No sign of Fire's Magee as holdout continues
Chicago Fire forward Mike Magee still has not arrived at preseason training with the club in Tucson, Ariz., a Chicago Fire spokeswoman said Wednesday.
Magee has been out of camp for about a week, and sources told the Daily Herald the 2013 Major League Soccer MVP is holding out for a new contract.
Fire technical director Brian Bliss, however, said Sunday that Magee has been excused from camp to tend to a personal situation.
According to MLS Players Union information, Magee had a base salary of $185,000 in 2013, less than current teammates Patrick Nyarko, Chris Rolfe, Jeff Larentowicz and Bakary Soumare were paid in 2013. Chris Wondolowski, the 2012 MLS MVP, was paid $550,000 in 2013.
Magee scored 21 goals last season, 15 of them after being traded to the Fire from Los Angeles in May.
The Fire does have a designated player slot available it can offer Magee, but Bliss and coach Frank Yallop have acknowledged they are working to get under the league salary cap.
The club traded central defender Austin Berry on Monday to Philadelphia for allocation money in a move to help the team's salary-cap situation.
Attempts to reach Magee and his agent, Richard Motzkin, have not been successful.
The Fire suffered its first preseason loss, 1-0 to New England, on Wednesday. It will play again Saturday in the Desert Diamond Cup before traveling back to Chicago on Sunday.
The club hosts its annual season kickoff luncheon Tuesday at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.
The Fire opens the season March 9 at Chivas USA.
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