Ten countries participate in the tournament and are divided into two groups of five. The United States is in Group A with Columbia, Congo DR, South Korea and France. Group B consists of Belgium, Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria and Portugal. The United States opens the tournament against France on May 28.
This tournament is being considered by the U-20 team as a tune up for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey.
Pineda is the first homegrown players in Fire history scored three goals and had one assist in six appearances for the U-20s in 2012. He missed the 2013 CONCACAF U-20 Championship due because he was rehabilitating after having surgery on Nov. 15, 2012 to repair a torn meniscus.
Should the Eagles win, the game on May 29 would be played at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C. Should the Sounders advance, the Fire is schedule to play the Premier Development League side on May 28 at Toyota Park.
The tournament, which guarantees entrance into the CONCACAF Champions League to the champion, is the 100th edition of the U.S. Open Cup.
]]>The United States is about to start a five-game stretch that will span through June and July. It will include three FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and the Centennial Celebration Match against Germany. Four goalkeepers will rotate through training camp over that time.
"We have some excellent backup keepers starting with Nick Rimando, who's playing an outstanding season for Real Salt Lake and has done great with us every time he's come into our program," national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann said in a statement. "We're also excited about the goalkeepers who come after him: Bill Hamid, Sean Johnson and Tally Hall. It's exciting that we can rotate them a bit in these upcoming couple of weeks because we don't want the MLS goalies to miss too many of their games."
Currently in his fourth professional season, Johnson has started eight of the Fire's nine games this season.
If the Sounders advance, the Fire will host the game at Toyota Park. If the Eagles advance, the Fire will open tournament play on the road at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C.
The Fire has won the Dewar Trophy, awarded to the tournament champion, in 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006. Since 1998, the Fire is 29-11-4 in Open Cup play.
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A red card can only be overturned by a unanimous vote. The league's statement specified that the vote was not unanimous, allowing reason to speculate that there was some dissent about the controversial call.
The referee had ruled that Larentowicz denied an obvious goal scoring opportunity. But replay clearly shows that Larentowicz attempted to avoid contact and raises questions as to whether Larentowicz committed a foul at all.
Larentowicz will be suspended for the Fire's next game.
]]>Club América has won 10 Primera Division championships. Their five CONCACAF Championships ties them for the most all time. Among the most notable players on their roster are Mexican international defender Efraín Juárez and Ecuadorian striker Christian Benitez.
Tickets for the game go on sale on May 3 at noon central. For Fire season ticket holders, the game serves as Bonus Game 1.
Larentowicz received the card for what was perceived to be a challenge at the edge of the Fire penalty box after Montreal placed a through ball into the area. However, video replay clearly shows that Larentowicz was trying to avoid contact--indicating the play shouldn't have warranted even a yellow card.
]]> The issuance of a red card automatically results in the suspension of that player for the team's following game.Each team is allowed to make two unsuccessful red card appeals. All appeals are presented to an independent review panel with one representative from each of the following entities: U.S. Soccer Federation, Canadian Soccer Association and Professional Referees Organization.
The Fire anticipates that a decision will be made in the next two to three days.
Though he is listed as an outside midfielder, Thompson has started the past four straight games as an outside back for the Fire.
Since being inserted into the starting lineup, Thompson has been one of the team's most effective players, even during its struggles earlier this season. He has played well on the right side in combination with outside midfielder Patrick Nyarko and has proven to be effective as an overlapping outside back.
According to reports former Fire player Jerzy Podbrozny is acting as an intermediary. Podbrozny is currently coaching in Poland and was Klopas' teammate with the Fire.
While Klopas admitted to speaking with Podbrozny, he emphasized that he Fire has not made an offer.
"They [Klopas' contacts] always say, Frank, take a look at this guy, take a look at that guy. That's where that is. That's it. If they are saying we are signing the guy tomorrow, no. Is a deal on the table? No."
]]>The U-20 training camp is intended to ready the team for this June's FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey. The United States has drawn Group A--the tournaments most difficult--and will play Spain in Istanbul on June 21, France in Istanbul on June 24 and Ghana in Kayseri on June 27.
