The Chicago Fire play their second match of 2012 preseason phase two Wednesday in a friendly against the Portland Timbers at 1pm CT/11am PT at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. Live audio of the game can be heard via Chicago-Fire.com. Fans can also follow along via @ChiFireMatch on Twitter.
- Wednesday’s game will be played at The Home Depot Center’s Practice Field 4. The match is FREE and open to the public.
- The match will be 120 minutes with Frank Klopas likely to push the starting group from the regular 45 minutes from the past few games to approximately 60 minutes Wednesday.
- Captain Logan Pause rejoined the team in California ahead of Tuesday afternoon’s training session following Monday’s Comcast Sports Awards and the birth of his daughter. Whether or not Pause will play will be decided Wednesday morning.
- Having sat out Wednesday’s 1-0 victory over Chivas USA, Colombian midfielder Rafael Robayo is expected to make his Fire debut Wednesday.
- Mexican center back Rodrigo Inigo remains in camp with fellow trialists defender Ivan Guerrero and goalkeepers Alec Kann and Paolo Tornaghi. Defender Jed Zayner was released from camp Tuesday.
- Brazilian attacker Alex remains on trial with the club but is unavailable for selection Wednesday.
- All three of the team’s remaining unsigned draft picks striker Lucky Mkosana, defender Hunter Jumper and midfielder/defender Tony Walls remain in camp.
- The Fire enter Wednesday’s match 3-0-1, having not trailed through four preseason games while outscoring opponents 7-1.
- FIRE RESULTS: Fire 0, DC United 0 (January 29); Fire 3, Florida Gulf Coast 0 (February 1); Fire 3, Real Espana 1 (February 4); Fire 1, Chivas USA 0 (February 11).
- Portland comes into Wednesday’s game in similar fashion at 2-0-1, having not trailed through three preseason games while outscoring opponents 6-1.
- TIMBERS RESULTS: Timbers 4, LA Galaxy 1 (February 7); Timbers 0, Montreal Impact 0 (February 10); Timbers 2, Houston Dynamo 0 (February 12).
- Dominic Oduro leads the team with three goals in preseason. Orr Barouch has tallied two, while midfielders Marco Pappa and Daniel Paladini have single strikes to their names.
- Haitian midfielder James Marcelin leads the Timbers with two preseason goals while Bright Dike, Jorge Perlaza Momadou Danso and Jack Jewsbury have tallied once.
- Forecast for kickoff Wednesday is 54 degrees with a 40% chance of rain during the game.
- The last time these two teams met… The Fire fell victim to a 25th minute Jack Jewsbury penalty, two hit posts by Cory Gibbs and Orr Barouch and Yamith Cuesta’s 63rd minute sending off, going down in defeat 1-0 on July 16, 2011 at Toyota Park.
