You ask, I answer...

Nick from Peoria, IL sent,

Chris - thanks for coming out to Peoria to play the Open Cup game verse the Crew. The Fire looked good and the game was exciting. How was the trip? What did you think about the support you received from the fans?

I enjoyed the trip to Peoria. The drive was no more than 2 1/2 hours - just long enough for us to watch a movie with a little extra free time (we watched a movie from 1981 with Bill Murray and John Candy that did a great job showing the generation gap between the younger players and John Busch - I mean the older players). We first went to Shea Stadium on the campus of Bradley University the morning of the game for a light practice. We were surprised by a large group of kids who had shown up to watch some of our practice and to get autographs, whom I'm guessing were on campus for a soccer camp. When we came back for the game that evening, the field had been watered and the grass had been trimmed to a nice level. By kickoff, the stands were filled and the surrounding standing areas were also occupied. A large group of our front office staff were in attendance, also, which was great to see. I've got to think that the sun was an issue for the fans sitting across from the benches in first half. I was playing on that side and trying to look across the field was difficult at times because of the level of the sun. It was hard to decipher who was on what team, which may have been apparent by my passes? Beats me, I couldn't see... In short, the trip went well, the people were friendly, the hotel food was bad, the field was great, the support was tremendous and we won!

Michelle from Dallas sent,

Hey Chris! What is your favorite place to play other than in Chicago?

I'd have to say, as most of you would guess, that my favorite place to play on the road is Columbus. I enjoy knowing that my family and friends are in attendance. That gives me an extra boost during the game. Another place that I don't mind playing at is D.C. I enjoy their field because it tends to be a quick, low-cut surface that is softer than most of the other fields in MLS. Recently, my brother has been able to make the games there, which like I said above, is always nice.

Rico from Los Angeles sent,

Chris, it was cool watching the U.S. National team play England, Spain and Argentina. I thought you would've helped the team. Were you mad that you didn't get to play those games?

It was great seeing the national team face up against those three teams. I believe that most kids growing up who play soccer fantasize about playing against teams of the that caliber. Of course I would have loved to have played in those games, but I'm not mad that I wasn't included. The coach chose the best team available to him, and whether I'm in that group or not, I will still be excited for the national team as a whole and the players involved. I'm very happy with the way things are going with the Fire and the fact that I've been able to play a role in our success so far.

Dave from Dayton sent,

Will you be watching the European Championship? Who is your choice to be crowned champions?

So far I've been able to catch quite a few games. I have been looking forward to this tournament since 2004. That summer, I was living in Romeoville, IL with a bunch of other professional soccer hopefuls while playing for the Chicago Fire Reserves PDL team. We didn't train until 8 or 9 at night, so we had all day to sit around and watch the games. Picture a decent two bedroom apartment with nothing more than a couch (from Goodwill) and a small tv sitting on a wooden table (from the dumpster) in the living room. Add to that a bunch of college kids including Drew Moor, Vedad Ibisevic, Danny O'Rourke, Dasan Robinson, Brad Guzan among others, eating microwave meals and/or fast food on the ground. All of June everyone was stuck to the television in our poorly furnished apartment just to watch those games. The tournament was exciting that year, but watching the games in that setting definitely added to the enjoyment, somehow.

This year I have to go with The Netherlands. Van Nistelrooy will do the creating up top and Van Der Sar will keep things tight in the back. If they get out of their group, I think they will have a good chance at winning the tournament. I also make a point of watching Portugal, Spain and Germany. Other than that, I'm not too up-to-date on my European soccer!

If any of you have questions that you'd like answered or anything you'd like to know about myself, the Fire or soccer in general, continue to utilize the "contact" tab in the upper right corner of the homepage.

The 11th weekend of MLS games is about to begin this afternoon. I figured this would be a good time to analyze a bit of our season so far and give you a peek into the psychology of Chris Rolfe.

