Fire to defend title against RSL

The Chicago Fire will kick off thier UMLSCC defense in Salt Lake City on March 29th, 2008.
I guess it's possible that RSL's new stadium will be ready by then...I haven't been following it closely. Will know more later and will have Fire vs RSL UMLSCC stats before the season starts.

Update: Chicago and RSL have never squared off in a UMLSCC game. This will be the 4th time Chicago has played in a UMLSCC game to open a season. They have a win, a draw and a loss. It is the first time they have opened the season as the Champion.

Chicago has an overall record of 16-8-15 on the road and 9-6-11 as the champion on the road. At home overall RSL is 1-1-1 and are 1-1-0 when challenging at home.

This will be the 224th Saturday match up. The home team has won 118 times to a paltry 42 times for the road team. There have bee 63 draws. For the last 19 consecutive Saturday UMLCC games the home team is 12 wins and 7 draws. Chicago was the last road team to win on a Saturday, taking the title in Columbus on Sept 9th, 2006 2-1. Previous to Chicago's road win the home team had won 8 and drawn one .... Chicago was also the team that won on the road before that run too(winning title in Houston). In fact, Chicago has the only 2 road wins on UMLSCC Saturday matchups in the last 34 matchups.

Chicago have played in 29 UMLSCC Saturday road games games with 11 wins, 7 draws and 11 losses. Six times they ahve won the title in this manner and six times they have lost it. They are 5-5-6 as title holders in these matchups.

Overall on Saturday Chicago is 25-14-13 (14 home wins).

RSL is 1-1-1 on Saturdays. Their win and draw at home. That home win was for thier only title over DC United last season.

80 times the title has changed hands on Saturdays. That is 57% of the title changes. The Champion is 80-62-78(*) on Saturday... successfully defending 142 times.

The (*) from above... there are 3 games in which there was no champion. The first overall game which San Jose won in 1996. Then the first two games in 2002 after UMLSCC champion Miami was contracted and DC United (the last team to have the title before Miami in 2001) played a draw before Chicago won the title. DC is not credited with a successful defense or are they credited with a title loss.

Enjoy.