Goalkeeper Busch makes his return to Toyota Park
It's not how he expected to be enjoying the Fire's home opener, but Jon Busch is just happy to be back in Chicago.
Cut a few weeks ago by the Fire, the veteran goalkeeper returned to the Toyota Park practice field Friday afternoon with his new San Jose Earthquakes teammates to prepare for Saturday night's game.
"It's always special to come back here," said Busch, a fan favorite here. "The fans are fantastic. I still obviously talk to the majority of the players there, Logan (Pause), Johnny (Thorrington), those guys. It's going to be interesting walking out tomorrow."
Busch likened his return to Chicago to when he went back to Columbus with the Fire.
"I don't know if this one is going to be any easier, but I know it'll be emotional," he said. "My priority now is having success with San Jose and hopefully getting some points and going back to San Jose."
Busch said he remains "blindsided" by the Fire's decision to release him. After playing every minute of every MLS game for the Fire the past two seasons, Busch felt he was having perhaps his best preseason as a pro. Less than a week before the team's season opener he was demoted, then a day later released.
"I will continue to use that (word blindsided) because there was no justification," Busch said. "The way I was playing, what (Fire coach Carlos de los Cobos) was telling me, what (technical director Frank Klopas) was telling me. But at the end of the day, it's done. - I'm a San Jose Earthquake now."
Any animosity toward anyone here, he was asked.
"The players and the fans and the owners? No," he said.
Toward anyone else? "No comment."
It took less than a week after his release to find a new job. Fortunately, it was in MLS.
"You're relieved because you have a job. At the same time other situations come into play. Obviously, I had to take a financial cut, which is always tough. It is what it is. I have a job. It's playing soccer again and I'm in the MLS. Friday afternoon until that phone call came, I thought I'd be playing in the USL," he said.
Busch doesn't know if he'll see any action Saturday. Veteran Joe Cannon is the San Jose starter, and Busch understands it's Cannon's job to lose. He and Cannon have been friends for a while, meeting in U.S. national camps.
"We kind of just fell into place right away," Busch said. "We've trained together before, and I think it's going to be a great environment."
Welcome mat: The Fire announced Friday it will host the first Chicago Sister Cities International Cup at Toyota Park, with Polish club Legia Warsaw, French club Paris Saint-Germaine and Serbia's Red Star Belgrade joining the Fire for doubleheaders May 19 and May 22.
All three clubs represent sister cities of Chicago.
Tickets go on sale Saturday morning at chicago-fire.com, Ticketmaster or by calling (888) MLS-FIRE.
<p class="factboxheadblack">San Jose Earthquakes at Toyota Park, 7:30 p.m. Saturday</p>
<p class="News"><b>TV:</b> Comcast SportsNet</p>
<p class="News"><b>Scouting the San Jose Earthquakes:</b> The Earthquakes (0-1-0) took last weekend off after a season-opening 3-0 loss to Real Salt Lake. Defender Chris Leitch earned a red card in the opener and will miss Saturday's game.</p>
<p class="News"><b>Scouting the Fire:</b> Central midfielders Logan Pause and John Thorrington will miss the game for the Fire (0-1-1) because of injuries. Peter Lowry has started the first two games for Thorrington. Pause's replacement could be Baggio Husidic, Corben Bone or Marco Pappa, the latter moving over from the left side. Newly signed left back Deris Umanzor is available and could get the start in the Fire's home opener.</p>
<p class="News"><b>Next:</b> At D.C. United, April 17.</p>