CHICAGO, IL–Chicago Fire FC director of soccer and head coach Gregg Berhalter has added a pair of defenders in a many days to bolster the Fire’s back line.

On Monday, the Fire acquired Sam Rogers from Lillestrøm SK of the Norwegian Eliteserien. Rogers, 25, joins the Fire with 167 appearances across all competitions in the United States and Europe. A native of Seattle, Rogers began his professional career in 2017 with Tacoma Defiance, formerly Seattle Sounders FC 2, after progressing through the Sounders’ Academy.  He made 64 appearances with Tacoma Defiance then of the USL Championship from 2017-20 before signing with Oklahoma City Energy FC in 2021.

Rogers joined HamKam in Norway on loan in 2021, before transferring to the club in January 2022. He has since played for Rosenborg, Lillestrøm, and Aalesund, appearing in 47 matches in the Eliteserien and 29 contests in the OBOS-ligaen.

“Reinforcing the backline has been a priority for us during this transfer window, and Sam will bring added competition and depth to the center back position,” said Berhalter. “We’re excited to have him on board and look forward to his contributions to the team.”

Rogers is under contract through 2026 with club options for 2027 and 2020.

On Tuesday, the Fire signed Portuguese youth international Leonardo Barroso as a U-22 Initiative signing from Sporting Club de Portugal. Barroso, 19, the Fire after spending the past two seasons with Sporting CP B of Sporting Lisbon, playing in 27 matches. He was recently part of the Sporting CP B side that participated in the Premier League International Cup, logging 238 minutes across three matches against Atlético CP, Southampton and Brighton & Hove Albion. The Portuguese youth international originally joined Sporting CP in 2018, when he transferred from the SL Benfica Academy to the Sporting CP Academy at the U-15 age level.

“We’re very pleased to welcome Leonardo to the Fire. He’s coming from an elite environment at Sporting, where he worked closely with Filipe Celikkaya, who recently joined us as an assistant coach,” said Berhalter. “We believe that Leonardo has a very high ceiling, and we’re confident he will make an immediate impact. His skill set and mentality align well with our vision, and we’re excited to see how he contributes to the future success of the Club.”

Barroso is signed with the club through 2028 with a club option for 2029.