CHICAGO (March 25, 2022) – Chicago Fire FC II will kick off the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro season against Orlando City B at 2:00 p.m. CT on Saturday, March 26, at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimee, Fla. The roster for Chicago will feature six players signed to MLS NEXT Pro professional contracts, along with players from the Chicago Fire Academy and first-team players signed to MLS contracts.
Chicago Fire FC II is the final stepping-stone between the Academy and the Chicago Fire FC first team. Led by head coach Ludovic Taillandier and assistant coach, former Fire forward Patrick Nyarko, Chicago Fire FC II bridges the gap between the Chicago Fire Academy and the Chicago Fire FC first team.
The core of the inaugural Chicago Fire FC II roster is comprised of players who were part of the Chicago Fire FC Academy U-19 squad that won the inaugural MLS NEXT Championship in 2021. Per league rules, a team may only have five amateur players on the field at any time. Other players on the field must be signed to a professional contract.
Chicago will host Columbus Crew 2 in the Club’s home opener at 6:00 p.m. CT on Sunday, April 3 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Ill. Chicago’s home games will be open to the public free of charge. All MLS NEXT Pro regular season matches will also be streamed live on mlsnextpro.com.
To view the full Fire schedule, click here.
Chicago Fire FC II MLS NEXT Pro Roster
Goalkeepers (2): Adrian Girón, Mihajlo Mišković*
Defenders (6): Diegoarmando Alvarado, Christian Baumgartner, Michael Flores, Charlie Ostrem, Ryan Quintos, Carlo Ritaccio
Midfielders (3): Richard Fleming III, Matteo Kidd*, Justin Reynolds
Forwards (6): Luka Bezerra, Omari Glasgow, Noeh Hernandez, Erik Kocs-Washburn, Josh Penn, Maximiliano Viera
*signed to an MLS NEXT Pro professional contract
