Chicago City Wire

Chicago Fire FC has announced the signing of new contracts for three Homegrown players: goalkeeper Chris Brady and midfielders Sergio Oregel Jr. and Mauricio Pineda. The club says these signings highlight its ongoing commitment to developing and retaining local talent.

Currently, Chicago Fire FC’s first team roster includes 14 players from the Chicagoland area, with nine having progressed through the club’s academy system. This season, the team has started six former academy players in several matches—a club record—and signed six new homegrown contracts.

“We are proud to have so many players on the field who were raised in Chicago and represent our city and local fans,” said Chicago Fire FC Director of Football and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter. “With our focus on player development and youth programming, we offer such a unique opportunity for local, rising soccer players to join our pipeline to the first team roster.”

Chris Brady is now under contract with Chicago Fire FC through the 2029 season, with an option for 2030. Since his debut in October 2022, Brady has played in 87 regular season matches, logging more than 7,700 minutes—the most appearances by a Homegrown goalkeeper in club history. He has recorded 18 clean sheets and was named to the U.S. Men’s National Team roster for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Brady also helped the U.S. qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games at the Concacaf U-20 Championship in July 2022, earning recognition as best goalkeeper after four consecutive shutouts.

Sergio Oregel Jr., who joined the Fire Academy at age 14, is now contracted through 2028 with an option for an additional year. In his first season with the academy’s U-14 team he scored nine goals and made fifteen assists. Oregel Jr. was part of the squad that won the inaugural MLS NEXT U-19 Championship in July 2021 and received that tournament’s Golden Ball award as top player in his age group. This year he started nearly every match he played—missing two due to national team duty—and contributed one assist over almost two thousand minutes.

Mauricio Pineda will remain under contract through at least 2027 with a club option for another year. Since joining as a Homegrown Player in January 2020, Pineda has appeared in nearly one hundred fifty matches across six seasons, scoring seven goals with five assists while playing primarily as a defensive midfielder or defender. In his rookie campaign he became Chicago Fire FC's first Homegrown Player to start every match of a season and was named Defensive Player of the Year for 2020.

All three athletes previously competed at various levels for U.S. youth national teams before advancing to senior professional careers within their hometown club.