APRIL 2018 WEEK 15 CHICAGO FIRE WIN

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1 MAGAZINE APRIL 2018 WEEK 15 CHICAGO FIRE WIN 1-0

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3 Chicago Fire Earn 1-0 Home Win Against Columbus Crew SC The Chicago Fire topped visiting Columbus Crew SC 1-0 thanks to a goal from reigning MLS Golden Boot winner Nemanja Nikolic on Saturday at Toyota Park. Nikolic capitalized on a giveaway from Crew SC (3-2-1, 10 pts.) goalkeeper Zack Steffen, slotting his shot into the net in the 27th minute for the game's lone goal. That strike was Nikolic's fourth of the season, moving him into a tie for fourth in the league in goals scored. Defensively, the Fire (1-2-1, 4 pts.) earned their first clean sheet of the year. The shutout was also Richard Sanchez's first with the Fire and in his six-year MLS career. Chicago scored for the 35th consecutive home game, the longest streak in MLS since The last time the Fire failed to score at Toyota Park was March 19, 2016 in a scoreless draw against Crew SC. Three Fire players earned participation milestones on Saturday. Rookie midfielder Diego Campos made his first career professional start, Alan Gordon started his first game with the Fire, and rookie Homegrown Player Grant Lillard made his professional debut as a substitute in the 64th minute. The Fire return to action on Saturday, April 14 against the LA Galaxy (2-1-1, 7 pts.) at Toyota Park. Kickoff is 2:30 p.m. CT, and the match will be televised nationally on Univision Deportes with a radio broadcast also available on Univision Deportes 1200AM. Quotes: Veljko Paunovic, Chicago Fire Head Coach On the team's defensive performance: "First of all, I want to thank our guys for the great mentality and character we showed. I think we had to grind out the whole game. This is not the best, definitely not the game that we're going to remember for anything except the win and three points. I also am proud of their effort and very grateful for that. I think we learned today how to play this way and win games. On the other end, I also want to congratulate Columbus. This was one of the best teams that ever, actually, since I've been here, the best teams that outplayed us here at home and I think they are a fantastic team, fantastic coach. Obviously, we were lucky in some moments but as we always say in soccer, in this game, you have to win your luck and I think at the end that's what happened. But, again, it wasn't a game that we will remember but definitely we have to build on top of these three points and the opportunity of another game we have in front of us next Saturday against another good team and a tough team to beat." On the team giving up so much possession and shots: "Listen, I cannot blame our team on not playing the way we are used to or the way we play because this is exactly what I asked. I asked today to grind and grind out three points and make the game difficult for Columbus. Which I think in long moments we did and make it long with effort, with good organization, and strong mentality. I'm going to give you an honest assessment. This is not the way we want to play. Definitely not always. But it's good to have this resource because sometimes you will face better teams like we had to face today and you have to learn to win these kind of games, too." On the three points and what it means for the team going forward "The three points should serve to regain confidence. I don't think it's been a game to remember. There was nothing memorable except for the win and the three points. The guys have done a fantastic job and I'm very grateful for the effort throughout the entire 90 minutes. Not only the physical effort but the mental, and even emotional. We all suffered today against one of the best teams that have passed through here and we're also happy for getting the three points that should serve to raise our game which we're still lacking." On playing Bastian Schweinsteiger as a sweeper and whether it's a long-term solution: "At this point we, unfortunately, have to figure it out and we have to fix things and Bastian is one of the players that can play any role. He definitely helps our defense to feel more confident and be more organized and helps the team that way. Definitely we want, I want, to help Bastian to do even more. But as I said today, his personality is amazing because he accepts the roles knowing that he's going to help the team. We have to figure it out to help him to have a better game from him. It's going to take some time and I'm very grateful that he stays confident and very reliable and helpful. So, definitely, we will fix the things that we have to fix on the other side of the game which is offensively. I think in the past we had much better offensive performances. But today, except for the good pressure in the turnover where we scored the goal, I think we struggled. Again, we are fixing things and I think fixing the defense which, today, looked better. But we still conceded a lot of opportunities. Still we have to do a better job there and just build on top of this important win that gives us some confidence. But it's still a long way to go." CREDIT: CHICAGO FIRE SOCCER CLUB 3

