1. 1 2 3 4 5 6
10 CHICAGO TRIBUNE SECTION 4 FRIDAY MARCH 31, 2006SPORTS
Naperville’s Mary DeScenza
was honored Thursday as
the nation’s top college
female swimmer in 2006. By
winning the Honda Award,
given to the top female
athletes in 12 NCAA sports,
the Georgia senior is a
candidate for the college athlete of the year, presented in June.
DeScenza, who won the 100- and 200-yard butterfly at the
NCAA championships, also swam on two winning relays and a
third that set a U.S. record. She earned seven All-American
citations, giving her the maximum 28 for her career. She’s the
first woman to win the 200 butterfly four years in a row. AP
Anna Benson has requested a
divorce from pitcher Kris Benson,
who still thinks the Mets traded
him in response to actions by his
impulsive wife. The actress and
model, who has posed topless, filed
for divorce Thursday in Atlanta,
claiming the seven-year marriage
was “irretrievably broken.’’ Kris
Benson initially protested the
trade to Baltimore but now thinks the Mets did him a favor. “I
was a little upset because I enjoyed my time in New York,” he
said. “But now that I realize the opportunity I have, it’s going
to be a good career move.’’ Now, it appears he’ll go it alone. AP
Angle wrestles for the fans
In 1996 Kurt Angle was at the pinnacle of
amateur wrestling, when he won the Olympic
gold medal at the Atlanta Games. Now he’s at
the top of World Wrestling Entertainment and
enjoying every minute of it. “I have a broken
neck, but I continue to wrestle because I love
it,” Angle said. “Because of the fans.” Angle
will perform in the main event at Sunday’s WrestleMania 22 at
the Allstate Arena in Rosemont. He will defend the world
heavyweight championship against Rey Mysterio and Randy
Orton in a three-way match. “It’s a dream come true to be on
this stage with athletes like Rey and Randy,” he said. “We all
have great chemistry.”
Mike Pankow
BOLD NAMES
Anna Benson seeks divorceAnother honor for DeScenza
Midfielder Diego Gutierrez, also a
member of the 1998 team, has since
been signed to fill that veteran hole
left by Marsch.
This sense of optimism is furthered
by the Fire’s new Bridgeview
stadium. The way coach Dave
Sarachan and players rave about it,
you would think they mixed the
cement.
A stadium to call their own gives
the players an extra motivation at
home and will give fans the soccer
atmosphere Soldier Field lacked.
As in any other off-season, there
are still many questions. How will the
team handle opening the season with
nine straight road games while the
stadium is finished? Will Chris
Armas make a full recovery from
ACL surgery? Will the Fire once
again struggle on defense?
But there’s no reason to dwell on
these issues.
Or at least that’s what I tell myself.
larroyave@tribune.com
24 matches. Considering the Fire
allowed more goals than any of the
other seven playoff teams, a breakout
second year could make the
difference between playoff contender
and MLS Cup contender.
One player not returning for the
Fire is Jesse Marsch, who holds the
Fire record for most games played
with 200. One of the members of the
original Fire team, Marsch now plays
for the coach of that 1998 team, Bob
Bradley and his Chivas USA team.
I
f it weren’t for an offside call in
stoppage time of the Eastern
Conference finals, the Fire would
have tied the match against the New
England Revolution and most likely
won in overtime.
Or at least that’s what I tell myself.
The reality is the Fire had no
business in the Eastern Conference
finals. Not only did it have to win a
playoff game against D.C. United at
RFK Stadium, where D.C. is nearly
unbeatable in the playoffs, it had to
overcome a skid that included a 1-3-2
record in the previous six games.
Then a funny thing happened.
First-year Fire defender Jack
Stewart scored within the first 10
minutes against D.C. with an assist
from fellow new guy Thiago.
Honduran midfielder Ivan Guerrero,
also a newcomer, scored two goals of
his own and threw in an assist,
making the final score 4-0.
Whatever chemistry the team
lacked from all its new faces had
disappeared. You could almost see the
newfound unity during a goal
celebration between Stewart and
Guerrero. They may not speak the
same language, but good teams don’t
have to.
The celebration was short-lived,
with playoff elimination coming a
week later, but a sense of optimism
remains.
