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Midfielder Freddie Ljungberg and defender Wilman Conde are pursuing opportunities away from the Chicago Fire and Major League Soccer, a source with knowledge of the Fire's offseason plans told ESPNChicago.com.

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The Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps have some interesting Fire players to choose from in this year's expansion draft, especially if they are willing to open up their checkbook.

The Chicago Fire and other league squads submitted their 11-player protected lists Monday in preparation for this Wednesday's expansion draft. And Chicago left its two designated players Freddie Ljungberg and Nery Castillo unprotected, as well as forward Collins John.

Chicago protected the following players:
Forward -- Calen Carr
Midfield -- Mike Banner, Baggio Husidic, Patrick Nyarko, Marco Pappa, Logan Pause and Bratislav Ristic
Defense -- Wilman Conde, Steven Kinney, Gonzalo Segares and Kwame Watson-Siriboe

Goalkeeper Sean Johnson and midfielders Corben Bone and Victor Pineda are automatically protected with Generation adidas or home grown status. Husidic recently graduated from Generation adidas, so the Fire protected the University of Illinois-Chicago product.

Recently retired C.J. Brown and Brian McBride were obviously left unprotected, as well as defender Krzysztof Krol who wants to play in Europe.

The Fire's decision to leave some of their priciest players available appears to be by design, with some hope that Portland and Vancouver are not interested in shelling out big bucks for key personnel.

Nevertheless, it is surprising that Ljungberg is not secured for next season. Heading into the offseason, Ljungberg's return for 2011 should top Chicago's priority list.

Of the Fire's 11 protected players, the most questionable was midfielder Mike Banner. While his willingness to play multiple positions is commendable, Banner is a specialized option that typically should be utilized off the bench.

No more than two players can be claimed from a team's unprotected roster. So who will actually be taken off the Fire's group?

Defender Dasan Robinson and midfielder John Thorrington appear to be two potential selections for Portland and Vancouver to pursue. Both players have had their share of injuries. But if -- and it's a big if -- they stay healthy for a whole season, Robinson and Thorrington are very useful options for an expansion side.

Chicago Fire forward and Arlington Heights native Brian McBride capped off his 17-year professional career with a stylish, world-class goal. McBride and Fire defender C.J. Brown each played in their final match as Chicago topped Chivas USA, 4-1, on Saturday at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

Both players are retiring after memorable careers on the pitch. Brown has played for the Fire in all of their 13 seasons.

"Our guys played for the jersey and pride," Brown said. "It was a good effort all the way around."

On Saturday, McBride notched his 80th tally in MLS play, a back-heel shot in the 40th minute, as the Fire went on to score a season-high four goals. McBride was set up by Freddie Ljungberg, who had a goal and an assist for the Fire (9-12-9).

"Brian was a big player, a true professional," Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos said. "All the players want to leave in the last match like Brian did tonight, scoring a great goal and helping the team win."

Ljungberg did the brunt of the work to set up McBride's tally, getting past a pair of Chivas defenders on the right side, then crossing the ball toward McBride. McBride made his run toward the near right post within the goal box against Chivas defender Carlos Borja. As McBride fended off Borja, he took Ljungberg's pass and back-heeled the ball with his right foot, finding the inside of the far left post for a 1-0 lead.

The Fire added to their lead in the 47th minute with a Ljungberg goal. Peter Lowry sent the ball up and found Marco Pappa on the left side. Pappa beat Chivas' Mariano Trujillo one-on-one and sent the ball toward the penalty-kick spot. His pass bypassed McBride and Ljungberg struck the ball to the right set of the net for a 2-0 lead.

In the 57th minute, Giancarlo Maldonado's header goal cut Chivas' deficit to 2-1. Sal Zizzo sent the ball in from the right side, where he had plenty of space, and Fire defender Deris Umanzor did not get there in time to pressure. Maldonado got behind Brown and received the cross, heading the ball to keep Chivas (8-18-4) in the match.

But Chicago maintained some distance the rest of the way. In the 68th minute, Logan Pause sent the ball forward as Calen Carr was ruled even with Chivas' back line as he made the run forward. Carr, who replaced McBride in the 51st minute, had a slightly strong touch on the dribble and Thornton decided to come out to challenge. But Carr maintained possession, faked like he was going to send to Pappa and instead dribbled around Thornton and shot the ball into the empty net for a 3-1 lead.

Second-half substitution Baggio Husidic capped off the scoring in second-half stoppage time with a header to take a 4-1 lead. Pappa had the attack and forced Thornton to make the save. But in typical Husidic fashion, the Libertyville native and former University of Illinois-Chicago standout was in the right place to head the ball into the empty net for his fifth goal of the season.

Analysis: The Fire's key players stepped up against Chivas -- Ljungberg was incredibly active from start to finish. McBride had a solid strike. Fire defender Wilman Conde's header clearances were crucial at times, though on some occasions early on Chivas was able to generate some long shots from these clearances because the Fire midfield couldn't progress the ball further.

Most of the focus was on the Fire's retiring duo. Chivas' Jonathan Bornstein also said farewell to MLS as he heads to Tigres UANL of the Mexican First Division.

Lost in the shuffle was the return of rookie Fire goaltender Sean Johnson, who had missed three previous matches because of an eye injury. Johnson made five saves on the night.

So the campaign ends much earlier than normal for the Fire. There is no postseason. There is no winning record. There are now a pair of veteran players who will not be back in the fold.

