Manchester United no sooner got off their bus after arriving in Chicago, than legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and striker Michael Owen joined Chicago Fire interim coach Frank Klopas and veteran defender Cory Gibbs for a joint press conference at the Four Seasons hotel in downtown Chicago.
Much of the brief press conference centered around two main topics: the heat, and the previous days’ crushing of Seattle Sounders at the hands of Manchester United. Sir Alex was jovial regarding the heat and its potential impact on Saturday’s match at Soldier Field, saying that on game day he may “stay at the hotel” to find reprieve from the torrid temperatures currently baking the Midwest, a big departure from the more manageable temps found in the Pacific Northwest, the team’s previous stop. Of the upcoming match and impact the heat may have, Sir Alex said, “We’ve come from a nice cool atmosphere in Seattle to a furnace in Chicago. It’s going to be a test for the players. But it will be manageable, we hope….We’ll probably reduce the training sessions – that’s obvious. As for the game itself, we’ll have to make appropriate changes – probably quite a few at half-time and some more early in the second half.”
Attention then turned to the Wednesday fixture between Manchester United and Seattle Sounders, where Seattle was manhandled by the Red Devils in the second half, giving up six of their seven goals in the final 45 minutes. When asked about the match, Sir Alex was gracious to Seattle, acknowledging that the second half was a lopsided affair, as Seattle brought in a number of reserve players. He stated that it was not indicative of the level of competition in MLS. “It was a bit of a false score line….I think it was a harsh reflection on the game for Seattle, so I think you have to dismiss that one.”
Attention next turned to Fire manager Frank Klopas, and the prospect of seeing new Fire signing Sebastian Grazzini in action for the first time on Saturday. “He’s coming along, I think you’ll see him get minutes in this game, but he’s nowhere near where he’s able to go 90 minutes. He finished his season maybe 4 or 5 weeks ago, and he’s been on break, so now our main focus is get him minutes this game, but also looking ahead and making sure that he’s at full fitness level and ready to play in the Philly game.”
What was not discussed, but has surfaced in the hours since this afternoon’s press conference, is the strong but unverified possibility that Club America star Pavel Pardo’s signing with the Chicago Fire is imminent. Sources seem to indicate that the signing will happen within days, although no further information is known at this time.
The Fire takes on Manchester United on Saturday at 4pm CST at historic Soldier Field in Chicago. The game airs on ESPN2, and limited tickets are still available by visiting http://www.ticketmaster.com.
Image courtesy of Jeff Krause
