Fire announce loans of three players to USL affiliate Tulsa

Share

The Chicago Fire changed USL affiliates from St. Louis to Tulsa in the offseason and officially announced on Monday the first three Fire players to go on loan to Tulsa.

Two homegrown players and a rookie will head to the Tulsa Roughnecks. Third-year midfielder Collin Fernandez, second-year midfielder Joey Calistri and rookie defender Matej Dekovic will head to Oklahoma.

All three players spent time with Tulsa in the preseason, including in a match Saturday against Saint Louis FC, the Fire's previous affiliate. Fernandez played 75 minutes, Calistri played 65 minutes and Dekovic entered as a substitute in the 78th minute.

Fernandez's loan comes after the 20-year-old has made just three MLS appearances for a total of 14 minutes in his first two seasons with the Fire. General manager Nelson Rodriguez has talked about the importance of getting Fernandez consistent playing time at any level after two years mixed with injuries, time spent with the under-20 Peruvian national team and USL loans. Fernandez was on loan in St. Louis for part of last season.

While Fernandez has struggled to earn playing time as a pro, Calistri's loan move was a bit of a surprise as it surfaced that he would be headed to Tulsa. Calistri made two starts in MLS play and had 12 more off the bench for a total of 348 minutes played as a rookie and scored against Colorado on June 18. He also played 40 minutes in three sub appearances in the U.S. Open Cup.

Dekovic was the Fire's fourth round pick in the draft. The Croatian product of the University of Charlotte won't count as an international player on the Fire's roster as long as he is on loan. With John Goossens on the disabled list, the Fire currently have seven international players with one more slot available.

The Roughnecks' season begins against Colorado Springs on March 25.

Contact Us