For a second straight year, a busy offseason awaits for Chicago. Clearly, missing the playoffs for only the second time in the organization's history is a huge disappointment.

The Fire went out the right way on Saturday, but plenty of important personnel -- and perhaps coaching -- decisions await.

The Chicago Fire have lacked trophy case hardware these days, and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and SuperLiga tournaments went away in the blink of an eye this season.

But there is a potential prize this weekend when they battle for the Brimstone Cup on Saturday at FC Dallas.

The Brimstone has been a fixture between the former Dallas Burn and Fire since 2001, awarding the trophy to whichever squad earns the season series. But Dallas has hung onto the honor since 2002 in a lopsided span, also retaining the trophy for 2003 and 2009 when the teams were tied in points.

The two teams played to a 1-1 draw on May 27 earlier this season at Toyota Park. Should the teams draw again Saturday, or if Dallas pulls off the victory, the Brimstone stays with FCD.

But more important is the match at hand from Chicago's standpoint of maintaining the faint hope for this year's postseason. And the Fire are taking on a Dallas side that is in the midst of a 17-match unbeaten streak and on the verge of clinching a playoff berth with an 11-2-13 record.

Chicago (7-10-8) was at the opposite end of the spectrum, feeling the pressure of a seven-match winless streak until the Fire offense burst out a 3-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday.

"The most important thing is the players still concentrate [and] focus on the season," Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos said. "We have the commitment of our fans to try to have a good finish to the season."

Dallas midfielder David Ferreira has been the team's main weapon with a team-high 12 assists and seven goals, while forward Jeff Cunningham leads the squad with 10 goals. The Fire's Freddie Ljungberg, Patrick Nyarko and Steven Kinney all netted their first goals of the season during the Fire's win over San Jose, and Ljungberg's well-rounded match included a pair of assists.

The Chicago-Dallas rivalry is not what it once was with the former Central Division sides now playing in opposite conferences these days, with Chicago in the East and Dallas in the West. But the supporters groups to the players from those early seasons know just how heated (pardon the pun) this Fire-Burn matchup was from the get-go.

From the Burn eliminating the defending MLS champion Fire in 1999, to the Fire's Dema Kovalenko breaking Burn defender Brandon Pollard's leg, to Lubos Kubik's string of goals in the first few Fire-Burn matchups, to the very first Brimstone match on April 21, 2001, where Dallas erased a 2-0 deficit to garner a 3-2 victory, to the Fire's DaMarcus Beasley and Ante Razov losing consciousness during a 2-2 draw on Sept. 8, 2001.

It was heated, all right.

This year's Fire are clinging by a mathematical thread to stay in postseason contention. Renewing the all-out animosity of this matchup wouldn't be a bad approach on Saturday, would it?

After 401 scoreless minutes, the Chicago Fire unearthed their hidden offense as they tallied three goals and blanked the San Jose Earthquakes, 3-0, late Wednesday night at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

Freddie Ljungberg tallied a goal and two assists to lead the way as Chicago (7-10-8) erased a seven-match winless streak and mathematically kept itself in the playoff picture.

"I think we knew that the goals would come," Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson said. "Tonight was a complete game on both sides of the ball, defensively and offensively -- finished our chances and held it tight for 90 minutes."

Chicago defender Steven Kinney ended the Fire's all-time longest scoreless drought with a 39th-minute tally off of a Ljungberg corner kick to take a 1-0 lead. Ljungberg crossed the ball from the right side, hooking up with Kinney who made a strong run to lose the Quakes' Brandon McDonald. The cross went just over the head of San Jose's Chris Wondolowski, and Kinney's header went toward the upper left of the goal past former Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch.

Ljungberg notched his first goal in a Fire jersey in the 72nd minute. Patrick Nyarko sent the ball to Ljungberg who made a run up the middle to lose San Jose's Christopher Leitch. Ljungberg made one touch with the ball to lead himself forward and get past the Quakes' Jason Hernandez, then chipped the ball with his left foot over Busch and into the right side netting for a 2-0 advantage.

Nyarko tallied his first goal of the season in second-half stoppage time to take a 3-0 lead. Brian McBride dished to Ljungberg who made an overlapping right toward the right side. Ljungberg crossed to Nyarko who shot the ball toward the right side of the net for the match's final goal.

A young Fire lineup maintained the clean sheet. Rookie goalkeeper Johnson made four saves, and the back line consisted of first-year players Kinney and Kwame Watson-Siriboe, Dasan Robinson and Krzysztof Krol -- a vastly different back line in comparison to the normal lineup of Gonzalo Segares, C.J. Brown, Wilman Conde and Robinson.

San Jose (11-8-6) held a 13-8 advantage in shots, and they had their scoring chances. Probably the biggest scare from Chicago's standpoint came in the 23rd minute, when Watson-Siriboe could have been called for a hand ball in the box, but referee Abeey Okulaja did not award a Quakes penalty kick.

During the sequence, San Jose midfielder Bobby Convey crossed the ball in from the right side and had some space because Krol had to decide between covering Convey or marking another Quakes player on the outside. Convey sent the ball toward the far left post to try and find Wondolowski. As Wondolowski tried to direct the ball, Watson-Siriboe's right arm did connect with the ball, but Okulaja either felt it was incidental contact or simply did not see the contact.

