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BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Chris Rolfe scored twice and the Chicago Fire beat the Orlando City SC Lions 5-1 on Wednesday night in a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal match.

Rolfe beat goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo on a 7-yard header to open the scoring in the sixth minute and on a short kick from even closer range in the 64th, breaking the contest open.

The Fire hosts D.C. United in an all-MLS semifinal match on Aug. 7.

Orlando pressed hard in the first 15 minutes of the second half, tying the match on overlapping defenseman Rob Valentino's goal from close range in the 51st minute. Valentino was set up by Kevin Molino's perfect pass.

Chicago, 6-0-2 in its last eight MLS and U.S. Open Cup matches, answered with two goals in five minutes. Patrick Nyarko ran by a pair of defenders and beat Gallardo from the left side in the 59th minute, and five minutes later, Rolfe made it 3-1. Mike Magee and Joel Lindpere added goals for Chicago in the final 10 minutes.

The Lions, from the USL Pro League, forced Chicago's Sean Johnson to make six saves, but lost two players, Yann Songo'o and Adama Mbengue, to ejections in the last 19 minutes.

Chris Rolfe and Mike Magee, who made his Fire debut, scored for Chicago in a 2-0 victory over the Charlotte Eagles in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Wednesday in Rock Hill, S.C.

Acquired from the Galaxy on Saturday, Magee headed in a goal in the 11th minute to give the Fire a 1-0 lead.

"It was great not only for Mike to have a good game and score but also for Chris Rolfe," Fire coach Frank Klopas said. "I think games like this are never easy. You see around the world just the upsets that take place and there are great opportunities for teams like Charlotte to compete against MLS teams and also for players to showcase their abilities. More than anything we had to take the game very serious, which we did but it was a great night. The facilities here were great, they're a great team and we kept a clean sheet and so it was nice for us."

The Fire will host the Columbus Crew in the fourth round of the Cup on June 12 at Toyota Park.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Chris Rolfe scored two goals in a little more than 3 minutes in the first half to lead the Chicago Fire to a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Crew on Saturday night.

Chicago (16-8-5) won its fourth straight and seventh in the last eight to move two points behind first-place Sporting Kansas City in the Eastern Conference.

Jairo Arrieta took advantage of a miscue by Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson to score in the 15th minute for Columbus (13-11-6). Johnson took a drop pass from a defender and kicked it directly to Arrieta, who took three quick steps to his left and fired a hard shot that scrambling defender Andy Friedrich had no chance to stop.

Rolfe then scored twice in a span of 3:16, tying the score in the 23rd minute with a ground-hugging, left footed drive from 16 feet out. He put the Fire ahead with the game's last goal, a 15-yard that went over goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum high into the left corner of the net.

The Crew forced the issue in the final minutes, but Johnson made a diving punch save on Josh Williams in the 79th minute to thwart Columbus' last big scoring chance. He made six saves in all.

Columbus has lost three of its last four matches after winning four straight.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Chris Rolfe's memories of playing soccer and living in Denmark aren’t all sunny and joyful.

Of course that wasn’t what Rolfe intended when he first arrived in the country. He proved himself as a talented forward in the MLS during his first five seasons with the Chicago Fire and was ready for another challenge. He signed a contract with Danish Superliga club Aalborg BK in 2009 and joined the team in January 2010.

He hoped to establish himself in Europe and continue building his career, which included appearances with the United States national team. But a hamstring injury in his first season kept him off the field and left him a bit lost in an unfamiliar culture. He describes that period in his life as one of the most trying.

Rolfe’s situation improved -- he scored six goals in 32 appearances -- but his 2 ½ years there fell short of his expectations.

Now five months after leaving Denmark and returning to the Fire, Rolfe says the difficult times overseas have helped him on and off the field.

“It was a great experience for me,” said Rolfe, whose Fire will host the Columbus Crew at Toyota Park on Saturday. “I wouldn’t change a thing about it. I think those 2 ½ years I matured a lot. I gained so much experience and new appreciation, not just the soccer back here, but the life back here in general.

“When I went to Denmark, it was the right time for me to make that change in my life. After being over there for over two years and trying to pursue a different goal, I thought it was time to come back home.”

After battling an ankle injury when he returned to the Fire, Rolfe finally got on to the field in June.
In his second game, a 3-1 win over the New York Red Bulls, he scored a goal in front of the home crowd at Toyota Park.

Now 16 games into the season, Rolfe has six goals, tied for the team lead, and dished out two assists. The Fire has gone 10-4-2 during those 16 games and has risen to second place in the Eastern Conference.

Fire coach Frank Klopas always assumed he hadn’t seen the last of Rolfe in a Fire uniform. Klopas was the team’s technical director when Rolfe went to Denmark, and the Fire still held the held Rolfe’s MLS rights.

