CHICAGO (November 1, 2023) – Chicago Fire FC today announced the Club’s 2023 award winners, naming Homegrown midfielder Brian Gutiérrez the 2023 Most Valuable Player and Homegrown goalkeeper Chris Brady the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year. Winger Maren Haile-Selassie received the 2023 Golden Boot.
The awards mark the first time a Chicago Fire Homegrown player has been named the Club’s MVP, and the first time two Homegrown players have claimed a year-end award in the same season. It is also the first time that a newcomer has claimed the Golden Boot in consecutive years.
Most Valuable Player: Gutiérrez had a breakout season for the Chicago Fire since climbing through the Academy ranks and signing as a Homegrown player in 2020. In 2023, Gutiérrez made a career-high 28 starts in 32 games played, scoring two goals as a midfielder and leading the team with nine assists. He became the third Homegrown player to lead the team in assists in a season, following Harry Shipp (2014, 2015) and Djordje Mihailović (2020). He is also just the fifth player in Club history to record nine or more assists in a single season since 2012.
The Chicago native was selected to the 2023 22 Under 22, presented by BodyArmor, in fifth place, marking the second-consecutive year that a Fire player has been named to the top-five of the prestigious ranking. His 2,399 minutes played in 2023 trailed only captain Rafael Czichos as a field player. His 28 starts tied him with Czichos for most starts by a field player this season. Gutiérrez has played 88 matches (54 starts) in four seasons with the Fire.
Defensive Player of the Year: Brady is just the third goalkeeper in Club history to be named Defensive Player of the Year, joining Fire legends Zach Thornton and Sean Johnson. The young netminder stepped into a goalkeeper spot that has historically been a strength for the Fire, leading the team with 30 starts and 2,640 minutes played in the 2023 regular season. After signing as a Homegrown player in 2020 and starting his first match in the final game of the 2022 MLS regular season against the New England Revolution, Brady stepped into 2023 as the Club’s starting goalkeeper and finished the season with the Club’s fewest goals allowed since 2013*.
With eight shutouts in 2023, Brady became the sixth goalkeeper to record eight or more clean sheets in a single season, notching the sixth-most clean sheets in a single season in Club history. Brady was also the only goalkeeper named to the 2023 22 Under 22 list, presented by BodyArmor.
Golden Boot: Haile-Selassie earned the Club’s Golden Boot after leading the team with six goals during the 2023 MLS regular season. The Swiss winger joined the Fire ahead of the 2023 season on loan from partner club FC Lugano. Haile-Selassie becomes the 11th player in Club history to win the Golden Boot during his first season with the Club, a feat most recently accomplished last season when Colombian striker Jhon Durán led the team with eight goals. Also earning Golden Boot honors in their first Fire season were Robert Berić (2020), CJ Sapong (2019), Nemanja Nikolić (2017), David Accam (2015), Mike Magee (2013), Dominic Oduro (2011), Chris Rolfe (2005), Eric Wynalda (2001), and Ante Razov (1998).
Haile-Selassie’s first goal as a member of the Chicago Fire came in the 2-2 draw with the Philadelphia Union on April 15 at Soldier Field. The versatile Swiss winger completed his team-leading season with two goals at home in front of a record crowd of 62,124 at Soldier Field against Inter Miami CF on Oct. 4, 2023.
*Season in which a minimum of 25 games were played.