The Quakes' Ryan Johnson also created a 35th-minute chance with a header from the left side as Kinney lost his man. But Johnson's header went just wide right.

Busch made four saves for San Jose during his first in-game action against his former Chicago squad.

"I think we lacked that killer mentality that we showed last Saturday in Toronto," Busch said, referencing a 3-2 victory at Toronto FC. "I think we may have just thought we were going to show up and get our points. And maybe this is good. Sometimes you need a wake-up call."

Analysis: The smaller pitch at Buck Shaw always lends itself to some good back-and-forth play. For a Fire team that has not generated much from the run of play, Wednesday's second half was one of the most exciting stretches for Chicago in quite some time.

The team hustled, was chippy, aggressive and moved much better away from the ball compared to some recent efforts.

The Fire's young back line was a pleasure to see, as well. There were a few shaky moments in there, but they maintained their composure and kept pressing, rather than sitting back with the lead. Kinney had the goal and also made a nice little move to lose Convey to get a shot on goal in the 70th minute. Watson-Siriboe plugged up the center of the pitch with some decisive marking and clearances.

Ljungberg performed the way he was advertised when the organization brought him in two months ago, showcasing an energetic effort that led to his involvement in every goal against San Jose.

The only major question following the Fire's match is this -- where has this Chicago team been over the past month and a half?

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire's season has boiled down to six regular-season matches and a playoff picture that just about is burnt to a crisp.

It could be argued that the Fire's current winless stretch (0-5-2) tops the organization's all-time woeful list, and they'll attempt to put an end to their drought Wednesday, when they travel to Santa Clara, Calif., to face the San Jose Earthquakes.

The seven-match winless skid is the second worst among the Fire's 13 seasons, following only a nine-game winless stretch in 2004 -- the only season the Fire missed the postseason.

Their four-game stretch without a goal is the longest in team history. Chicago's last goal was Collins John's 88th-minute free kick during a 1-1 draw against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Sept. 4. That briefly gave Chicago the lead until Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez headed in the game-tying goal in second-half stoppage time off of a Landon Donovan free kick.

For the season, Chicago's scoring average (1.17) currently is the second-lowest behind only the 2007 season (1.03 average). And the Fire's minus-4 goal differential is third-worst behind the 2004 (minus-8) and 2007 (minus-5) teams.

Despite their slump, Fire players at face value are maintaining a positive tone, even if their self synopsis can be disputed.

"I think we were organized for the most part," Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson said following the Fire's 1-0 loss to Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday. "Early on they had one open header, but we were fine defensively. We were unlucky. Just one play ended up with a deflection of the ball into the back of the net. I think defensively we were fine for the whole game. Teams create chances, and we dealt with them accordingly."

"We dominated the whole game," Freddie Ljungberg said. "We played really well."

Ljungberg's take does not come close to matching what most folks saw in the Toyota Park stands or in press row. And as the Fire (6-10-8) try to right the ship, the Earthquakes (11-7-6) are riding a 5-1-1 stretch.

The Fire will face a couple of familiar faces in former Chicago goalkeeper Jon Busch and defender Tim Ward. They have taken care of the defensive side, while Quakes forward Chris Wondolowski has almost single-handedly been San Jose's offense this season. He leads the team with 12 goals and has scored six times in his past seven matches.

Chicago designated player Nery Castillo is out again with a left quad injury. Castillo has only played in three matches and logged 124 minutes since he made his Aug. 8 debut against the New York Red Bulls.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Normally you replace a scratched record. But the Chicago Fire continue playing the same tune, over and over again.

Seattle Sounders FC's Blaise Nkufo netted the game-winning goal in the 88th minute as Seattle defeated the Chicago Fire, 1-0, on Saturday in front of 17,477 at Toyota Park.

The Fire's winless streak has now reached seven matches as Chicago (6-10-8, 26 points) inches further away from the playoff picture and the Sounders (11-9-6, 39 points) improved their postseason position.

On Seattle's game-winning sequence, Steve Zakuani had the initial pass from the middle of the pitch and directed it to the left side toward Nkufo, who then faked a cross to get Fire defender C.J. Brown in the air. As Nkufo brought the ball to his right, he took a shot with Brown lunging with his feet to deflect the ball. But the deflection instead went past him and over Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson, who was at the near post but couldn't react in time to stop the ball as the Sounders took a 1-0 lead.

"It took a deflection toward the near post where I was, but I just thought it was unlucky," Johnson said. "C.J. made a good effort to block it. It just didn't turn out in our favor. I think the ball just rolled the wrong way for us."

The goal certainly is unlucky from the Fire's standpoint, though Seattle was knocking on the doorstep. It was a back-and-forth match, but the Sounders' quality chances trumped the Fire's opportunities.

The game's best scoring chance before the goal was wasted by Seattle. In the 56th minute, midfielder Zakuani had an open net and pushed the ball wide left on a play where Johnson decided to take a gamble and step up as he, Fire defender Gonzalo Segares and Seattle midfielder Sanna Nyassi converged on the ball. The ball bounced away to Zakuani about 20 feet above the box, but his shot went wide as the Fire dodged a bullet.

There were other close calls. Seattle's Osvaldo Alonso had a clear header off of Nathan Sturgis' corner kick, but missed wide right. In the 37th minute, Nyassi had a cross that just missed Sturgis for a header and rolled by the feet of Nkufo.

