It is difficult for me to attend many Major League Soccer games throughout the season because their games often compete with many other sporting events that take place during the summer and they play on Saturday nights – normally a forbidden night for me to attend sporting events. Last night was an exception since the Chicago Fire was playing a Thursday night game versus Chivas USA and it was the main sporting event taking place in the Chicago area.

One problem with getting to venues in Chicago on weeknights is traffic. Plus last night’s bonus was the rain that fell throughout the entire evening. I left the house at 5:45 pm for the 7:00 pm start but did not arrive at Toyota Park until 7:10 pm – I should have been no later than 6:30 pm. I could park quickly since I had my media parking pass. As I walked towards the stadium the national anthem was playing so I had arrived on time.

Obtaining Tickets
This was the third Chicago Fire game I attended this season. The first game was the Fire’s home opener on April 5 and the second game was a SuperLiga match on June 27. Both times I received a media credential from the media gate. This time was no exception. My credential was not waiting for me, but after a short explanation I had a credential and made my way to the press box.

The Game
If there had not been a steady rain all evening I would have watched the game from the stands, but I chose to stay dry and stay in the press box. In September, when I attended two Villareal matches within five days, I wrote about the torrential rain and how it affected the pitch during the match. Last night was no exception as the field became water logged as the game continued. The ball and the players made a splash each time they made a sharp move on the field which definitely affected the play on the field.

The Chicago Fire needed a tie to clinch a playoff berth. It looked as though the game would end in a 0-0 tie until Cuauhtemoc Blanco turned a corner kick into an own goal for the only goal of the match. The Fire won 1-0 and clinched second place in the Eastern Conference.

At halftime, Chris Armas was inducted into the Fire’s hall of fame, which is known as the Ring of Fire.