Fire’s forward Brian McBride scored the game’s only goal off a penalty kick in the 8th minute of the 1st half. McBride placed his shot low and to the right of the Islanders’ goalkeeper Bill Gaudette.

Early in the 2nd half both Islanders and Fire benches were emptied, with all bench players being substituted onto the field.

The Fire nearly doubled the lead in the 62nd minute but the goal was called back due to an offside call. The Islanders nearly tied up the game in the 75th minute but the goal was also called back due to an offside call.

At the end of regulation time neither team had had enough for the day, so they played a 3rd twenty minutes period which ended up scoreless.

The Islanders will play their next preseason game on Monday Feb 9th against the New York Red Bulls.

Three Argentine players, fruit of the talent searching trip to the South American continent last November, were also invited to the trials. There are well advanced negotiations between the prestigious Argentinian soccer organization ‘Club Atlético Renato Cesarini’ and the Islanders to establish an exclusive colaboration agreement for the island of Puerto Rico. This agreement will be very beneficial to the efforts of the Islanders to continue to develop local talent by player exchanges with the Renato Cesarini Academy in Rosario, Argentina.

The Chicago Fire are facing the Islanders after a 3-2 loss to the Kansas City Wizards on Tuesday. The Fire had a 2-0 lead at halftime, but could not hold the Wizard offense in the 2nd half, watching the 2 goal lead evaporate, and eventually lose the scimmage match.

After the Fire, the Islanders will continue their preseason sack on the MLS on Monday Feb 9th against the New York Red Bulls, on Feb 12th with the 2008 Champs Columbus Crew, and finally against DC United on Feb 21.

The following returning players were present at the practice: Bill Gaudette (2008 USL Goalie of the Year), Jonathan Steele (2008 USL MVP), Christian Arrieta (2008 USL Defender of the Year), Noah Delgado, Alexis Rivera, Andres Cabrero, Daniel Ojeda, John Krause, Sandy Gbandi, Nigel Henry, William Yomby, James Marcelin, Osei Telesford and Justin Myers.

The following new faces (all with previous USL experience) joined the team in the first day of practice: Nick Addlery (Vancouver Whitecaps), Martin Nuñez (Carolina Railhawks) and Sean Fraser (Miami FC). Former MLS Red Bulls’ Kevin Mesa, and two “imported” newcomers, Kevon Villaroel (Trinidad & Tobago) and Nicolas Torres (Argentina), were also at the practice.

Returning Islander players missing at the practice yesterday were Petter Villegas (arrives today), Kendall Jagdeosingh (away playing with the Trinidad & Tobago National Team), and Fabrice Noël.

As for the preseason games, the quality of the 2009 opponents will be nothing like 2008’s. In last year’s preseason the Islanders (in preparation of their May encounter with the San Juan Jabloteh from Trinidad & Tobago to define the 3rd Caribbean team to play in the inaugural CONCACAF Champions League) defeated the University of Central Florida Knights (6-1), the USA Under-17 team (6-0) and Florida’s PDL team Panama City Pirates (1-0).

This year the Islanders (in preparation of their February-March encounter with Marathon from Honduras in the quarterfinals of the inaugural CONCACAF League of Champions) will face four MLS teams in the preseason: the Chicago Fire (Feb 7), the 2008 Western Conference Champion New York Red Bulls (Feb 9), the 2008 MLS Champion Columbus Crew (Feb 12) and DC United (Feb 21). The Islanders will also face the Bulls from the University of South Florida on Feb 13.