Chris Rolfe talks return to the Fire

Chris Rolfe’s return to the Fire all happened so fast on Monday.
A morning rumor on a message board, followed by a blog entry and shortly thereafter an announcement from the Fire making official the return of the club’s second all-time leading goal scorer from Aalborg BK in Denmark. Soon enough, Chris Rolfe was trending in Chicago on Twitter.
If it moved quickly for you, imagine how Chris felt -- the announcement was made during his flight from Copenhagen, approximately at the time he was flying over Greenland. After clearing customs at O’Hare Monday night, he was greeted by a number of supporters from Section 8 Chicago.
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“It was a pleasant surprise,” Rolfe said about the greeting Tuesday. “By the time I left Denmark we were still hush-hush about me coming back. Obviously when I saw the fans there I knew word had gotten out. I turned my phone on and had a bunch of messages so it was nice to see so many people happy to have me back.”
The move to bring Rolfe back was indeed a fast one. With the Fire having scored just three goals in four matches and a desire on both sides to have Rolfe return, yeoman’s work was done in the days leading up to the MLS transfer deadline on April 15 to finalize a deal.
“Everything just happened so fast in the last five days or so. It’s been extremely hectic and challenging but I have to give credit to both clubs for working through the process together and MLS for helping as well. I’m really excited to be back in Chicago and to be part of this organization again. I hope I can provide something they need right now.”
The second leading scorer in club history, many of Rolfe’s 40 goals across all competitions from his first stint with the Fire (2005-09) will bring fond memories back for the club’s fan base. While adding someone that has proven they can find the back of the net is a good start, bringing one that is match fit and ready for action right away is a coup.
Rolfe last played 19 days ago for Aalborg, coming on as a 72^nd minute substitute before receiving a stoppage time red card in a 1-0 loss at Horsens in Danish Superliga play. Over the course of the last season, he’s appeared in 21 matches, starting 18 for AaB.
With Rolfe set for his first training stint with the Fire Wednesday morning, he’s hopeful to figure into the team’s match away to Toronto FC, and why not? In four previous appearances against the Reds, Rolfe has tallied three goals and an assist.
“I want to play, I’m excited to play,” Rolfe said about his possible inclusion in the lineup Saturday. “I’m going to talk to Frank [Klopas] and see how training goes this week. We’ll see what’s decided. For me, I’m excited and ready to play.”