Sources: Chicago Fire sign Omar González
The Chicago Fire have signed former U.S. Men's National Team center back Omar González, sources tell MIR97 Media. The journeyman defender was a free agent in MLS and appeared for the Fire as a second-half substitute against LAFC on Wednesday. He signs a one-year deal through the end of 2025 with a club option for 2026.
González, 36, was capped 52 times in an international career that spanned between 2010 and 2019. A handful of those appearances toward the end came under Gregg Berhalter, who took over the Fire this offseason as the club's Director of Football and Head Coach. González even captained the U.S. in a 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup group stage match under Berhalter.
González has spent practically his entire playing career in North America, bouncing between various MLS and Liga MX clubs for the last decade-plus. He was a three-time MLS Cup champion with the L.A. Galaxy in 2011, 2012, and 2014 before moving south of the border and winning the CONCACAF Champions League with Pachuca. He has since gone on to play for Atlas, Toronto FC, the New England Revolution, and, most recently, FC Dallas. His only foray beyond the continent was a doomed loan spell at FC Nürnberg in 2012, during which he tore his ACL without playing a minute.
Though González is a FIFA World Cup veteran, appearing at Brazil 2014 in USMNT matches against Germany and Belgium under Jürgen Klinsmann, his best years are clearly behind him. For Berhalter and the Fire, this is a cheap depth addition as the start of the regular season quickly approaches. The surprise departure of Tobias Salquist in January left the team with just three conventional first team center backs: Carlos Terán, as well as new additions Jack Elliott and Sam Rogers.
González has been training with the Fire for several days, as he was first sighted last week during an open session in Chicago. He also wore the captain's armband during the second half of the Fire's 1-0 loss to LAFC. Given the lack of available first team center backs, academy star Chris Cupps also trained with the group prior to joining up with the U.S. U-17s for the World Cup qualifiers this week. Fire II center back Diego Konincks has also joined the Fire for the next phase of preseason in California.
González is the 12th MLS addition of the offseason, following David Poreba, Jack Elliott, Omari Glasgow, Dylan Borso, Dean Boltz, Philip Zinckernagel, Sam Rogers, Leonardo Barroso, Jonathan Bamba, Robert Turdean, and Rominigue Kouamé. The club has also signed numerous players to second team deals including Olu Oyegunle, Sam Williams, Claudio Cassano, and others yet to be announced.