The Fire forced Sounders goalkeeper Kasey Keller to make five saves. In the 76th minute, Freddie Ljungberg had a good strike from the left side as Keller had a good read on the ball, dove to his left and batted the ball away from the far right post. Another big moment was in first-half stoppage time, when Marco Pappa took a shot at the near right post and Keller made the save. On the play, Ljungberg creatively chipped the ball over a couple of Seattle defenders to Segares, who then crossed the ball into the middle in the vicinity of Calen Carr and Patrick Nyarko. The ball deflected away, and Pappa converged for the scoring chance but was denied.

"In the front, we just weren't clear with the opportunities that we had," Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos said. "We didn't have patience. We weren't precise with our last touches in the offensive quarter of the field."

Johnson saved four of five shots for Chicago. The Sounders had a 12-8 edge on shots and a 7-4 advantage on corner kicks. Six corners came in the first half.

Analysis: De los Cobos shook up his lineup, putting former Fulham teammates Collins John and Brian McBride on the bench, with Ljungberg and Calen Carr up top to start. Nery Castillo was unavailable because of a quadriceps injury -- not a hamstring injury as stated by De los Cobos earlier in the week.

Defensively, midfielder Bratislav Ristic was dropped back to right defensive back, and rookie Kwame Watson-Siriboe was used ahead of Dasan Robinson to try to fill the void of Wilman Conde, who was suspended for the match following his two yellow cards against Real Salt Lake.

The Fire did the proper thing by pushing late with only three players in the defensive backfield from the 83rd minute on. But in doing so, that caused things to open up, and Seattle netted the game-winner minutes later.

Following the match, the team's synopsis differed dramatically from what took place. While it was a much-improved performance compared to the Real Salt Lake match, the Fire's defensive marking was inconsistent, and offensively there were certainly some moments where the players' movement off the ball could have improved.

This is not to say that there was lack of effort from the Fire's part by any means, but Chicago has looked disjointed on many levels during its winless streak.

Credit also should be given to Seattle for holding Chicago's offense at bay during the Fire's few scoring moments. And Nkufo faked out Brown with a Michael Jordan-esque move. Many defenders would have bought Nkufo's initial motion of looking to cross the ball.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Taking on Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium is no easy task.

The defending MLS champs have created a remarkable home-field advantage in the higher altitude, and you need to go no further than RSL's stellar 9-0-3 record at Rio Tinto this year, and a seemingly endless home unbeaten streak that now stands at 22 matches.

With a win or a draw, RSL would establish the longest home unbeaten streak in MLS history.

On the other side of the coin, the Chicago Fire are in desperate need of a victory this Saturday when they face RSL on the road.

"They're a very good team," Fire forward Brian McBride said. "[RSL head coach] Jason [Kreis] has done an extremely good job with them and seems to have figured out what he needed to do for his team. He's done a great job, and he probably deserves a little more credit than he gets."

The Fire certainly are giving Kreis the credit after falling to the eventual champs last year in the Eastern Conference Finals at Toyota Park. RSL also posted a 1-0 victory over the Fire at Toyota Park on July 8, but Salt Lake's home invincibility outshines most of the team's other accomplishments.

"They have become one of the best teams in the league, and one of the most consistent teams," midfielder Logan Pause said. "Playing at home, they have created a home-field advantage, which is sometimes hard in this league. They're going to be a tough team. It is a big test."

The Fire (6-8-8, 26 points) are in the midst of a five-match winless streak and remain on the outside of the postseason picture with eight regular-season matches remaining. RSL, on the other hand, is in second place in the Western Conference with a 12-4-8 record and 44 points, vying with the Los Angeles Galaxy for the top spot in the West standings.

There are too many shortcomings within Chicago's recent play to specifically pinpoint the team's downfall of late. But one aspect of the team that Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos hopes to find some improved fluidity is in utilizing his two designated players, Nery Castillo and Freddie Ljungberg. In the second half of Chicago's 1-0 loss to the Philadelphia Union last week, De los Cobos went with Castillo pushed up and Ljungberg deeper in the midfield.

"I think we are trying to have a good connection between these two guys on the field," De los Cobos said. "We're trying to improve the situation and this connection. When I put Freddie deeper [into the midfield], he has more space and he has more time. He participated frequently with the ball and was very good for us. He was a very good distributor of the ball in the second half."

The Fire are catching RSL at one of its weakest moments health-wise, which probably is not saying much considering how dominant Salt Lake has been at Rio Tinto. But RSL is without midfielder Javier Morales, who was suspended for a match for his actions against Seattle Sounders FC's Osvaldo Alonso. Forward Fabian Espindola is a question mark with a hamstring strain. And defender Robbie Russell had concussion-like symptoms during RSL's CONCACAF Champions League match against Toronto FC on Wednesday, so his status is in doubt.

It is crunch time for the Fire, and every remaining match will be scrutinized as long as Chicago remains on the outside of the playoff line.

"When things aren't going well in terms of results, the magnifying glass becomes even that much more detail-oriented," Pause said. "When you're winning and things are going great, it's easy. Now's the time when true character comes out."

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire had a gift at the start of the second half -- a breakaway scoring opportunity with one of their most trusted players on the ball.

But Freddie Ljungberg couldn't finish the chance as the Fire and Toronto FC played to a scoreless draw Wednesday in front of 12,891 at Toyota Park.