We're 9 games deep with an overall record of 6-2-1. That record represents the best start to an MLS season that I've been involved with. We are excited about our record on the road, 4-0-1, but a little confused about our home record, which sits at 2-2-0. So as a player, I give some thought to what could be different about my own mentality and approach to the game when we are at home. I've played in the first and fourth home games, with a resulting record of 1-1. The first game was a 4-0 win against New England with the help of a red card in the 7th minute to Larentowicz. How did I prepare for that game? Was I happy with my performance? Did I get enough sleep? How was my diet? Could I have been distracted by factors not directly associated with the game? What about the factors directly related to the game? Was it an emotional game?

So I think back to April 3rd and the week leading up to the game. First, was I happy with my performance? All in all, I felt that I did what I was supposed to. Of course, I could have been better at certain moments, but for this example there's no need to get specific. My legs felt good and I remember moving pretty well. Next, I look at the days leading up to the game. I don't specifically remember anything about training, which means it was probably demanding, but not enough to make me feel uncomfortable. We played 5 days before on turf in Utah, which can necessitate longer recovery time. I received a massage post-game and had a good meal with the team that should have enhanced my body's recovery. I slept well that week and ate routinely. Were there factors that would have distracted me? I had rented out my room during the pre-season months, so I was able to move back into my living space that week. The game was on a Thursday, so I didn't have the possible distractions associated with a weekend game. The game was to be broadcast nationally on ESPN2. That can actually help me focus earlier than usual for a game, because of text messages, phone calls and emails that tend to come when friends and family plan to watch a game on tv. On the other end, that can also be a distraction depending on how I perceive the attention I'm receiving. Along with that, the excitement was high in order to show our fans just how good we were. I was disappointed in how we played in our season opener in Utah, so that added to my insistence on proving ourselves at home. Thinking about all that I've written above, it seemed like I was happy with my performance, and all the factors leading into the game were more beneficial than harmful.


Now I fast forward to my next home game (the team's 4th) on Saturday, May 17th. This game was played against Houston and it resulted in a 2-1 loss. So i go over the same questions for this game as I did for the last. Did I feel that I played well? Well, for this game I was in a different role - a more defensive role played alongside Logan Pause in front of our backline. I wasn't as comfortable in that position as I was playing a more attacking role in our last home game. In the end, I felt as if I wasn't involved in the attacking side of things as much as I should've been. My legs didn't feel as good as usual which hampered me at times from joining the attack. My defense was sporadic. Overall, I think I could've been better. We were coming off of a seven day break where we played DC on the road. I got a very good meal after that game and also got a massage post-game. So that shouldn't have been a concern. However, training that week does stick out in my mind. On Tuesday that week, we did some lifting that stressed the legs and then trained afterwards. The team has done that on occasion this year, but this was my first go at it. I don't lift my legs much during the season, and a long lifting session could bother me for a few days at least. This could be a possible culprit for my legs not feeling great. My sleep was constant with a nap once or twice in the afternoons. My diet was the same as usual. My parents were in town that weekend and were in attendance at the game. However, they did not deter me from my regular activities leading up to the game. My phone was on silent and my windows were closed, so no weekend distractions occurred while I was sleeping. So I didn't feel all that great about my performance that night, and there were potential distractions and activities that could have played a role in that.

The differences from the two weeks included, guests, training styles, length between games, a few emotions due to the home opener and national tv, and the day of the game. A lot of that is uncontrollable by me. The way I see it, I can merely attempt to adjust to those factors. That's where, as a professional athlete, I can continue to "improve" or give myself a better chance to succeed.

Our game tonight against DC United is on Fox Soccer Channel. It's been 13 days since our last game and training has been quite different than usual. This is where compartmentalization comes into play. I set aside the factors that we've just gone over, and nothing else matters. Only positive thoughts are in my mind from this point on as I prepare for tonight - there will be no thoughts about anything other than my role, our objectives, my preparation and our opponent.

I hope this insight about my thoughts, which probably seem a bit crazy, help you understand a bit more about what goes into thriving to be the best I can be.

I also wanted to congratulate Brandon Prideaux and his wife on the birth of their first child - a baby boy.

To check out a little preview to our game tonight, check out this link and go to "DC United preview" at the top of the page.