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5 4 APRIL 14, :30 PM Chicago Announces 2018 Theme Night Schedule The Red Stars have announced its 2018 theme night schedule for the upcoming season at Toyota Park. This year s theme night will include fan favorites, like Supernova s Birthday Game, presented by Wintrust (April 21), the annual Pride Night, presented by IBJI (May 26), and Bark at the Park (July 1). New to the schedule will be an Australian Celebration (June 16) and #SheInspiresMe Night (July 14). To view the whole theme schedule and purchase ticket pacakges, click here Red Stars Theme Night Schedule Supernova s Birthday Game, presented by Wintrust Saturday, April 21 vs. Sky Blue FC; 7 p.m. CT Giveaway: 2018 Schedule poster, GoGo squeez, KIND snacks Celebrate Supernova s birthday with the Red Stars! Join Supernova and his mascot friends at Toyota Park for the biggest birthday bash of the year! All fans will enjoy free giveaways from GoGo squeez and KIND Snacks and be able to participate in a mascot autograph signing! Youth Soccer Night Saturday, May 12 vs. Houston Dash; 7 p.m. CT Join us as we celebrate youth soccer in Chicago. All youth soccer teams who purchase tickets for this game will be recognized on the field at halftime and also have a chance to take a postgame photo on the field. Pride Game, presented by IBJI Saturday, May 26 vs. Orlando Pride; 2:30 p.m. CT Kick off PRIDE month with the Chicago Red Stars! Ticket packages for this game include entry to our pre-game tailgate and an exclusive PRIDE Red Stars t-shirt.

6 5 Australian Celebration Saturday, June 16 vs. Portland Thorns FC; 2:30 p.m. CT Cheer on Australian soccer legend and 2018 Young Australian of the Year Sam Kerr as she leads the Chicago Red Stars in an epic battle against the Portland Thorns and their Australian stars Ellie Carpenter, Caitlin Foord and Hayley Raso. Bark in the Park Sunday, July 1 vs. Washington Spirit; 5 p.m. CT This is a night for the dogs! Join us at Toyota Park for our annual Bark in the Park celebration where your pup is invited to cheer on the Red Stars at your side. You and your dog can enjoy our pre-game Pet Fun Fest and everyone who purchases a Bark in the Park ticket receives a free pup-friendly gift bag. #SheInspiresMe Night Saturday, July 14 vs. Seattle Reign FC; 7 p.m. CT Join the Chicago Red Stars for our inaugural #SHEINSPIRESME Night! Celebrate all the women in your life that inspire you and enjoy a pre-game expo showcasing businesses and organizations that serve women. The ticket package includes an exclusive #SHEINSPIRESME T-shirt. Salute to Service Night Saturday, July 28 vs. Sky Blue FC; 7 p.m. CT Join the Chicago Red Stars as we honor veterans and members of our military at our annual Salute to Service game. The ticket package includes an exclusive Salute to Service Red Stars baseball cap. Fan Appreciation Night Friday, August 10 vs. North Carolina Courage; 6:30 p.m. CT Fans are invited to help us celebrate our final home game of the 2018 regular season. Join the fun with giveaways, chances to win prizes and a locker room sale to close out the 2018 season.

7 6 Cubs delay home opener vs. Pirates because of snow The Chicago Cubs' home opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates has been postponed because of snow. The Cubs tried pushing back the scheduled start time by an hour, and workers used handheld blowers to melt the snow on the tarp, but the accumulation and cold temperatures were too much to overcome. Snow covered the seats on the lower level and the playing surface at Wrigley Field in a scene more reminiscent of December than April. "On the way out to the park, I had no idea if I was going to the Cubs convention [in January] or Opening Day, so I thought it was the right thing to do," manager Joe Maddon said. The game was rescheduled for Tuesday afternoon, which was previously an off day for the first series between the National League Central rivals. "It's rough out there," reliever Steve Cishek said. "We're disappointed. We wanted to get this home opener underway. But at the same time, I know some guys in the bullpen probably, like myself, could use an extra day off just to heal up a little bit and be ready for tomorrow." Pirates right-hander Ivan Nova is expected to move back one day to start the series opener, and Maddon said Tyler Chatwood would go for the Cubs. Snow blanketed Wrigley Field on Monday, leading the Cubs to delay their first home game of the season by one more day. Dennis Wierzbicki/USA TODAY Sports About 10 miles to the south, the Chicago White Sox were hosting the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday in a game delayed briefly by the wintry weather. This is Tampa Bay's only trip to Chicago this season. Chicago is the last major league team to hold its home opener. It opened the season with a 5-4 road trip to Miami, Cincinnati and Milwaukee. "Opening Day is always very special," Maddon said. "We've already played nine or 10 games, so it's a little different. You'd rather go out there with your uniform on and not five layers of clothing, [though]." Pittsburgh is off to a surprising 7-2 start. It took three of four against Cincinnati in its previous series. ESPN's Jesse Rogers and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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