First Reactions: Chicago Fire 2019 MLS SuperDraft

There are times as a fan of the Chicago Fire when literally all you can do is laugh.

The Fire came into the 2019 MLS SuperDraft in dire need of warm bodies to make up for the (still in-progress) offseason exodus. Defense and goalkeeping are urgent needs, while a creative attacking player certainly wouldn’t hurt. The Draft offered an opportunity to potentially fill some of those holes in the roster and build for the future.

Instead, Chicago walked away with allocation money. That’s it. Allocation money and a player to be named later from the Red Bulls.

The Fire came into today with the #5 pick overall and lots of rumors swirling that it wouldn’t stay that way. Sure enough, once the Fire were on the clock, Don Garber announced that the Fire had given their #5 pick to the Colorado Rapids for the #15 pick and $100k in allocation money.

When the Fire were on the clock again for #15, Nelson Rodriguez was spotted talking to Minnesota United executives. Within a matter of minutes, Garber announced that the Fire had given their #15 pick to Minnesota United for $50k in allocation money.

The Fire ended their Draft Day by giving their 2nd Round pick to the New York Red Bulls for a player to be named later.

So that’s where we’re at. We may or may not have enough players on the roster right now to name a full Gameday 18. We’ve got a bunch of allocation money but no idea how, or if, that will be spent between now and Matchday 1.

Sometimes all you can do is laugh.