News - 01/15/2003

Major League Soccer - Chicago Fire

Chicago Fire Unveil New Uniforms

CHICAGO (Wednesday, January 15, 2003) - The Chicago Fire and PUMA unveiled its new uniforms to outfit the “Men in Red” for the 2003 MLS season today at a press conference at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. Among the attendees were Fire GM Peter Wilt, Fire defender C.J. Brown, Fire goalkeeper Zach Thornton and new Fire midfielder Justin Mapp. Other attendees included Jay Piccola, President and GM of PUMA North America and John Stevenson, Vice President and GM of Team Sport for PUMA North America. To view the Fire jerseys and photos from the press conference please visit the Chicago Fire's website, www.chicago-fire.com.

"We are excited to enter into a new era with PUMA as we continue our tradition of excellence," said Fire GM Peter Wilt. "PUMA has shown a commitment to respect the tradition of the Chicago Fire brand while working together to be on the forefront of the soccer industry."

Chicago Fire

The Fire's home uniform remains red with a white chest stripe with “FIRE” blazoned across. The road uniforms will now feature a red stripe across the chest and keep “CHICAGO” on the shirt. Authentic jerseys will be available for purchase at www.chicago-fire.com in the near future.

As part of an expanding effort to increase visibility in the national marketplace and build on its global success as a leader in soccer technology and performance sport apparel, PUMA will become the Official Supplier of the Chicago Fire beginning with the 2003 season and the Official Match Ball Supplier for Major League Soccer.

The new uniforms and training line reflect PUMA’s unique blend of style, sleek design, innovative fabrications, and the latest in PUMA technology to support the Fire team as it takes the field.

“The Chicago Fire has one of the strongest fan bases in Major League Soccer,” said John Stevenson, Vice President and General Manager of Team Sport for PUMA North America. “Their solid performance and community support makes them an ideal team to work with to highlight our Teamsport apparel.”

Vanguard technology and surface appearance make the PUMA match ball an exciting addition to Major League Soccer. The FIFA-approved, patented ball ensures maximum trajectory, precision and increased shooting speed combined with aggressive new graphics. Already used in Europe by the Scottish Football Association, Serie A power Lazio, the Bundesliga’s VFB Stuttgart and by France’s AS Monaco, the PUMA Match Ball infuses speed and precision into every player’s game, taking it to the next level.

Set to debut on opening day of the 2003 Major League Soccer season, the PUMA Match Ball will be the focus of an online contest prior to the start of the 2003 MLS season. PUMA will unveil the Chicago Fire Jersey and licensing plan at the 2003 MLS SuperDraft, to be held on January 17th in Kansas City.

Entering its sixth year of existence, the Chicago Fire was founded on October 8, 1997 as a Major League Soccer (MLS) expansion team. The Fire captured the MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup in the team's inaugural season in 1998. The Fire also won the 2000 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and 2000 and 2001 MLS Central Division titles.