"It's a pity that the team didn't win a match that we could have won," Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos said. "We had two or three very good opportunities that we couldn't finish. But from my point of view I saw improvement from our defense. The team played very strong and we had a very good team in front of us."

Neither squad put much on net until the final 15 to 20 minutes. The Fire (6-7-8) and Reds (7-9-7) had some chances here and there, and the biggest opportunity was in Chicago's favor.

In the 48th minute, Chicago's two designated players nearly hooked up in the scoring column. Nery Castillo dished to Ljungberg who ran right up the middle and timed his run perfectly against Toronto's defensive line. That left Ljungberg and Toronto goalkeeper Stefan Frei going head-to-head.

Frei leaned to his right and Ljungberg shot in the other direction, forcing Frei to stick his feet at the ball. It didn't matter, however, as the ball trickled harmlessly past the right post.

That pretty much was the tone of Wednesday's match -- a messy battle between two Eastern Conference teams trying to find a formula to move up in the standings.

Toronto possessed the ball for the majority of the first 15 minutes. In the 15th, the Fire finally were on the attack when Collins John had a couple chances. He took a deep shot and then followed up the rebound, but his second attempt was blocked by the Toronto defense.

The Fire held a 7-3 advantage in shots on goal.

Analysis: Neither team could establish flow on the pitch, and in the opening of the match you wondered if Chicago would hold Toronto at bay with its unexpected defensive combination.

De los Cobos' lineup had to play without regular left back Gonzalo Segares, who served the first of his two-game suspension. Dasan Robinson and C.J. Brown were in the center, Steven Kinney on the right and Mike Banner pushed between left midfield and left defensive back. Wilman Conde eventually entered the match in the midfield for John Thorrington, and Krzysztof Krol did not play.

Robinson had a strong performance, and he intercepted several key potential threats from Toronto forward Dwayne De Rosario. Castillo also looks like his play is getting stronger. He's covering more ground and showing some hustle, all the way until second-half stoppage time when he managed to draw a foul just outside the box.

Bradley on hand: Former Fire and current U.S. National Team head coach Bob Bradley dropped by Toyota Park on Wednesday. He and the U.S. host Poland at 7 p.m. Oct. 9 at Soldier Field. Bradley was not scouting anyone in particular at the Chicago-Toronto match.

Bradley did have a couple of comments about a current and former Fire player:

On ex-Fire player DaMarcus Beasley, currently playing for Hannover 96: "This is an important move for DaMarcus because clearly his stretch at Rangers didn't end well. And he's at that point in his career where he's got to find the right club. He's got to continue to work very hard. I think his future with the national team is going to hinge on his ability now at Hannover to reestablish himself and play well."

On Fire forward Brian McBride, who is retiring after the season: "His attitude on the field and his will to win I think has really set just a great standard. ... I wish all players would have that mentality. He's just been a great example, and his career has been very special."

Instead of escaping Seattle's Qwest Field with a respectable point, the Chicago Fire once again allowed a late goal.

Seattle Sounders FC's Fredy Montero tallied two goals, including the game-winner in second-half stoppage time, as Seattle topped Chicago, 2-1, in front of a crowd of 36,386.

Montero was unmarked at the far left post for the game-winning header, while Chicago's defense was drawn toward the middle of the box. The Sounders' Nathan Sturgis delivered a crisp cross from the right side of the pitch and Montero headed the ball down by Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson's feet and into the net for the winner.

For a second straight match, the Fire (6-7-6) saw a potential road draw evaporate late. The Fire lost 4-3 to the Houston Dynamo on Aug. 21. Seattle (9-8-5) extended its unbeaten streak to seven matches.

Fire designated player Freddie Ljungberg returned to Seattle for the first time since his trade to Chicago. But Ljungberg left without a win and also departed knowing that he will miss the Fire's next match Saturday against the Los Angeles Galaxy.

With an 83rd-minute yellow card for bumping into Seattle defender Jeff Parke, Ljungberg will miss the upcoming match due to yellow-card accumulation. Fire defender Wilman Conde missed the Seattle match because of the same infraction.

The Fire defense had some positive moments without Conde in the mix, but both goals allowed Saturday consisted of failing to tightly mark Seattle's best goal scorer.

Montero's first goal tied the score at 1-1 in the 36th minute. Tyson Wahl delivered the ball in from the left side, curving the ball past Fire defensive midfielder Logan Pause. Montero snuck in behind Fire defender Gonzalo Segares, who was playing as a center back in Conde's absence. As Montero tried to control the ball in the box, Fire defender Krzysztof Krol tried to help. But Montero eluded the defense and shot to the far left post for the goal.

Fire midfielder John Thorrington made his long-awaited return, starting and and netting a first-half goal. Thorrington had missed the entire season because of a left quad injury, and he made an immediate impact with a 28th-minute penalty-kick goal.

In the 27th minute, the Fire's Patrick Nyarko held the ball at the left side of box against Sounders defender James Riley. Nyarko sent the ball toward the middle of the box, and when Parke converged to try and help out Riley, Parke's arm made contact with the ball. His arm was not intentionally extended away from his body to stop the trajectory of the pass.

Nevertheless, the Fire were awarded the penalty kick, and Thorrington capitalized. Thorrington had a small hesitation that did not cause Sounders goalkeeper Kasey Keller to flinch. But Keller's guess was incorrect when he dove one way and Thorrington shot the ball to his right and into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.

