 2nd ( 1990 -- 2010 ) A-League ( 1995 -- 2004 ) USL 1st ( 2005 -- 10 ) D2 Pro League ( 2010 ) PLA ( 2015 -- 2017 ) Defunct women 's outdoor leagues W - League ( 1995 -- 2015 ) WUSA ( 2000 -- 03 ) WPS ( 2007 -- 12 ) WPSL Elite ( 2012 -- 13 ) Defunct men 's indoor leagues NASL ( 1975 -- 76, 1979 -- 84 ) MISL ( 1978 -- 92 ) NPSL ( 1984 -- 2001 ) CISL ( 1993 -- 97 ) EISL ( 1997 -- 98 ) WISL ( 1998 -- 2001 ) MISL ( 2001 -- 08 ) AISL ( 2003 -- 08 ) XSL ( 2008 -- 09 ) MISL ( 2008 -- 14 ) Sports teams based in the Chicago metropolitan area Baseball MLB Chicago Cubs Chicago White Sox MWL Kane County Cougars AA Chicago Dogs Gary SouthShore RailCats FL Joliet Slammers Schaumburg Boomers Windy City ThunderBolts MCL DuPage County Hounds Joliet Admirals NWI Oilmen Southland Vikings PL DuPage Drones Basketball NBA Chicago Bulls WNBA Chicago Sky G League Windy City Bulls ABA Chicago Fury Chicago Steam Libertyville VIpers Football NFL Chicago Bears WFA Chicago Force LFL Chicago Bliss Hockey NHL Chicago Blackhawks AHL Chicago Wolves USHL Chicago Steel Lacrosse CILL Chicago Outlaws MCLC Chicago Lacrosse Club Chitown Lacrosse Club Lincoln Park Lacrosse Club Windy City Lacrosse Club Roller derby USARS Chicago Red Hots WFTDA Chicago Outfit Roller Derby Windy City Rollers Rugby RSL Chicago Griffins RFC Chicago Lions RFC Soccer MLS Chicago Fire NWSL Chicago Red Stars PDL Chicago FC United Indoor soccer M2 Chicago Mustangs Softball NPF Chicago Bandits Australian rules football USAFL Chicago Swans College athletics ( NCAA Division I ) Chicago State Cougars DePaul Blue Demons Loyola Ramblers Northern Illinois Huskies Northwestern Wildcats UIC Flames Valparaiso Crusaders College athletics ( NCAA Division II ) Lewis Flyers Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chicago_Fire_Soccer_Club&oldid=842409437 '' Categories : Chicago Fire Soccer Club Association football clubs established in 1997 Soccer clubs in Chicago Soccer clubs in Illinois 1997 establishments in Illinois Soldier Field Major League Soccer teams Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Use mdy dates from April 2018 Use American English from October 2016 All Wikipedia articles written in American English Football team templates which use American parameter Articles with hCards Articles needing additional references from August 2015 All articles needing additional references Pages using div col without cols and colwidth parameters All articles lacking reliable references Articles lacking reliable references from August 2015 Commons category with page title different than on Wikidata Talk Contents About Wikipedia አማርኛ Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ Български Català Čeština Dansk Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Esperanto فارسی Français Galego 한국어 हिन्दी Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Lietuvių Magyar Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Română Русский Simple English Српски / srpski Suomi Svenska Türkçe Українська 中文 26 more Edit links This page was last edited on 22 May 2018, at 08 : 01. 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Question: when did the chicago fire soccer team start
Answer: October 8, 1997