Klopas kept tabs on Rolfe’s career overseas and observed all of his ups and downs from afar. He never doubted Rolfe’s ability, and didn’t hesitate when Rolfe expressed interest in returning to the Fire.

“I think it’s hard to keep guys (with the team) like that that have an opportunity,” Klopas said. “You try to do your best, but in the back of the mind, if the chance is there, I think they want to try the different environment, the different opportunity in Europe.

“It was great that things worked out. Chris had obviously played here, knows the club well, knows the league well. A good player in an important time for us.”

It didn’t take long for Klopas to see that Rolfe isn’t the same player upon his return to the Fire.

“I think he matured as a player,” Klopas said. “As he got older, he got better, wiser -- his ability to make better decisions, his movements, reading the game better and being at the right spots at the right moment.

“His technical ability has obviously gotten better, but he always had that. (He has the) ability around the goal to finish and be dangerous when he gets the ball.”

Fire midfielder Logan Pause has also had the chance to see Rolfe’s evolution. Pause, who has been with the Fire since 2003, witnessed Rolfe’s career from his rookie season to now as a 29-year-old veteran.

“I think the big thing that changed was he went to Europe and struggled with some injuries as he has mentioned,” Pause said. “I think that took a toll on him mentally and also gave him an opportunity to work through that adversity and grow as a person and player.

“He’s just as strong as ever. He’s just a fit, fast, dynamic, youthful player still even being almost 30. A great addition for our team.”

As good as the winning is, Rolfe has also enjoyed the company of his fellow players. He wasn’t that close with his teammates in Denmark, and he wanted that feeling of camaraderie again when he returned to the Fire.

“I missed that a lot,” said Rolfe, an Ohio native. “Coming back, I was really excited about that. That allowed me to put myself out there more, and the guys had a grasp of that.”

Rolfe feels at home again.

“I’ve wanted a home for a while,” Rolfe said. “I feel this is my home now. It’s good to be back. It’s good to come back. Everyone’s treated me well. We’re having success on the field. I couldn’t ask for more.”

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Sherjill MacDonald's first MLS goal broke a tie just past midway through the first half and the Chicago Fire held on to beat the New England Revolution 2-1 Saturday night.

Chris Rolfe also scored to help the Fire (12-7-5) win their third straight and move into a tie with New York for second place in the Eastern Conference, five points behind Kansas City.

Fernando Cardenas scored for New England (6-13-5), which dropped to 0-6-1 in its last seven matches. The Revolution also lost by one goal for the 12th time this season.

MacDonald scored in his fourth league game on a header from six yards out in the 25th minute. It was set up by Patrick Nyarko's floating cross from deep in the left corner, and McDonald's shot whistled past Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis.

The 27-year-old MacDonald joined the Fire as a designated player on July 24, signed from a team in Belgium to boost Chicago's attack.

The Fire opened the scoring on Rolfe's penalty kick in the fifth minute. Rolfe, in his second stint with Chicago, was tripped in the penalty area by defender A.J. Soares, and referee Sorin Stoica awarded the penalty kick.

New England tied it on Cardenas' shot from the goalmouth in the 11th minute. Cardenas' kick caromed off goalkeeper Sean Johnson and a Chicago defender before rolling over the goal line.

Johnson preserved the victory by diving to stop a 28-yard shot by Soares just before time expired.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Gonzalo Segares and Chris Rolfe scored in the second half to lead the Chicago Fire to a 3-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Sunday.

Segares' goal came in the 68th minute on a short rebound of his pass to Dominic Oduro, who misfired. Segares followed up and put a point-blank shot past goalkeeper Ryan Meara to snap a 1-all tie.

The goal came four minutes after the Fire appeared to take the lead. Oduro's 15-yard shot clearly crossed the goal line before New York defender Wilman Conde slid and cleared the ball to the sideline, but neither referee Baldomero Toledo nor assistant referee Ian Anderson saw it. Replays showed the ball in the goal and Anderson well up the sideline, out of position to confirm the goal.

Rolfe made it 3-1 in the 81st minute, taking a low pass from Patrick Nyarko in the goalmouth and converting.

The victory snapped a two-game losing streak for the Fire. New York had been 5-0-1 in its last six MLS matches, but hadn't played a league match since May 23.

Nyarko had opened the scoring in the fourth minute, heading Sebastian Grazzini's pass to Meara's right as the goalkeeper lunged to the left.

New York's Dax McCarty tied the game on a set-piece header in the 55th minute. Lurking on the left side, McCarty headed in the long corner-kick cross from Mehdi Ballouchy. Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson failed to adjust for McCarty's header.

New York was without the services of star forward Thierry Henry, out with a calf strain in his right leg. That allowed Chicago defender Jalil Anibama to shadow forward Kenny Cooper tightly.

CHICAGO -- Chris Rolfe is returning to Major League Soccer and the Chicago Fire.

The 29-year-old American forward rejoined the Fire on Monday when he left Denmark's Aalborg after three seasons.