Analysis: Montero is an incredibly talented player and a difficult man to mark. But the Fire defense dropped the ball in its effort against the Colombian forward. Any team's leading goal scorer will welcome the type of space he was given to work with leading up to his two goals.

Chicago's defense did have a different look with Steven Kinney on the right side (the space where Montero got his second goal), Segares moved to left-center and Krol at left back (Montero got between Segares and Krol, leading to the first goal). That still is no excuse for the Fire's lapses against Montero.

A positive for the Fire was the return of Thorrington. As expected, a healthy Thorrington can cover a lot of ground on the pitch and bring some beneficial energy. Capitalizing on the penalty kick to get the early lead was huge. The last time Thorrington took a penalty shot, he was denied by Real Salt Lake's Nick Rimando in last year's Eastern Conference final loss to the eventual MLS champs.

There were a few times where Thorrington and Pause looked like they wanted to occupy the same space on the field, but it was nothing drastic that changed the flow or led to some sort of turnover. Thorrington looked good out there and he made some strong runs. On several occasions, Thorrington's Fire teammates should have been looking in his direction because he was finding some open spaces.

The Fire have a busy two months on the docket, and while they do have time to make up some ground in the Eastern Conference, they will look back on these back-to-back road matches as big opportunities missed to salvage points on the road.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Nearly a month has passed since midfielder Freddie Ljungberg bid adieu to Seattle Sounders FC and welcomed the Chicago Fire with open arms.

Ljungberg returns to his former Seattle stomping grounds this Saturday when the Fire take on the Sounders at Qwest Field.

Qwest draws MLS's largest fan attendance and plays in one of the loudest venues the league has to offer. Ljungberg could hear a much different tone than he was used to earlier this season and last year when he played in his first MLS campaign with Seattle.

"In the stands you'll probably get some cheers and some boos," the Sweden native said. "That's probably what it's like. Back home, wherever you went you got booed everywhere. It just makes you want to play more. So it's not a problem."

The irony of this trip is that Seattle has been on a tear of late without Ljungberg. The Sounders (8-8-5) are in the midst of a six-match unbeaten streak (4-0-2). Chicago (6-6-6) is looking to shake of a 4-3 loss to the Houston Dynamo that included a horrendous first half, followed by an improved second half.

"The second half, I think we played extremely well," Ljungberg said. "That's probably the best we've played since I've been here. We controlled the game totally."

Seattle is not as invincible as last year at Qwest, but the Sounders still have a respectable 5-4-2 mark on their home turf.

"I'm never happy when I have to play on turf," Fire defender Gonzalo Segares said. "It's completely different. You cannot play soccer over there. They're really used to that field, so they use that to their advantage. We've just got to go there and get motivated. If we play as well as the little moments we had in Houston [in the second half], where we created a lot of chances, I think we can come out of there with points."

The timing of Segares' recent return is a benefit this weekend because Chicago has to play without defender Wilman Conde, who is out because of yellow card accumulation. That gives the Fire options to either go with Segares inside for Conde's spot and Krzysztof Krol on the left, or allows for Segares to stay at left back Krol or Kwame Watson-Siriboe in the middle.

Though Chicago came up short in set-piece situations the last time around, the Fire defense appears to have enough reinforcements to overcome Conde's absence now that Segares is in the fold again.

"You almost sit there and say, 'why did he ever leave?'" Fire center defensive back C.J. Brown said. "I'm happy with it. He's a good guy, good player. He stays focused. It's been an easy transition to have him come back."

Right defensive back Dasan Robinson is out with a hamstring injury, so rookie Steven Kinney should get the nod in the starting lineup.

Fire designated player Nery Castillo did not travel, as he has been held back to work on his fitness. While some could argue that an in-game setting is invaluable toward assisting Castillo's fitness, the few moments he has been utilized in games have had a negative effect on the flow of his position.

On Friday, the Fire released forward Stefan Dimitrov. Dimitrov did not contribute much this season. He played in portions of five MLS matches and logged only 67 minutes.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire are in the midst of a 2-0-1 month of August and they hope to maintain their momentum when they travel to Houston to take on the Dynamo on Saturday at Robertson Stadium.

The Fire potentially could climb into third place in the East. The New York Red Bulls travel to BMO Field to take on Toronto FC earlier in the day on Saturday. If Toronto falls and Chicago wins, the Fire would take sole possession of third ahead of Toronto. A Toronto loss and Fire win would mean a third-place tie, with Chicago having played two less matches than Toronto.

The Dynamo typically is in the conversation when looking at the top teams in MLS. But that definitely is not the case this season.

Houston is 5-10-5 and carrying a 10-game winless streak on its shoulders. Its last victory was against D.C. United on May 22.

"We're going to play against a team that even though they're not having a great [season] as of right now, they are still a tough team to play," Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos said.

The Fire are coming off a 2-1 victory over the New England Revolution on Wednesday at Toyota Park. Chicago had an early blunder but climbed back for the win.

Though the victory was not the prettiest, Chicago's recent upgrade in talent showed in spots on the pitch. Designated player Freddie Ljungberg had a standout performance against the Revs and defender Gonzalo Segares once again is a staple at left defensive back.

Midfielders Patrick Nyarko (concussion) and John Thorrington (quad) are questionable, but whenever they get back, that will only create more competition among the Fire roster.

