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In the final part of this two-part interview, Sean Johnson says Edwin Van der Sar is the goalkeeper he looked up to growing up, and why the Chicago Fire will be better this season.

In Part 1 of this two-part interview, Sean Johnson discusses why he can replace Tim Howard when he retires, what he learned during his time with the National Team, and what to expect from the Fire.

CARSON, Calif. -- Mike Magee scored three times as the Los Angeles Galaxy began the post-David Beckham era with a season-opening 4-0 victory over the Chicago Fire.

The two-time defending MLS champions got one goal from Magee in the first half and two more in the second half. Magee volleyed home a deflected cross in the 38th minute, scored from Robbie Keane's feed in the 68th, and knocked in a rebound in the 74th.

It was the Chicago-born Magee's first career hat trick and second multigoal game in 11 MLS seasons.

Irish striker Keane scored the finale on an 80th-minute corner kick.

The Galaxy, transitioning to a new style of attack after Beckham's departure to French club Paris Saint-Germain, dictated most of the action in a game played largely between the 18-yard boxes.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Columbus Crew have acquired forward Dominic Oduro from the Chicago Fire in exchange for midfielder Dilly Duka and the right of first refusal to former Crew midfielder Robbie Rogers.

Oduro will be added to the Crew's roster immediately. The 27-year-old Ghanaian scored 18 goals and assisted on five more in 66 regular-season games the last two years with the Fire. He also played five seasons with the Houston Dynamo, New York Red Bulls and FC Dallas.

The 23-year-old Duka played three seasons with the Crew, making 45 appearances with two goals and five assists.

Rogers was a member of the Crew from 2007-11, but joined English League Championship team Leeds United before going on loan to League One's Stevenage.

The Chicago Fire kicked off its preseason schedule with a 2-0 win over Florida Gulf Coast University at Ave Maria’s North Park on Sunday.

Dominic Oduro and Daniel Paladini scored the two Fire goals.

The Fire played 28 of 32 players on its preseason roster as head coach Frank Klopas looked to evaluate talent.

The Fire’s next preseason match comes against fellow MLS side Columbus Crew at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.

The Chicago Fire re-signed Corben Bone and picked up the contract options for Alex and Michael Videira, the team announced Monday.

“It was important for us to have Corben, Alex and Michael return in 2013,” said Fire President of Soccer Operations Javier Leon. “They are skillful and versatile players that provide us with depth in a variety of positions.”

Per MLS policy, the terms of the three midfielders’ deals were not disclosed.


Bone, the Fire’s first-round selection (13th overall) in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft, has made 17 appearances in three seasons with the Fire. He was one of only four players to start all of the Fire’s 2012 Reserve League matches, scoring one goal and tallying two assists in 897 minutes.

Alex joined the Fire during the 2012 summer transfer window from Swiss side FC Wohlen He scored two goals in his 17 regular season appearances.

Videira joined the Fire on March 10, 2011 from USSF Division 2 Pro side AC St. Louis. In two seasons with the Fire, Videira has started seven of the 12 matches in which he appeared, notching one assist over 900 minutes.

Fire defender Arne Friedrich received his U.S. Green Card, the team announced, granting him permanent resident status in the United States. Friedrich will no longer occupy an International Player slot on the Fire roster.

The Fire also announced Monday that they did not pick up the option for Mexican international forward Guillermo Franco.

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Fire have acquired midfielder Joel Lindpere from the New York Red Bulls for a 2013 international roster spot.

The Fire announced the trade on Friday.

A 31-year-old Estonian, Lindpere spent the past three seasons with the Red Bulls after playing for Norwegian club Tromso IL from 2007-09. He had 15 goals and 18 assists in 97 appearances for New York.

In a statement, Fire president of soccer operations Javier Leon described Lindpere as a "versatile, dependable player" who will "provide a dynamic presence."

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Fire have declined options on defender Gonzalo Segares, midfielder Corben Bone and goalie Jay Nolly.

