Founded on the anniversary of the Great Fire in a 1997 ceremony at Navy Pier, the Fire immediately tapped into Chicago's diverse ethnic makeup, bringing in Polish players Piotr Nowak, Jerzy Podbrozny, and Roman Kosecki; Mexican Jorge Campos; and Czech Lubos Kubik.<br />While all showed their talent while playing for Chicago (Nowak in particular, the captain for 5 years), it was the young American players that proved most successful and integral to the Fire's continued success.<br />The club, against all expectation, completed the double in its first competitive year: beating D.C.<br />United in MLS Cup 1998 at the Rose Bowl, and a week later defeating the Columbus Crew in Chicago to win the 1998 U.S.<br />Open Cup. (*)