Brian McBride took some time out from the Fire's pre-season camp in Los Angeles to answer readers' questions. Here are his responses: What exactly did Daniele De Rossi say to you after he received a red card for an elbow on you in World Cup 2006? Thank you so much for bring...

With the Fire currently boasting one of the league's most talented rosters, Fire forward Patrick Nyarko could be the odd man out of the line-up. Still, Nyarko wants to be ready to step in when needed -- even if it means playing a different position. "I've been playing the role Cua...

It wasn't that long ago that Illinois-Chicago goalkeeper Jovan Bubonja was getting Generation adidas consideration. Now the All-American keeper won't even be in next week's draft. What happened? Bubonja was passed up by Generation adidas because they felt they only needed one goalkeeper (California'...

It's hard enough getting away from Luis during the season. Now he's haunting me during the winter months as well. I figured he had better things to do like play Rock Band 2, play with his X-Men figurines and work on his next profile picture for his blog, but I guess I don't know him as well as I tho...

Like any other player, Marco Pappa wishes he would have played more during his first season with the Fire. Still, the Guatemalan midfielder enjoyed his time with the Fire and expects to return to the team in 2009. "I'd like to return to Chicago and be more productive next year," said Pappa...

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Here are my thoughts on the Fire's 2-1 loss to the Columbus Crew on Thursday: 1. The Fire had the better roster, but the Crew was the better team: It was easy to tell why the Crew finished with the best record in MLS. Coach Sigi Schmid knew how to get the best out of his players an...

The last time Chad Barrett spoke with U.S. Men's Olympic Team coach Peter Nowak, he was told he shouldn't worry about not getting called in for the Toulon International Tournament in May. "He told me he would take me to the next camp," said Barrett, 23. "There hasn't been a camp since...

Lider Marmol went from a highly coveted defender in April to getting left off the Fire's 18-man game-day roster twice in the last week, including a U.S. Open Cup game. "It's a hard decision to make," said Fire head coach Denis Hamlett about picking his 18-man roster. "It's based on th...

According to the Fire, Lider Marmol was left off the game-day roster against Toronto on Saturday due to a coach's decision. The Paraguayan defender was also left off the game-day roster in Tuesday's U.S. Open Cup game against D.C. United. His only appearance in an MLS game came when he entered the g...

Frank Klopas got his first look at Guatemalan midfielder Marco Pablo Pappa during an Olympic qualifying match. Since then, he's spoken to several people who have seen Pappa play and has liked what he's heard. "We've done as much research as you can," Klopas said. According to the Fire tech...