Segares played in 178 games over eight seasons, scoring 11 goals and adding 13 assists.

Bone, a first-round pick in the 2010 SuperDraft, made 17 appearances in three seasons. He started all 10 of the Fire's Reserve League matches and had one goal and two assists.

Nolly did not play in a first-team match after being acquired in a trade with Vancouver Whitecaps FC last December, but made six appearances in MLS Reserve League play.

The Fire announced the moves Monday.

NEW YORK -- Chicago Fire defender Austin Berry has been voted Major League Soccer's Rookie of the Year.

The 24-year-old, selected from Louisville with the seventh pick of January's draft, made 28 consecutive starts and received 140 percent of weighted ballots added from team, media and player votes, the league said Monday.

D.C. United midfielder Nick DeLeon was second with 74 percent, followed by Vancouver forward Darren Mattocks with 26 percent.

MLS also said New England won the team Fair Play Award and Chicago midfielder Logan Pause won the individual Fair Play Award.

The Chicago Fire announced Wednesday they re-signed German defender Arne Friedrich.

The 33-year-old Friedrich, a German World Cup veteran, was signed as a free agent on March 7 and made 23 appearances, scored one goal and helped hold opponents to 41 goals in 1,832 minutes during the 2012 regular season. He was selected as the team's Defender of the Year.

Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

"Building continuity at the center back positions is a priority in 2013," Fire president of soccer operations Javier Leon said in a statement. "Arne's international experience and leadership are key to our defense. We are happy to have him back next season."

The Fire went 17-11-6 in the MLS regular season and lost to the Houston Dynamo in the opening round of the playoffs.

Adrian Healey and Taylor Twellman discuss the Fire's loss to the Dynamo and look forward to next season.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Postseason experience meant more than home-field advantage in the opening round of the MLS Eastern Conference playoffs Wednesday night.

Will Bruin scored twice and the Houston Dynamo beat the Chicago Fire 2-1 to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Dynamo reached the MLS Cup final last year and won the league championship in 2006 and 2007. The Fire, who hosted the knockout-round match, hadn't been to the playoffs since 2009. The difference showed.

"After the first goal, we kind of had that feeling it was our game," Bruin said. "We were putting them under pressure, and got the goal as a reward for our play."

The Dynamo, who hadn't beaten the Fire since 2010, will host top-seeded Kansas City in Sunday's first leg of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

"We didn't think about getting another home game," Houston coach Dominic Kinnear said. "We give ourselves a chance to move on farther, which is nice."

Bruin's first goal, a header off Brad Davis' corner-kick cross from the left side, came in the 12th minute. From that point until the 82nd minute, when Brazilian veteran Alex beat goalkeeper Tally Hall to cut Houston's lead to 2-1, the Dynamo had Chicago off balance.

"We were able to impose our will," forward Calen Carr said. "We pressed them and kept them from getting comfortable. And a lot of our guys have been there (in the playoffs). That helped us today."

Houston took advantage of a Chicago mistake at the start of the second half for its second goal. Fire defender Gonzalo Segares' clearing pass was deflected, and Oscar Boniek Garcia led Bruin. Chicago goalkeeper Sean Johnson got his right hand on Bruin's 10-yard shot, but couldn't stop it 19 seconds into the second half.

The goal stunned the Fire, and squelched coach Frank Klopas' plan to attack relentlessly with Alex, who replaced Logan Pause at halftime. It took another 35 minutes for Chicago to get untracked.

"I thought we had the energy," Klopas said. "We had opportunities and didn't take advantage of them. What are you going to do?"

Houston controlled the ball more effectively for the first 75 minutes, giving Hall an easy night until Alex's goal. He finished with six saves.

Chicago's best chance before Alex's goal, a point-blank drive by forward Sherjill MacDonald, was kicked aside by midfielder Adam Moffat in the 71st minute.