Last year’s rookie of the year
runner-up, Chris Rolfe, spent the
off-season in the U.S. national team
training camp with coach Bruce
Arena. The 23-year-old forward
silenced the “too-short” critiques by
becoming the first rookie to lead the
Fire in goals. Now he has gained the
confidence needed on the attack.
Gonzalo Segares, also a rookie last
season, emerged as a reliable
defender, starting 21 of the Fire’s last
FRONT AND CENTER
Fire displays newfound unityLast year’s playoff
success helps create
a sense of optimism
around the team,
writes Luis Arroyave
Tribune file photo by David Zentz
The Fire’s Chris Rolfe (right), last year’s rookie of the year runner-up, follows the ball with New England’s Jay Heaps.
November
On Nov. 3, White Sox
manager Ozzie Guillen flew to
Venezuela with the trophy.
Venezuelan officials used
military personnel to guard the
trophy, which was transported
in an armored vehicle during
the visit. The trophy then came
back to Chicago and went on
display at City Hall.
December
The trophy posed for the
cameras at the Dec. 5 red-carpet
event launching the “Sox
Pride” DVD at the Arie Crown
Theater before the official U.S.
Cellular trophy tour kicked off
a week later. It went with Sox
mascot Southpaw to surprise
students at the Abbott
Elementary School, visited with
Tribune columnist and Sox fan
John Kass at Tribune Tower and
stopped by Mayor Daley’s
Holiday Sports Festival at
McCormick Place. It also
stopped in Itasca, Mundelein,
Lisle, Algonquin, Orland Park,
Bloomingdale and Bedford
Park.
January
The trophy made a walk-on
appearance with Guillen at
SoxFest and then posed for
photographs with fans, raising
more than $200,000 for charity. It
showed up for interviews at
WGCI radio and WGN-TV
studios and stopped by the
Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
It also stopped in Bridgeview,
Deerfield, Gurnee, Oak Lawn,
Arlington Heights, Rosemont,
Schaumburg, Broadview,
Countryside, Darien and
Libertyville.
February
How often do you see
President Bush, Mayor Daley and
Illinois’ two senators—
Democrats Barack Obama and
Dick Durbin—and the Series
trophy in the same White
House? So far, just once. The
trophy attended the Chicago
Auto Show and a party at the
Chicago Economic Club. It also
stopped in Champaign, Decatur,
Springfield, Peoria, Blooming-
ton, Quincy, Galesburg, Moline
and Macomb.
March
The trophy took in a Bulls
game at the United Center
before reporting to spring
training. It appeared for an
event at the United Airlines
terminal at O’Hare and rolled
in the South Side Irish Parade.
It also made stops in Boling-
brook, DeKalb, Rockford,
Naperville, Waukegan, Great
Lakes Naval Base, Sterling and
Garfield Ridge before hitting
Indiana—Elkhart, Utica,
Schererville, Granger, Portage,
Gary and Crown Point.
April
The trophy will be on display
at U.S. Cellular Field for
Sunday night’s opener. Then it
hits the road again headed for
Melrose Park, Bourbonnais, St.
Charles, Wheaton, Niles …
For more information on the
tour, see whitesox.com.
RedEye
CRITIC’S CORNER
On a long,
winding road
Since the Sox acquired
it, the Series trophy
has been everywhere
THE LAST ROW
With the MLS season at hand, it’s
time to test your Fire knowledge.
1. Which set of brothers is on the
2006 Fire roster?
a) DaMarcus and Jamar Beasley
b) Jim and Jeff Curtin
c) David and Pete Mahoney
2. The father of which Fire forward
played for the NFL’s Washington Red-
skins?
a) Calen Carr
b) Chad Barrett
c) Nate Jaqua
3. Rookie Brian Plotkin attended
which Illinois high school?
a) Glenbard North
b) Highland Park
c) Naperville North
4. While on the Los Angeles Galaxy,
Chris Armas was a teammate of which
“Melrose Place” star?
a) Jack Wagner
b) Andrew Shue
c) Rob Estes
5. Which nickname was not consid-
ered when naming the Chicago fran-
chise?
a) Towers
b) Wind
c) Blues
d) Skyline
e) Rhythm
6. How many players on the current
Fire roster have earned a senior na-
tional-team cap with their country?
a) 7
b) 9
c) 11
7. Which Fire player has recorded
two reggae albums?
a) Andy Herron
b) Thiago
c) C.J. Brown
8. Why does Chris Rolfe wear the
number 17?
a) He scored 17 goals his final sea-
son at Dayton
b) His birthday, his dad’s birthday
and his aunt’s birthday are all on the
17th
c) His lucky No. 2 was taken al-
ready by C.J. Brown
9. Which of the following did Fire
midfielder Tony Sanneh not do at the
2002 World Cup?
a) Play every minute of every U.S.
game
b) Score the lone U.S. goal in its 3-1
loss to Poland
c) Provide the game-winning assist
to Brian McBride in the 3-2 U.S. win
over Portgual.
