Fire draft three, sign Academy player

CHICAGO, IL–Chicago Fire FC did not make any trades on SuperDraft Friday. Indeed, they drafted three and also signed a player from their Academy to a Homegrown contract.

With the third overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft, the Fire selected Dean Boltz from Wisconsin who is also a Generation adidas player. Boltz was Big Ten Freshman of the Year leading the Badgers with ten goals and four assists this past season. Boltz, 18 and from Palatine, played youth soccer with Sockers FC in Chicago and was named the 2023-24 MLS NEXT MVP presented by adidas in the U-19 age group last season after scoring 19 times for a team that only lost one game in 10 months.

Defender Travis Smith Jr. of Wake Forest was next to be selected by the Fire (33rd overall). Smith Jr. recorded 1,718 minutes in his sophomore season with the Demon Deacons across the backline, scoring the game-winning strike in the 2-1 win against Syracuse University in the first round of the ACC Tournament. Smith Jr. also signed an Academy Contract with USL Championship side Louisville City FC in 2023.

The Fire selected another defender in Geni Kanyane from Dayton (63rd overall). Kanyane played 4,292 career minutes with the Flyers, scoring four goals and registering seven assists as a defender. At the international level, Kanyane represented the South Africa U-20 Men’s National Team and was a member of the 2018 U-20 Cosafa Cup championship team with South Africa.

Prior to the draft on Friday, the Fire signed Academy player Dylan Borso to a Homegrown contract running through 2027 with club options for 2028 and 2029. Borso becomes the club’s 25th Homegrown signing.

A native of Chicago, Borso joined the Fire Academy in 2017, contributing to Academy squads from the U-13 through the U-19 levels, as well as Chicago Fire II of MLS NEXT Pro. With Chicago Fire II, Borso logged nine appearances over the course of two seasons (four starts). Borso registered one goal for Chicago Fire II as a 17-year-old in a 3-2 win against Sporting Kansas City II in September that kept the team above the playoff line. Borso was named MLSNP Rising Star of the Matchday following his goal-scoring performance, becoming the first Fire II player to claim Rising Star of the Matchday honors.

“It’s a dream come true to sign with the Chicago Fire,” said Borso. “I would like to thank Coach [Gregg] Berhalter and the staff for having confidence in me, and my dad for all his support along the way. I would also like to thank all of the coaches and support staff at the Club who have helped me grow on and off the field over the past eight years. I’m ready to give my best and bring 100 percent effort on and off the field every day. I’m a competitive guy and I can’t wait to get started playing for this city.”

Currently, the Fire now have five players under Homegrown contracts on their roster.