Game notes: The Dynamo put six shots on goal. ... Houston is 1-0-2 against Kansas City this season. ... The second leg of the semifinals is Nov. 7 in Kansas City. ... Houston was undefeated (11-0-6) at home this season and has a 29-game unbeaten streak dating to July 9, 2011, including last year's playoff matches en route to the Eastern Conference title. ... The Dynamo last beat the Fire on Aug. 21, 2010, in a regular-season match.

BRIDGEVILLE, Ill. -- Frank Klopas had two options when the Chicago Fire began the 2011 season with a 1-4-6 record.

One, Klopas could have resigned. The team was coached by Carlos de los Cobos, but a bulk of the roster was assembled by Klopas, who was hired as the team’s technical director in January of 2008. He also bore responsibility for the Fire’s lack of success.

The other option was for him to fire de los Cobos and take over the coaching duties himself. If he truly believed in the players, Klopas would prove the Fire were better than what they had proven under de los Cobos.

Staying true to his personality, Klopas chose the latter. He’s never shied away from a soccer challenge.

“Some guys really don’t want to step up and take (penalty kicks,)” Klopas said after practice on Tuesday. “I always wanted to take them. Every situation is an opportunity. You can’t look at the worst-case scenario. You won’t go anywhere like that. I’d rather attempt it and miss than never go out there and never take the chance.”

When it came to coaching, Klopas took the chance and the Fire have been rewarded for it. In 2011, Klopas became the interim head coach, and the Fire just missed the playoffs by three points. In 2012 as the permanent coach, Klopas directed the Fire to the playoffs for the first time since 2009 and they will host the Houston Dynamo at Toyota Park on Wednesday.

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BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Lionard Pajoy scored in the 50th minute, and Bill Hamid made eight saves to help D.C. United rally for a 1-1 tie with the Chicago Fire on Saturday.

The draw gave D.C. second place in the Eastern Conference.

United (17-10-7) went 5-0-2 in its last seven matches to finish with 58 points, one more than New York and Chicago (17-11-6). New York finished third, ahead of fourth-place Chicago, on a tiebreaker.

With New York beating Philadelphia earlier in the day, the Fire needed to beat D.C. to avoid playing in the first-round one-game elimination round.

Instead, Chicago will host fifth-place Houston in that game. It will be played either Wednesday or Thursday. The winner plays Eastern Conference champion Kansas City in the second round.

Pajoy beat Sean Johnson with a diving header in the 50th minute.

Pajoy's eighth goal of the season, and third since joining United from Philadelphia, was one of D.C.'s few good chances. United was held to two shots on goal in the first half and five for the game, including a carom by Pajoy in the 70th minute that Johnson cleared off the line.

Chicago took nine shots on goal, but only forward Patrick Nyarko beat Hamid. He right-footed a 24-yard shot low to Hamid's left side in the 16th minute for his fourth goal of the year.

Every opportunity after that, the Fire either misfired or squandered. In the last 25 minutes, Dominic Oduro, Serjill MacDonald and Jalil Anibama all had close-in opportunities that were either saved by Hamid, hit the post, flew over the crossbar, or, in the case of Oduro's last shot, were blocked by midfielder Nick DeLeon. Hamid's eight saves matched his season high.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Diego Fagundez scored in the 17th minute to lead New England over the Chicago Fire 1-0 Saturday night and end a 196-minute scoreless streak for the Revolution.

Fagundez took a pass from Kelyn Rowe and scored from 30 yards.

Goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth, dressed in pink for breast cancer awareness month, needed to make just one save in his second shutout of the season for New England (8-17-8), which already has been eliminated from playoff contention.

Chicago (17-11-5) already had clinched a playoff berth.

New England, 2-1 against the Fire this season, was without midfielder Benny Feilhaber, serving a one-game suspension for his red card at Philadelphia on Oct. 6.

New England's Jerry Bengtson, coming off a hat trick for Honduras against Canada on Tuesday as Los Catrachos advanced to the final round of World Cup qualifying, received his first yellow card of the MLS season in the 44th minute for a reckless challenge.

Shuttleworth stopped Patrick Nyarko's shot in the 86th off a cross from Alvaro Fernandez.