Rolfe scored 40 goals in 149 games with the Fire in all competitions from 2005-09. He had six goals in 32 matches over three seasons with Aalborg.

Rolfe has made 10 appearances with the U.S. national team.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Just last season, Chicago Fire midfielder Peter Lowry played in less than one third of his team's games and logged less than 700 minutes while taking in a minuscule $20,100 salary.

Through five matches, Lowry is playing a pivotal role for the Fire midfield as a regular starter. And with key components such as Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Chris Rolfe out of the Fire's picture entering this year, that opened the door for some new blood in the team's starting midfield core.

"I didn't get many opportunities the first couple of years," Lowry said. "And so when I step on the field, I want to let everyone know that I can play. The last coach [Denis Hamlett], I didn't get many chances, and so I wanted to show in preseason and this year that I'm an impact player to help the team win. It's been a different role this year."

Lowry's opportunity also arose when the midfield was struck with some key injuries to John Thorrington and Logan Pause in the early going. Combine that with Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos going with a heavy midfield formation (4-5-1) these past two matches, and the 24-year-old is seizing the moment every time he gets the call.

Last Saturday, Lowry delivered a goal during the Fire's 2-0 victory over the Houston Dynamo. Lowry chested the ball into the net past Dynamo goalkeeper Pat Onstad, earning an MLS Goal of the Week nomination.

"I've had to work hard for my opportunities here," Lowry said. "I know that they're few and far between sometimes, and you have to make the most of your time on the field and not take it too lightly."

The Fire midfield took the spotlight in this past match with Lowry and Baggio Husidic providing the tallies. Possession-wise, it also was one of the Fire's best performances of the young season as they earned their second straight win to improve to 2-2-1.

"The first half was probably our best half that we've put together so far this year," Lowry said. "We had the wind and [Houston] had a few injuries. Not to take anything away from us. I thought it was a very good half. That's the style that we want to play, creating a lot of chances, and hopefully finishing some of those chances and winning games. It certainly is a lot of fun to play."

De los Cobos' possession-heavy style was something that Lowry latched on to. It has taken some time for all of the pieces to fall into place with the Fire's new scheme this year, but if these last two games are any indication, Chicago has turned a corner.

With the likes of Lowry taking on an increased workload and now reaping some winning benefits of late, the team has shown improved fluidity on the ball, with a confident moxie in their step.

Lowry certainly exudes that demeanor.

"I want to have the ball. I want to try to make the play that wins the game," Lowry said. "I think if you don't want that, maybe you shouldn't be playing."

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Chicago Fire defensive midfielder Logan Pause had some rough sequences on the field of play during the team's first two matches. But the difficult moment for him now is that he is not sure when he will get back on the pitch.
Pause missed Saturday's home opener against the San Jose Earthquakes because of a left knee sprain that he suffered during the Fire's 2-2 draw against the Colorado Rapids in their second match of the season.

"It was a play when [Rapids forward] Omar Cummings and I got tangled up toward the end of the game," Pause said. "My toe caught on the ground, and I basically landed on the back of my leg."

For Pause, this is a relatively new setback, because historically he has been one of the more durable players on the pitch who you could count on regularly.

"I've had -- knock on wood -- very fortunate health over the years," Pause said. "I haven't had big surgeries. I've had a sports hernia and some other things that have set me back a little bit. But relatively speaking, I've been healthy."
Pause's start to the 2010 season did not open the way he would have hoped. The most obvious blemish came during the team's 1-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls, when his pass attempt was intercepted by the Red Bulls and they marched down the field to score their lone goal. It was not at all reminiscent of the player who last season was a consistent fixture on the defensive side of the ball, while also being named tothe U.S. Men's National Team for last year's CONCACAF Gold Cup.

"It's a frustrating time. I want to be out there helping the team," Pause said. "I'm just trying to move this thing along and be back as soon as possible. It's a day-by-day thing. As of now, I don't have too much knowledge of knowing when I'll be back. It's still bothering me."

Rolfe posts Denmark update: On Chicago-Fire.com, former Fire midfielder Chris Rolfe submitted a blog entry updating his time with Danish club Aalborg. This past weekend Rolfe made his first start for Aalborg and assisted a goal. Read about the non-stop snow, the expensive -- and poor-tasting -- version of a Danish McDonald's, and much more. He caps off his entry with a reality check for Fire players and supporters (and perhaps some of us covering the team on a regular basis): "Don't forget that the [Columbus] Crew started last season winless in their first seven games and finished with the Supporter's Shield. It's a long season."

Valid point.

CSN, Univision partner with Fire: The Fire already had one broadcast on Comcast SportsNet last week, but the team made it official Tuesday that CSN and Univision Radio are the organization's official broadcast partners for the 2010 MLS season. This is the first year that locally-produced Fire matches are broadcast in high definition.