Alan Gordon Is Officially A Preseason Trialist With The Fire

Earlier today the Chicago Fire released details of their last full week of preseason training in Florida, which features friendlies against Nashville SC (Wednesday) and Orlando City (Saturday). The Fire then return home on Sunday and will attend the official Kickoff Luncheon a week from tonight.

The club also released an updated roster. Goalkeeper Sam Howard has been shown the door, while seven new players— including two unsigned MLS SuperDraft picks— have joined camp in Bradenton.

Also joining the Men In Red as a trialist: Alan Gordon.

Yes, really.

The 36-year-old center forward is probably best known for his stints with the LA Galaxy and the San Jose Earthquakes. After leaving the Galaxy at the end of the 2016 season, he signed with the Colorado Rapids on a free agent deal for the 2017 campaign. He made 26 appearances for the Rapids last year, scoring three goals.

Did I mention that he called Will Johnson a gay slur in the middle of a game a few years ago?

On the one hand, his subsequent public apology was an actual apology, instead of the kind of “sorry if you were offended” non-apologies that we so often hear from public figures who screw up. So, credit to him for that. On the other hand, there are plenty of explicit words one could say in the midst of heated sports-related confrontation; people only utter bigoted slurs like f*ggot if they’re already doing it on the regular.

So this is who the Fire just welcomed into preseason camp. A 36-year-old whose best days are long behind him, who recently got cut by one of the worst teams in Major League Soccer, and who may or may not have problematic feelings about The Gays. And he might just make the final roster. Awesome.