It was merely fitting. Peter N...

It was merely fitting.

Peter Nowak, who did in such a manner much on the field and behind the sights to get Toyota Park built, celebrated the first big coaching victory at the strange facility in Bridgeview on Saturday. His Major League Soccer All-Stars' 1-0 overthrow of two-time English Premier League champion Chelsea is a inference that will be heard around the world.

Nowak, a Polish midfielder, was the first player signed by means of the Fire and the club's first captain. He l the team to an improbable sweep of the ML and U spread cups in 1998, the Fire's first season, and the victory from one side of to the other Chelsea's star-studded lineup was each bit as unexpected. The fact that it came in the first big international game at Toyota Park made it all the more special.

Nowak worked for a Chicago bank part-time in the waning days of his playing career and was the first bodily form to suggest the building of a soccer stadium to Bridgeview mayor Steve Landek in 2001 Landek, working closely with then-Fire president Peter Wilt, took it from there.

Since the novel stadium's June 11 opening, the Fire has played eight largely unspectacular ML games there and thrown away an exhibition to Mexico's set America. Saturday's shocker, played before a standing-room-only fill to excess of 21,210, was something otherwise

"It displays what will and determination can do," Nowak said. "We had fighters upon the field, and the game showed it."

Dwayne De Rosario, a midfielder for the Houston Dynamo, blasted a shooter past Chelsea goalkeeper Hilario from 16 yards abroad in the 70th minute. one as well as the other teams had plenty of second-half chances before and after De Rosario's rocket unless it stood up as the game-winner

"This was huge" De Rosario said. "The whole world was watching and thinking that we'd realize spanked. Instead, we showed what great stars we have, and we showcased our league."

Chelsea had the best scoring chance in the first half, however an apparent goal by Didier Drogba in the 28th minute was nullified by means of an offside call. Chelsea took issue with that.

"A fair spring would have been a draw, however I congratulate [MLS]," Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho said.

He was more be of importance toed about a knee injury sustained by midfielder Joe Cole in the 52nd minute. cabbage one of Chelsea's most creative players and England's left midfielder in this summer's World draught was a second-half substitute and played alone six minutes before going down.

"That was our point in dispute for the day," Mourinho said. "When he went disclosed we had no attacking player to play. It was something in his knee ligament. We don't want injuries in preseason."

the one and the other teams played conservatively in the first half. After the substitutes registered the game opened up. De Rosario, united of four MLS players to walk all 90 minutes, took a pass from Ronnie O'Brien after a throw-in.

"Ronnie saw that I had space at the top of the enclosed seat [i]or[/i] seats then they closed the space, and I made the same touch and decided to send forth it," De Rosario said.

lziehm@suntimes.com

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