"Our training sessions have been a lot sharper," Fire midfielder Baggio Husidic said. "Guys are competing for positions -- lot of good players here. We want to be sharp and that just kind of carries onto the field."

Houston never has experienced such a downfall in its regular-season history, and the bottom line is the Dynamo offense has not been coming through. Opponents have outscored Houston, 8-2 over its past five matches, and the Dynamo has only two shots on goal in its past two matches.

In Chicago's last three matches, the Fire have had a different goal scorer on all five tallies. Defensively, rookie goalkeeper Sean Johnson has been steady with 14 saves on 17 shots -- two goals allowed were Landon Donovan penalty kicks and the third was a one-on-one situation against New England's Marko Perovic.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- It is relatively easy to jump on the Freddie Ljungberg bandwagon considering his immediate impact in only three matches with the Chicago Fire.

Ljungberg rapidly is becoming a welcome addition to the organization, and his most recent efforts helped Chicago top the New England Revolution, 2-1, on Wednesday. The 33-year-old designated player had a falling out with Seattle Sounders FC. But whatever went wrong on the west coast, Ljungberg appears to have found his stride already in Chicago.

Ljungberg's work rate, vision, offensive push and overall soccer experience were sorely needed. And the sense of admiration for the former Arsenal midfielder is evident in the locker room and on the pitch.

"He's got kind of a fiery personality, and it's good. It's what we need," Fire midfielder Peter Lowry said shortly after Ljungberg's arrival. "We kind of need a kick in the [butt]. I used to watch the old Arsenal teams on TV, and it was fun to watch him play. You try to learn from what he does and soak in as much as possible."

Wednesday was Ljungberg's most defining moment in the few games he has with Chicago. He had the initial attack that eventually turned into Baggio Husidic's game-tying goal. He had the assist for Calen Carr's game winning goal. And quite simply he was the clear-cut workhorse of everyone on the pitch.

"He's been great as far as talking to me on the side and helping me with some runs and what to look for," Carr said Wednesday. "And so I just try and move off him. On that play, it definitely paid off."

For much of this Fire season, the team's various lineups and formations have been regular topics of discussion. Having a player such as Ljungberg brings some flexibility into the attacking third.

"Freddie is not a forward, but he's a player that can shadow a striker," Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos said. "He's a player that any coach in the league would have wanted, and he is a player that can create a lot of situations. Although he's not a striker, he's a player that always gets to the box."

The Fire are preparing for back-to-back road matches, starting with the Houston Dynamo on Saturday. But without question the Fire's Aug. 28 match at Seattle's Qwest Field is one to circle on the calendar.

It will be another fitting barometer of Ljungberg's worth when he takes on his former squad in one of MLS's loudest venues.

Segares has modest return: Fire defender Gonzalo Segares returned to left defensive back on Wednesday, and for the most part he did pretty well in his first game back with the club since the 2009 season.

On the defensive side, Segares was relatively steady. New England's Sainey Nyassi was not much of a weapon offensively. The only glaring mishap from Segares came in the 73rd minute when Nyassi easily got past him into the offensive third. But Fire defender Wilman Conde deflected the ball out, and the subsequent corner kick resulted in a Shalrie Joseph header that went wide left of the goal.

The moments where Segares pushed up into the offensive third, there are some kinks that need to be worked out as far as the timing and communication. Part of it simply has to do with meshing with the new personnel.

There were sequences where Segares pushed up and no one was looking in his direction. There also was one sub-par moment where Segares elected to take a shot in the 47th minute, when the smarter option would have been to dish the ball off to Ljungberg who was making a direct run to the goal. Instead, Segares' shot sailed to the left of Ljungberg and left of the goal for a Revs goal kick.

But for a first game back, Segares looked comfortable out there.

"He's a great player and he has personality," De los Cobos said. "Like Nery [Castillo], he needs time to get used to it. But he did a great job."

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Chicago Fire forward Calen Carr made his return a memorable one.

Carr netted a game-winning goal in the 85th minute as the Fire defeated the New England Revolution, 2-1, on Thursday in front of 14,056 at Toyota Park. The match was Carr's first since a scoreless draw between the host Revs and the Fire on Oct. 17, 2009.

Carr injured his quad at the end of this year's preseason when the team was in Mexico. But he slowly but surely has battled his way back, and Carr's goal gave the Fire (6-5-6) three well-deserved points against Eastern Conference foe New England (6-10-3).

"It's been a tough road where my quad would feel better, then it would feel worse, and then better, then worse," Carr said. "I finally broke through the barrier and I've been training for some weeks now. I feel great."

The front line made an aggressive run upfield during Carr's goal. Freddie Ljungberg fueled the attack and fed to Carr who surged ahead and cut to his right toward the middle of the pitch. He hit a low shot from just outside of the box and drove the ball past Revs goalkeeper Matt Reis, finding the left side of the goal for the game-winner.

"[Ljungberg] got the ball and I just drifted out wide to the left," Carr said. "I cut inside, and was originally going to go to the far post and saw the defender coming. So I decided to come back across the face of the goal. The rest ... thankfully it went in."

Carr's goal capped off a strong Fire comeback, after falling behind early because of a defensive mishap. It was Chicago's first win this season after conceding the match's first goal.

Fire midfielder Baggio Husidic tallied his fourth goal of the season in the 32nd minute to tie score at 1-1. Husidic's goal was typical of his other tallies -- right place at the right time when he faced Reis one-on-one, following Brian McBride's pass from the top of the box.

