Chicago Fire Soccer was founded on October 8, 1997 as a Major League Soccer expansion team. The Fire won the MLS Cup in its inaugural season in 1998 and was crowned the champion of U.S. Soccer's national tournament, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, in 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006. In June 2006, the Fire moved into its world-class home of TOYOTA PARK, located in Bridgeview, IL.

ABOUT TOYOTA PARKLocated 15 minutes from downtown Chicago and minutes from Midway airport off of I-55 on Harlem Avenue, TOYOTA PARK is the Midwest's preeminent outdoor live entertainment and sporting facility. Opened in 2006, TOYOTA PARK not only serves as the home of the Chicago Fire, but also hosts a variety of sporting events, special events and concerts by national and international artists. In 2009, artists ranging from Jimmy Buffett to Phish will perform live at TOYOTA PARK.

Ten questions with Steve Walker, Vardar North soccer coach

Steve Walker is in his fourth year of coaching soccer with Vardar North, the premier youth travel club of the mid-Michigan area. The Manchester, England native moved to the United States in 1998 to work for Major League Soccer camps for the Chicago Fire. He went to school at Columbia College in Missouri, taught soccer in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Albuquerque and San Diego. He moved to Midland to work with the soccer club there before attending Saginaw Valley State where he captained the Cardinals soccer team. He has coached Nouvel boys and Heritage girls soccer teams. The Saginaw News writer Geoff Mott caught up with him for 10 questions.

1. What's the difference between youth soccer in England and the United States? It might have changed in the last 10 or 11 years, but when I was at home, it was the only sport that was offered.

Matchday: Freedom-Sol

Marta, the best female soccer player in the world, is at Maryland SoccerPlex tonight for her only visit to the Washington area this WPS season. Can the Freedom's UVA-oriented backline (Becky Sauerbrunn, Sarah Senty and Alex Singer) handle the Brazilian genius and slow down the Los Angeles Sol, which is unbeaten in 10 straight and closing in on the top seed in the playoffs?