Pineda has been a fixture for his national team class, but there was some speculation that could miss the U-20 World Cup. This offseason Pineda had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. His rehab kept him out of the 2013 CONCACAF U-20 Championship.
In six appearances for the U-20 team in 2012, Pineda tallied three goals and one assist. Pineda is the first homegrown player in Fire history and a native of Bolingbrook.
After injuring the hamstring Friedrich returned to his home country of Germany to work with his personal physical therapist. Upon his return Friedrich rejoined the Fire in training and reported to have no pain.
After spending two weeks regaining his fitness, it was anticipated that he would make his season debut against the Columbus Crew Saturday at Toyota Park. Instead he has since been relegated to only indoor activity.
"If somebody would tell me in two weeks I'll be back on the field, it would be a little bit easier," Friedrich said. "I don't know if it's going to be solves within two weeks or four weeks or one week. I don't really know and this is what drives me crazy."
]]>Nyarko pulled his hamstring in the Fire's friendly against Minnesota FC United and sat out the team's 3-1 win over the New York Red Bulls at Toyota Park last Sunday. But after training this week, the talented Ghanaian is eyeing Sunday's game as a chance to regain his form.
Among his biggest challenges in training this week has been dealing with Chicago's cold weather.
"It's definitely better if you pick one out of the two weathers, for sure the warm weather," Nyarko said. "Because coming back on Wednesday that's when it rained in the morning, it was very cold and you could definitely tell the difference between the two because when play stopped the hamstring just really tightened back up."
When pressed Nyarko said that he felt he could go 90 minutes, noting that without a full preseason he was able to play 90 minutes in the season-opener. That indicates that he needs little time to regain fitness after injury.
Prior to Sunday's win, Nyarko was the only Fire player to score in the team's first four games.
]]>According to a Fire spokesperson, Segares met with team doctors on Sunday.
Center back Arne Friedrich has yet to play this season after he strained his right hamstring in the week of training leading up to the Fire's 4-1 loss in the season opener against the Los Angeles Galaxy at the Home Depot Center.
Friedrich returned to his home country of Germany for a little over two weeks to receive treatment on the injured hamstring and returned to training this week and said he had experienced no pain.
"Arne's been training, so I think it looks pretty good, unless there are any setbacks before Houston," Fire coach Frank Klopas said. "I think we take it one day at a time. He trained today with the guys that didn't suit up ... so I'm hoping Tuesday that he will go with the team."
Nyarko trained inside Tuesday along with fellow starting outside midfielder Dilly Duka who has missed the Fire's 4-1 loss at home to Chivas USA on March 24 due to he same injury.
Midfielder/defender Michael Videira (concussion symptoms) and defender Steven Kinney (right quad tightness) are also considered questionable for Sunday's game.
On the positive side, midfielder Logan Pause is completely healed from the ankle injury he sustained just days before the season-opener in Los Angeles and says that he is available to play a full 90 minutes. Pause hasn't played in any of the Fire's four games this season.
Center back Arne Friedrich is also officially off the club's injury report. The German international sustained a right hamstring strain prior to the season-opener, spent two weeks with his personal physical therapist in Germany and has returned to training. He was a full participant Tuesday, but Klopas hasn't determined whether he'll select Friedrich for Sunday's game.
"It's tough, a lot has to do with the time that you're out," Klopas said of Friedrich. It's difficult. He's been in it a couple of days. So I think it's been good. Obviously he feels good. The intensity has been very good the last couple of days so obviously it's just a matter of his fitness."
]]>"This loan is a great opportunity for Kellen to earn consistent playing time," Fire President of Soccer Operations Javier Leon said in a team statement. "Kellen is a young player with great potential. We are looking forward to monitoring his development and progress while he is in Atlanta."
Gulley is the second homegrown player in Fire history having played with the Mississippi Fire Juniors. He signed with the Aug. 11, 2011.
He participated in the U.S. Soccer U-17 residency program and scored four goals in eight international appearances for the U-17 team in 2009 and 2010.
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