"Brian slid me in and I think the only option was either to go through the legs or chip it," Husidic said. "I went for the chip and it worked."

The win erased a blunder from Fire defender Wilman Conde, who has been prone to a few big mistakes during the season. He slipped when trying to change direction with the ball in the 16th. That parted the sea for Revs forward Marko Perovic, who dribbled around Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson and found the inside of the far left post for a 1-0 lead.

It marked the first goal allowed from Johnson in the run of play in the rookie's three MLS starts. Needless to say, Johnson could not do much to avoid the Perovic goal.

For the first time this season, the Fire's designated player duo of Ljungberg and Nery Castillo started together. It marked Castillo's first MLS start, but it was a mostly forgettable outing that included some unusual reads on some crosses from the right side. Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos decided to take him out after 45 minutes, going with Mike Banner in the second half.

Analysis: The mantra of Fire soccer over the past couple of seasons had been some positive advantages, but many times coming up short of a win or making a costly mistake.

It nearly held true until Carr completed Chicago's comeback. And while Carr and Husidic did get the glory on the scoreboard, it was Ljungberg who basically energized this team from whistle to whistle.

It is refreshing to watch the 33-year-old Ljungberg -- the amount of ground he covers from side to side and his energy level. Ljungberg played a big role in both goals. And then there were moments where Ljungberg generated some applause for simply his continual drive, such as the 49th minute. He had a good 15- to 20-second stint where he tried to get through several Revs defenders. And even when it seemed hopeless, Ljungberg somehow managed to get a corner kick out of it.

The Fire still are without a couple pieces of the roster, particularly midfielder Patrick Nyarko. Chicago compensated for Nyarko's absence, and Ljungberg is the man to thank for fueling the squad.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Following the Chicago Fire's scoreless draw against the New York Red Bulls on Sunday, one thing was glaringly clear -- New York looked like the tighter, cohesive group.

Saying so does not imply that the Fire do not have that characteristic inside of them. On the contrary, with an acquisition such as a Freddie Ljungberg, that type of talent will bond and energize the 11-man grouping on the pitch.

The Fire are just past the midway point of the season with 16 matches and a 5-5-6 record, and this team has some good pieces in place. But the cohesiveness will need to form relatively quickly for a strong second-half run. And at the moment, the Fire still are on the outside of the postseason picture if the regular season wrapped up today.

"We're now getting to the point of the season where we can't drop many points," Fire defensive midfielder Logan Pause said. "We've got to start making up some ground."

This has been an unusual season to witness in Chicago because the Fire's most recent teams were static. The lineups and returning players were pretty similar. The formation and game plan were relatively unchanged. Former Fire head coach Denis Hamlett had his methods and he pretty much stuck to his guns.

The 2010 season feels like it got a late start, as though the Fire still were in preseason mode several weeks in. From preseason to their current position, Chicago is onto its third goalkeeper. And the third time appears to be the charm with rookie Sean Johnson, who has impressed in the few moments he has had in MLS and non-league play. Two of Johnson's saves this past weekend are up for MLS Save of the Week.

When defender Gonzalo Segares rejoins the Fire, Chicago will switch up its left defensive back position once again -- a position that had a bunch of players in the mix in the early going. Segares is the best choice.

That brings us to the middle and offensive thirds, and a midfield that has dearly missed Patrick Nyarko's creativity and speed. On paper, if Nyarko can patrol the right side, Marco Pappa on the left, with designated players Ljungberg and Nery Castillo in the middle, and either Brian McBride or Collins John up top, that's one lethal offense ...

On paper.

That is just the thing. For the promising upgrades Chicago made in getting two designated players and Segares, this team has not had much of an opportunity to find a set cohesive roster.

The talent is there, but based on this past weekend, New York has adjusted to its changes much more smoothly. Remember, the Red Bulls won only five matches last year.

On Sunday, they were stronger on the ball and stronger with their movement away from the ball. Even when Thierry Henry left the match with a groin injury just before halftime, the Red Bulls worked solidly together following the break. Macoumba Kandji didn't have too many touches in the first half, but in the second he was very involved. Kandji also should have had a goal early in the second half as Chicago played a defensive game the rest of the way.

"I think it's just a combination of we weren't good enough with the ball, keeping possession, to allow our defenders to move up the field," Pause said. "When we turned the ball over, our line was well into our own half, and as guys got more tired, it became a little harder for us to get pressure on the ball. The common theme that usually happens is the team drops so deep. So those are things we're trying to work on."

New York had everything but the victory. The 22-5 shots and 7-1 shots-on-goal advantages were enormously lopsided in the Red Bulls' favor.

Credit should be given to the Fire for making some necessary personnel moves. Fire technical director Frank Klopas maximized on the summer transfer window at a moment when folks were questioning if they had enough to salvage this season and make their customary run into the postseason.

On paper, Chicago looks good. But Sunday showed that Castillo's fitness level is not there. The match showed that the Fire need Nyarko, who continues to battle concussion symptoms. The match showed that they need some more consistency from players such as Pappa, who can dazzle for one game and then have a disappointing effort -- such as Sunday's match -- the next.

First-year Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos has made his share of lineup and formation changes. If Chicago is on the cusp of finding all of the right ingredients, maybe De los Cobos will not have to keep stirring the pot.