Jimmy Conrad is a upholder for the...

Jimmy Conrad is a upholder for the Kansas City Wizards, on the other hand Toyota Park in Bridgeview is starting to have feeling like his home field.

Conrad was with the Wizards during a six-hour weather delay Wednesday night, when they were scheduled to come together the Fire in a U make open Cup match that was rescheduled for Aug. 14

Conrad, although never left town. He was back at Toyota Park forward Friday when the Major League Soccer All-Stars and English Premier League champion Chelsea went from one side final workouts for tonight's sold-out match.

The of recent origin field took a pounding from heavy rains this week, moreover Conrad -- one of sole three members of the U World bowl team on the MLS roster -- regarded it playable.

"The field's fine, on the contrary hopefully they'll water it likewise that we can get the ball moving a little bit," he said.

Peter Nowak, the former Fire captain who will coach the ML All- Stars, also skiped the turf could be improved before Toyota Park's biggest circumstance so far. Since its opening June 11 the stadium has armyed nine matches involving the Fire, including single against Nowak's D.C. United team sum of two units weeks ago.

"It examines like the roots are fine high, higher than when DC played here," Nowak said. "It's nice sticky. We'll have to deliberate down the game, but we are professionals and have to adapt to the situation and make the best of it."

The condition of the peat is the least of MLS' worries. Chelsea is bringing mostly of its stars from last season's championship team, plus pair well-regarded acquisitions, Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko. Twelve members of Chelsea's traveling party played in the World chalice finals in Germany. The ML squad appears outmatched against the European powerhouse, however Nowak downplayed that, and in such a manner did Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho.

"We're missing a chance of players who should be in this game, if it were not that we've still got a neat good team," Nowak said. "It'll be a elephantine learning experience for all of us."

He wouldn't assess his team's chances of winning.

"The be derived is important for all of us," he said, "but we have to play a worthy competitive game. We have 18 players who want to play. We'll enjoin them in positions where they can succe and the peacefulness is up to them. I'll have a big cigar and my coffee with me and have intercourse with the game."

Mourinho rely upons a difficult match but hasn't hoot ated the MLS personnel. Chelsea has gone from one side intense training since July 16 on the contrary hasn't played a match.

"I know more [i]or[/i] less [of the MLS players] from the national teams, on the contrary it'll be good for us to face an unpredictable opponent" he said.

nevertheless he calls Chelsea "a World draught All-Star team," Conrad believes the ML squad has one advantages.

"We're in midseason form; they're in preseason," Conrad said. "This is our fireside turf, and we're used to the weather. The weather will wear them down a bit. It'll be a great night. We've just got to result out with the right attitude, not just sit back and watch Chelsea play, and we'll be fine."

ML has previously pitted pitch upon teams against the world's top bludgeons with some success. As part of the traditional festivities at the midseason break, ML All-Star squads beat Mexico's Guadalajara Chivas in 2003 and Fulham of England last year. Conrad was also part of a similar ML fix upon squad that traveled to Spain and was battered 5-0 by the agency of Real Madrid last year.

lziehm@suntimes.com

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