Chicago Fire has signed academy midfielder Sergio Oregel as a local player ahead of the 2022 season. The deal runs until 2025, with a club option for 2026.
Oregel is now the eighth local player for the Western Conference club to sign a contract with the first team since January 2020.
“Sergio is a talented young midfielder with great vision and a strong passion for the game,” Chicago technical director Sebastian Pelzer said in a statement. “We look forward to officially welcoming him to the first team and continuing to be part of his development. “
The midfielder initially joined the club as a member of the Under-14 squad in 2018 before growing up with the program. Oregel recently inspired the Fire’s Under-19 team to win the inaugural MLS NEXT Cup title this summer and took home the Ballon d’Or award as the tournament’s top player in his age group.
“I want to say a big thank you to my family, friends and coaches who helped me get to this,” Oregel said. “It’s a dream come true and I’m excited to start playing for my hometown club. “
He is the second Chicago Fire player to be drafted to their winning Under-19 team, joining local forward Missael Rodriguez in the first team.
The Chicago Fire roster is now made up of 10 players in total under this status, including Chris Brady, Javier Casas, Brian Gutierrez and Allan Rodriguez.
Chicago currently sits 12th in the Eastern Conference standings with 31 points in 31 games. The Fire can no longer qualify for the playoffs, closing their 2021 season on November 7 against the Columbus Crew.
Although the Eastern Conference team haven’t had the easiest season with the mid-season departure of former head coach Raphael Wicky, they are taking a head start to rework their roster. with young new players like Oregel.
–
