CHICAGO (July 9, 2014) – The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced Wednesday that Homegrown rookie midfielders Harry Shipp and Chris Ritter have been selected to the 20-man roster for the inaugural Chipotle MLS Homegrown Game against the Portland Timbers U-23s at Providence Park, as part of the festivities leading up to the 2014 AT&T MLS All-Star Game. The game will kick off at 9 p.m. CT on Monday, August 4 and will be streamed live on WatchESPN and MLSsoccer.com.
Shipp signed with the Fire on Jan. 9, 2014 after captaining Notre Dame to their first ever NCAA College Cup. A Chicago Fire Juniors North youth product and a member of the Fire Academy in 2009 and 2010, Shipp also spent the summers of 2010-13 with the club’s PDL and Super-20 sides. The Lake Forest, Ill. native made history when he started against the Portland Timbers on March 16, becoming the first Homegrown Player to appear in a MLS match for the Fire. Shipp, who leads the team with six goals and four assists, was named MLS Player of the Week after scoring a hat trick and recording an assist in the Fire’s 5-4 win against the New York Red Bulls on May 9.
Ritter, a Fire Academy and PDL alum, joined the Fire on Jan. 13, 2014 after a successful collegiate career at Northwestern University. The Winnetka, Ill. native was twice named First Team All-Big Ten, and was honored as the 2012 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year after leading the Wildcats to their second straight Big Ten regular season title. Ritter made his first team debut when he started against the LA Galaxy on June 1 and has since started five consecutive matches for the Men in Red.
All MLS clubs were asked to nominate eligible players for the game and based on availability, the final 20 were selected in consultation with MLS Director of Player Programs Alfonso Mondelo, who will coach the Homegrown team. Players representing 12 MLS clubs will make up this year’s Homegrown team. Fans can secure free tickets to the game by clicking here. Tickets will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis and quantities are limited.
