6 p.m.
Waiting. Professional athletes do a lot of it. Waiting for the bus to the airport, waiting at the airport, waiting on the plane, waiting in the hotel for the next bus. Waiting.
More Top Picks Curtains
Home games don’t involve as much, but there is always time to kill before kickoff.
For a 7:30 game, players start trickling into Soldier Field around 6 p.m. That leaves 90 minutes to get dressed, stretch and go through warmups, all of which takes about a half-hour.
Players go through various routines while killing the remaining minutes. Tickets are left for family and friends. Treatment is sought for various bumps and bruises that won’t completely heal until after the season.
6:05
In a room within the Fire dressing quarters, players have run a long piece of tape across the width of the room. This is the net for the “head tennis” court.
Head tennis is a combination of soccer, tennis and volleyball, usually played two on two. According to Jesse Marsch, the unofficial commissioner of head tennis, the combination of Josh Wolff and Tony Kuhn is the team to beat. But on this day things don’t go well for the young tandem–the “veteran” pairing of Chris Armas and Marsch is on a roll, Armas consistently placing his serves into a corner of the room where Kuhn has a hard time getting his foot on them.
“We’re not good today,” an exasperated Wolff finally says.
6:17
Off in one corner of the room sit the members of the Chicago Stingers who’ve been called up for Wednesday’s game. Jason Acres and Joe Carver take in the scene around them. It’s a far cry from the trailer they dress in as members of the D-3 Stingers.
“I’ve been thinking about it all day,” Carver says. “I’m just excited to go out and play with these guys on their field.”
Carver, who scored against the Fire in the U.S. Open Cup, doesn’t know how much playing time he’ll get, if any.
“(Fire coach Bob Bradley) hasn’t said a word,” Carver says. “Just being here is fantastic. If I get to watch the game from the bench with the guys, that’s fantastic too.”
6:25
The man of the night, Jorge Campos, is yet to arrive. He was riding with forward Ante Razov, who will sit out the match with a dislocated shoulder, and the general assumption is they’re stuck in traffic.
6:41
Campos and Razov arrive. Campos is smiling; Razov looks as if he could use a stiff drink.
Razov normally leaves his Arlington Heights apartment at 4:30 or 4:45 for a 7:30 game. Campos, still unfamiliar with the area, arrived at Razov’s at 5:30.
“He said he made pretty good time from his hotel,” Razov says. “I said, `Of course you did–it’s right down the road. But we have to go all the way downtown.’ I’m amazed we made it here this early.”
6:43
Now that Campos has arrived safely, the question is: What color jersey will he wear?
Equipment man Tony Watson has jerseys in seven colors for Campos, including a striking blue model. But tonight’s opponent, the Mexican club UNAM Pumas, is wearing blue, so Campos decides to wear the regular road whites. An understated choice for the flamboyant goalkeeper.
6:45
With regular captain Peter Nowak not dressing, Bradley needs someone to wear the captain’s armband for the match.
“Francis,” he says to defender Francis Okaroh. “This is a big night for you.”
With a wry smile, he hands Okaroh the captain’s armband. As captain, Okaroh has to meet with the officials before the game. He looks like someone who has been told to eat all his spinach.
Warmups
The growing crowd screams at everything Campos does. In the southwest corner of Soldier Field, a group plays keepaway, with two players in the middle. Like head tennis, it’s extremely competitive, with every call questioned. It’s the nature of professional athletes to compete at everything.
7:30
More waiting.
“Come on, guys, come on, guys,” Bradley says. “Good concentration at the beginning. Be organized as a team. Get a feel for the game. Let’s be ready at the start tonight.”
The start is delayed while the crowd of 28,716 files in. “It’s important we put on a good show for the fans,” Bradley says.
More Top Picks Best Blood Pressure Monitors With Irregular Heartbeat Detection
First half
The head-tennis disappointment behind him, Wolff is the Fire’s most dangerous player in the first 45 minutes. In the eighth minute he hits the goalpost; in the 15th and 38th minute, his headers go barely wide.
But Campos makes the play of the half. In the 28th minute, he lunges to his right, throws his arms up and deflects Mario Alvarez’s penalty kick off the crossbar and out of play. It’s the first opportunity for the pro-Campos crowd to salute its hero. The save keeps the game scoreless at the half.
Halftime
Before going into the locker room, Bradley talks with the players who will be coming in as second-half substitutes. They stay on the field to warm up. In the locker room, Bradley checks his players’ condition, then gets to Campos.
“Thank you. Now I must go,” Campos says, the ever-present smile on his face as he heads to the Pumas locker room to play with his Mexican club teammates in the second half.
Second half
Zach Thornton, in bright orange, outdresses Campos and plays goal for the Fire. Campos is at forward for Pumas, drawing another roar from the crowd.
Tom Soehn replaces Okaroh, Richie Kotschau is in for C.J. Brown and Marsch for Armas as the second half starts.
Frank Klopas has the best chance early in the half when he sails his free kick inches wide. In the 65th minute, Bradley’s heart goes into his throat when he sees Campos race after a ball and collide with Thornton. Both go down but get up and share a laugh.
Referee Rich Grady’s decisions start going against the Fire, including an illegal throw-in. Bradley begins barking at fourth official Manuel Arias.
“Where is this game being played tonight?” Bradley demands. “Are we in Mexico? Every call is going against us.” Arias looks at Bradley as if he were speaking Russian.
The substitutions keep coming. Everyone has played except Carver. In the 80th minute, Bradley calls for him.
“Take out (Klopas), you and Tony (Kuhn) can be the high guys, Josh can come back,” Bradley tells Carver. “But there are going to be times defensively when you’ll end up as the freshest guy and have to come back.”
Eight minutes later, Carver picks up a loose ball 40 yards from goal and streaks past Pumas defenders. From a bad angle, he fires off a shot that finds the far corner of the net.
“That was a pretty tough angle,” Bradley says. The goal stands, and the Fire leaves with a 1-0 victory.
Postgame
For 15 minutes, the locker room is the private domain of the players. Reporters and various well-wishers will arrive to solicit thoughts on the match, but before they’re admitted, ankles are unwrapped and ice is applied. Players congratulate each other. Campos instructs Zak Ibsen to charge upfield when Campos gets the ball for a quick counterattack. Carver sits at his locker, wondering if he’ll wake up and discover it was all a dream.
“I didn’t think I was going to get in, which would have been OK,” he says. “I was excited. It was a good crowd; my folks were out there. The guys treated us real well. It was a wonderful experience. If I never play with them again, I can go out happy.”
Once the locker room opens, Carver details the goal to reporters. Spanish-language TV waits for Campos, who is showering. Thornton, whose locker is next to Campos’, finishes dressing as Campos returns. The mob descends, lights glare and the circus begins.
“Time for me to head out,” Thornton says.