10. Which CTA line would you take
when attending a Fire game at the
new Bridgeview stadium?
a) Red Line
b) Brown Line
c) Orange Line
Í Answers in Scoreboard
EAST
Fire
2005 record: 15-13-4.
Quick look: Playing its first nine games
on the road will test the team’s spirit. If
the Fire can remain competitive dur-
ing that stretch, a string of home games
should help it establish playoff posi-
tion.
D.C. United
2005 record: 16-10-6.
Quick look: The return of Santino Qua-
ranta, who missed significant time in
2005 due to national-team duties, and
the emergence of Bobby Boswell com-
plement a lineup led by last year’s MVP
runner-up, Jaime Moreno.
New England Revolution
2005 record: 17-7-8.
Quick look: If Michael Parkhurst can
hold down the fort while Clint Demp-
sey and Taylor Twellman are away at
the World Cup, the Revs are the team to
beat come November.
Kansas City Wizards
2005 record: 11-9-12.
Quick look: No duo is as dangerous as
K.C. forwards Eddie Johnson and Josh
Wolff. Then again, no team will be as
vulnerable in June, considering four of
K.C.’s players could be called up for the
World Cup.
New York Red Bulls
2005 record: 12-9-11.
Quick look: Gone is former prodigy Ed-
die Gaven, traded this week to the Co-
lumbus Crew. Returning is 2004 MVP
Amado Guevara, who has made up
with GM Alexi Lalas after their very
public feud.
Columbus Crew
2005 record: 11-16-5.
Quick look: After failing to live up to its
2004 success last season, the team has
revamped the roster. It’s up to veterans
Frankie Hejduk and Kyle Martino to
make 2006 more than just a rebuilding
year.
WEST
Houston Dynamo
2005 record: 18-4-10.
Quick look: With defender Danny Califf
now playing in Denmark, the pressure
is on more than ever for two-time Ma-
jor League Soccer goalkeeper of the
year Pat Onstad to keep the ball out of
Houston’s net.
Los Angeles Galaxy
2005 record: 13-13-6.
Quick look: Landon Donovan carried
the Galaxy to an MLS Cup victory in
2005. Will fellow forward Herculez Go-
mez be prepared to do the same should
Donovan experience World Cup burn-
out?
FC Dallas
2005 record: 13-10-9.
Quick look: Unlike other MLS teams,
Dallas doesn’t have to worry about los-
ing players to the World Cup. Instead,
it’s worrying about Richard Mulroo-
ney regaining his early 2005 form after
ACL surgery.
Real Salt Lake
2005 record: 5-22-5.
Quick look: The acquisition of Jeff Cun-
ningham and Chris Klein may be
enough to improve Real Salt Lake’s at-
tack, but is the addition of Carey Talley
enough to improve its defense?
CD Chivas USA
2005 record: 4-22-6.
Quick look: Coach Bob Bradley came
aboard during the off-season, as did
Ante Razov, Carlos Llamosa and Clau-
dio Suarez. Can Bradley play miracle
worker and turn last year’s worst team
into a playoff team?
Colorado Rapids
2005 record: 13-13-6.
Quick look: Clint Mathis is no longer
the player he was in the 2002 World
Cup, but that doesn’t mean opponents
should count out the fearless 29-year-
old just yet.
Luis Arroyave
How Tribune soccer reporter Luis Ar-
royave sees the season:
East semifinals
D.C. United over Kansas City
New England over Fire
West semifinals
Houston over Chivas USA
Los Angeles over Colorado
MLS semifinals
D.C. United over New England
Houston over Los Angeles
MLS Cup
D.C. United over Houston Dynamo
Most valuable player
Jaime Moreno, D.C. United
Rookie of the year
Marvell Wynne, New York Red Bulls
Coach of the year
Bob Bradley, Chivas USA
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