Founded in 1997 at Navy Pier , on the anniversary of the Great Fire , the Fire immediately tapped into the diverse ethnic makeup of the city . The team brought in Polish players Piotr Nowak , Jerzy Podbrozny , and Roman Kosecki ; the Mexican Jorge Campos ; and the Czech Lubos Kubik . While all showed their talent while playing for Chicago that first year , American players ( Zach Thornton , Chris Armas , C.J. Brown ) proved most integral to the Fire 's continued success . Under the club 's first head coach , Bob Bradley — and against all expectation — the team completed the double in its first competitive year , beating D.C. United in the 1998 MLS Cup Final , and defeating the Columbus Crew in Chicago to win the 1998 U.S. Open Cup a week later
Great Fire
Great Chicago Fire
Chicago Fire Soccer Club