The coaches decided to give us a day off from practice today due to our hectic schedule approaching. We will play four games in 13 days between June 7th and June 19th. Three of those games won't be played at Toyota Park, so we will travel approximately 4,756 miles during that time period. Among our regularly scheduled games for this month, we've added a game on Tuesday the 10th of June for the U.S. Open Cup round of 16. We will match up against the Columbus Crew at a neutral site in Peoria, Illinois. Columbus has had a hot start to the season so this should be an exciting game amongst two of the top teams in MLS. We won this tournament two years ago by defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy in the final.

I have selfishly good news! I may have passed on the injury bug to my unsuspecting roommate. He was playing in a men's league game last night and was involved in a hard tackle with the goalie. The result, as we found out today, is the same ankle injury that I suffered last year in Toronto.

As most of you heard, the rumor is that Brian McBride could be coming back to play in the MLS. Apparently, Toronto has first dibs on him, but the Fire could look to make a deal to bring him back to Illinois. No one within the team has said much about this, yet.

Our latest signing, Lider Marmol, has torn meniscus in his knee during Monday's training. He had surgery to fix it yesterday. He will hopefully be back working out in three weeks.

I'm heading out to watch the U.S. vs. Spain game. Don't forget to vote for the MLS All-Stars that you want to see play at the end of July on MLSnet.com. And if anyone has any ideas for what I should do with my frequent flier miles courtesy of our schedule, let me know. I'm thinking of a warm beach city or maybe a ski trip in the mountains to give you something to start with...

Phew. I'm finally done playing Mario Kart. Sorry for the absence, but the game is THAT good. I hope you were able to catch the game Sunday in New York. We played pretty well and were very efficient again in front of goal. I'll be honest, the games on the road this year have been pretty fun, which usually isn't necessarily the case. Wins of 3-0 at New England, 2-0 at D.C. and 5-1 at New York - all of whom are very good teams - have apparently made some people skeptical... so skeptical that MLS sent out CDT to perform drug tests on us today. We're not taking drugs, though. Just a few injections a couple of times a week, but everyone said those weren't illegal.

The U.S. played England today at Wembley, which most of you know. The end result was 0-2, but overall it wasn't too bad. We had a team filled with players not playing in the MLS except for Ricardo Clark of Houston. England had most of their top players including John Terry, Beckham, Rooney, Lampard and Gerrard. Josh Wolff was back in the lineup for us after some time away and Brad Guzan of Chicago played the 2nd half in goal giving up one goal that he could do nothing about.

Matt Pickens is back in the states and enjoying some time off. He's entertaining a few options already, for the upcoming season. He spent the last few months playing and impressing in England, while playing for the reserve team of Queens Park Rangers in the Coca-Cola Championship (2nd division pro in England). He'll probably make it back up to Chicago at some point for some Chipotle and a country concert, among other things. He was also in consideration for one of the 3 goalie spots on the roster for the U.S. in today's game, but he opted not to go.

So, many people have been writing in to me asking if the win Sunday felt like revenge or had any special significance because of Juan Carlos's untimely departure last year. The answer is actually no, despite what most of you seem to think. The only reason that I felt so good afterwards was because we regained a tie for 1st place in the league, we scored 5 goals, and we beat an in-conference rival. Maybe things felt better for our coaching staff, because they were the ones going head to head against Juan and seemed to have a better day. But I cannot speak for them. We still have to face them 2 more times this season and possibly more depending on the playoffs, so we can save any celebrating until then. But you all can feel free to celebrate as often as you like, and I'd encourage it. Especially the great group of Fire fans who showed up at Giants Stadium and were given tickets high and far away from the field - we still heard you! Thanks.

My eyes hurt...

from two straight days of playing Mario Kart. I feel worthless, but I can't stop it. It's too much fun. Especially playing online with friends (one of which lucked out and beat me tonight but I will avenge that loss). If anyone reading this wants to challenge me, let me know your Mario Kart license ID number and I will accept the challenge. Stephen King and Peter Lowry made that mistake tonight and paid for it dearly. I hope it doesn't affect their confidence at training tomorrow.

