Chris Brady Called Up to USMNT Gold Cup Roster
In just half a season full of ups and downs already, there have been a couple of bright spots that have remained constant.
Chris Brady, Chicago Fire’s standout goalkeeper, has been phenomenal this season. Although Brady has given up 27 goals in 14 games (totaling out to just about two goals a game), he has made his presence known in every game thus far. Brady has made 50 saves in just 14 matches. He’s at about a 65% save percentage as well.
Brady has become a leader for the back line, a player who is being quickly recognized around the league. With all that being said, Chris Brady has been called up for the first time in his career by the U.S. Men’s National Team.
U.S. Men’s Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino put out his 26-man Gold Cup roster last week, and Chris Brady was one of five players who received their first call-ups to the camp.
Brady has represented the U.S. at the U-15, U-16, U-17, U-20, and U-23 age levels, and most recently joined the U-23 USMNT.
It was only a matter of time before he was included in the goalkeeper player pool to represent the national team. Brady, just 21 years old, signed a first-team contract with the Chicago Fire in March 2020, becoming the 19th Homegrown Player in Club history, having joined at 16 years old.
He was selected at the end of last week to remain on the squad as a part of three goalkeepers on the Gold Cup roster, which will begin on June 14th.
Group stage matches will conclude on June 22nd, and if the USMNT team advances deep into the tournament and makes the Gold Cup Final, the Fire will be without Brady until at least July 6th, resulting in him missing 5 MLS matches.
That could result in a huge blow, considering that the Fire realistically could make a serious push for a playoff appearance this season. I’ve said it before, and I will say it again – teams that contend for playoff positioning usually find their rhythm during the Summer months. Brady will basically be missing all of June.
For a team that hasn’t figured out its defensive struggles just yet, losing its standout keeper for a stretch of about a month can be a massive headache for Head Coach Gregg Berhalter.
In the meantime, backup goalkeeper Jeff Gal has stepped in nicely, starting last weekend’s match and only letting up one late goal in the thrashing of DC United. The Fire won the match 7-1. It was an ideal start to June for Berhalter and co. as they played without Chris Brady. It will be a real test for the Fire back line the rest of the month as they will face Nashville, Philadelphia, and Charlotte within the next few weeks. The good news is that these three matches will all be played at home.
With Brady already drawing attention from clubs overseas and rumors circulating that he will follow in former Fire player Gaga Slonina’s footsteps, a stage like the Gold Cup could potentially put Brady on many more teams’ radars, that is, of course, if he sees the field.
Brady is most likely the third-string goalkeeper, with NYCFC’s Matt Freese ahead of him, as well as USMNT standout Matt Turner, who currently plays for Arsenal in the English Premier League, arguably the world’s best league.
PHOTO: Lucas Boland/Imagn Images
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