Plus, Red Stars re-sign Nikki Stanton.
FIRE SIGN YOUTH INTERNATIONAL DURAN: Chicago Fire FC are looking to the future. So much so that they signed a 17-year old Colombian for the 2022 season on Monday. Such is the case with forward Jhon Jader Duan who will join the team in 2022 in which a three-year deal will begin with club options for 2025 and 2026. Durán will spend the 2021 season with Envigado of Colombia before joining the Fire in 2022. Duran is the youngest international signing in Major League Soccer history.
“Jhon is a very special and highly rated young talent, who will be an excellent addition to our Club,” said Chicago Fire FC Sporting Director Georg Heitz. “We’re extremely excited that Jhon has decided to take the next step in his career with the Chicago Fire, as he received interest from numerous Clubs from around the world. His signing is a testament to our ownership’s vision to become a top destination for talented young players. Although Jhon is unable to join us right away, we will work closely with Envigado FC to ensure a smooth transition to the Club in January 2022.”
British newspaper The Guardian rated Duran as one of the 60 best young talents in world football, ranking alongside players from Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Juventus, and many others. In 2019, he became the second-youngest goal scorer in the history of the Colombian first division at just 15 years, 263 days, scoring in the ninth minute of his first professional start. Durán is a graduate of the famed Envigado Academy that has produced well-known footballers including James Rodriguez and Juan Fernando Quintero.
RED STARS RE-SIGN STANTON: Also on Monday, the Chicago Red Stars welcomed back midfielder Nikki Stanton who returns after a year from Norwegian side Klepp IL.
Stanton began her NWSL career with Sky Blue FC during the 2014 season. She made 41 appearances for the club through four seasons. In January 2018, Stanton was traded to Chicago where she would make a career-high 20 appearances in the 2018 season and repeated the feat in the 2019 season. Stanton played a key role in helping the Red Stars reach consecutive NWSL semifinals appearances and the club’s first-ever NWSL Championship appearance in 2019. In total, Stanton has 81 appearances in her NWSL career and has amassed 4,343 minutes. Stanton has also spent four seasons on loan with Australian W-League side Perth Glory (2015-2019).
“I am super excited to be a Red Star again,” Stanton said “I look forward to being back with my people and at such a professional club. Most of all, I’m excited to play for the best fans in the NWSL. Chicago, I have missed you.”
SHEBELIEVES CUP: Orlando’s Explorian Stadium, home of Orland City SC and Orlando Pride, will host the 2021 edition featuring the US Women’s National Team, Canada, Brazil, and Japan. The tournament will be played in the form of three doubleheaders on February 18th, February 21st, and February 24th. Below is the full fixture list.
February 18th: Brazil vs. Japan (4pm ET), USA vs. Canada (7pm ET)
February 21st: USA vs. Brazil (3pm ET), Japan vs. Canada (6pm ET)
February 24th: Canada vs. Brazil (4pm ET), USA vs. Japan (7pm ET)
Chicago Fire