I did take a break today to catch the Man U/Barcelona game this afternoon. Great goal by Scholes which put Manchester through to the UEFA Champion's League final against the winner of tomorrow's game between Liverpool and Chelsea. It will be a hard decision whether to watch the game or rev up the "standard kart L" with Donkey Kong and throw some shells...

highlights from rapids game

Thanks to Justin, we have highlights from the game on Saturday...

Highlights

Meet the Team

Last night we had our annual "meet the team" event. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to sell any flat screens. Our front office made it a very fun event nonetheless. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. I got my hands on the the video game, Guitar Hero, for the first time and I was humiliated by fans of all ages. Thankfully, our goalie coach Daryl Shore, came over and boosted my confidence in my last attempt to play. I think I won the award for most active while playing though... so active I kept over-hearing people from behind questioning, "I thought they said his ankle was hurt. It looks alright to me...".

By the end of the night, I was walking out of the empty store with the new Mario Kart Nintendo Wii game and 3 extra wheels, which kept me and my roommate up late last night. Don't worry - today is an off-day, which can only mean one thing. More time on the couch tapping back into my teenage years! I've done a great job of keeping my roommate home from his job today, too. We all know that Mario Kart is more fun with a friend...

I'll be on my couch if you need me. And to all of you who beat me in video games last night, I will be practicing and I will be back (Joey, Jimmy, Anna, Mark, etc. etc.)!

Thanks for the pictures Julie

Rapids

We grabbed three important points Saturday night at Toyota Park with the help of two impressive goals from John Thorrington. There aren't any highlights on the website because the game was broadcast in high definition, so I'll try my best to describe them to you from my memory. The first one - well I have no idea how the first one happened. But I know the ball was in the air and John was approaching it from the center of the field about 20 yards out and his volley hit the upper far post and went in. The second was off a great assist by Justin Mapp who crossed the ball on the ground to John at the far post where he took a touch and placed the ball in the upper corner again. Colorado pulled a goal back late on a free kick, but that was it.

A lot of you were asking about my status in that game. I was available as a substitute, but I wasn't needed because of the way the game was going. We did sub in Stephen King, Wilman Conde and Calen Carr who did a good job conserving the win.

Tyler Kettering

After the decision of Dominic Cervi to try his chances elsewhere, we have been looking for a third goalie. Well, the search is over. We've signed goalie Tyler Kettering (great last name) who played last year with the Wilmington Hammerheads of the USL. He's actually from the Dayton area, like myself, and played his college ball in North Carolina at Gardner-Webb where he set a few records. Apparently, he's the first player from Gardner-Webb to sign an MLS contract. That now makes four Ohio-ans on the team: Dasan Robinson, Kai Kasiguran, Tyler and myself.

Colorado Game preview

My first week of practice since the beginning of the month is over and I'm... sore. But it's great to be back out there. It was celebrated (of course that deserves a celebration) by a late lunch with goalies Nick Noble and Jon Busch. Unfortunately, I still had to pay. Well I guess that's not too bad. At least I'm getting paid. I mean how can you expect someone who hasn't gotten a paycheck all year from Major League Soccer to buy lunch? I think his per diem from our trip to Mexico ran out a few weeks ago.

Next up is our game against the Colorado Rapids tomorrow night at Toyota Park at 7:30. If you can't make it to the stadium, the game is also being televised nationally on HDNet. If the atmosphere created by our fans is anything like last Sunday, I'd urge you to get tickets to this game.

Colorado is currently in 2nd place in the Western Conference after playing five games and coming away with six points. We know a little about their team from pre-season when we played them in Mississippi a week before the season started.

This Sunday we have our annual "meet the team" gathering. It will be held at a Best Buy store. So if any of you want to come browse the dvd section with me or sit in the 'surround sound' room and watch a movie, this is your chance! I may just try to sell an HD tv or two and hope for commission on the sale to recoup some of the money that MLS is taking back from my paychecks.