CHICAGO (May 20, 2023) - Chicago Fire FC II today announced that the Club has signed Norwegian defender Andreas Ueland to an MLS NEXT Pro contract. His contract will run through the 2023 season. Financial terms were not disclosed.
“We scouted Andreas during his time at Virginia and were very impressed with his level of play and his football mind,” said Chicago Fire FC II General Manager, Alex Boler. “His strength and skill in the backline add to a healthy competition within the group, and we feel he has incredible potential for the future.”
Ueland, 23, joins Chicago Fire FC II after having spent the last four seasons playing for the University of Virginia at the collegiate level. After his senior year, Ueland was drafted by the New England Revolution in the third round (68th overall) of the 2023 MLS SuperDraft.
“Andreas is a leader at the back who we see a lot of potential in,” said Chicago Fire FC II Head Coach, Ludovic Taillandier. “He was the best defender in the ACC last year, and his capacity to break lines is an ability that’s very valuable to us.”
At the collegiate level, Ueland appeared in 73 matches (73 starts), playing in every match possible in his four years as a Cavalier. As a result, he was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Defender of the Year in 2022, and earned a selection on the 2022 All-ACC First Team. In his four years as a Cavalier, he also recorded eight goals and three assists and led Virginia to a NCAA National Championship appearance in 2019.
In his freshman season at Virginia, Ueland led a ‘Wahoos’ backline that only surrendered 13 goals in 24 matches, the fewest in the NCAA that season. As a result, he was also named to the ACC All-Freshman team in 2019. That same season, Ueland scored the golden goal against the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill to clinch the program’s first ever Coastal Division Championship and the league’s first regular season title since 2005. The following season, Ueland was awarded the Stanley Lerner Memorial Award as Virginia’s top player of the season.
At the international level, Ueland has represented Norway at the U-17, U-18, and U-20 levels.
Name: Andreas Ueland (YOO-land)
Position: Defender
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 190
Date of Birth: August 23, 1999
Hometown: Bryne, Norway
Birthplace: Bryne, Norway
Citizenship: USA and Norway
Last Club: University of Virginia
