Fire obliges veteran Nyarko with trade to Washington for draft pick
For a club that needs to practice addition - and in a hurry - the Chicago Fire instead choose a little subtraction.
And make no mistake, this was not addition by subtraction. It's just subtraction, but with sentiment attached.
The Fire on Wednesday announced the trade of the last active link to its winning tradition, 29-year-old midfielder Patrick Nyarko, to D.C. United for a second-round draft pick, No. 33 overall, in next week's MLS SuperDraft.
"I'm excited to start fresh with a different organization," Nyarko said Wednesday. "I've been here for years and it's always sad to say goodbye, but especially being here this long and feeling really attached to this city, the organization and the fans."
The trade comes as no surprise. The frustration building, Nyarko made it clear in August he wanted to have a chance at a championship. With the team beginning another rebuilding process, that isn't likely to happen here anytime soon. He never did meet with new coach Veljko Paunovic to talk about his role and future with the team.
The Fire showed Nyarko respect by letting him go.
"The Fire were really nice about the whole process," he said.
A 2008 draft pick from Virginia Tech, Nyarko grew to be admired by fans for his hard work on the field and honesty off the field. He wasn't afraid to be frank in discussing the team's failings - and there have been many the last few years - in the postgame locker room.
He talked wistfully about seeing friends from the team move on, many to success with other MLS teams. One of those former teammates is Chris Rolfe, another fan favorite whom Nyarko now joins in Washington.
Nyarko played 196 regular-season games for the Fire, scoring 19 goals and assisting on 39 more. Always one of the most frequently fouled players in the league, he missed significant time the last two seasons due to injury but returned at the end of the 2015 season to play very well.
Still, the trade didn't answer one big question: Who will play for the Fire when the season starts in two months?
The Fire is down to 14 players on its roster, with preseason training starting in less than three weeks, Jan. 25, and valuable midfielder David Accam, last season's leading scorer, also hoping to leave, via transfer to England.
The trade means goalkeeper Sean Johnson, a 2010 draft pick, is the team's longest-serving current player. Harry Shipp, about to enter his third season with the first team, is the only other player who was on the team roster in 2014. Defender Eric Gehrig, still recovering from surgery, is now the team's elder statesman at the age of 28.
"It's a really young team now, it's going to be a young team now," Nyarko said.
Paunovic has yet to announce the rest of his technical staff, but we know Brian Bliss won't be on it. Sporting Kansas City hired the former Fire technical director and interim coach Tuesday.
All signs point to another difficult season for the Fire in 2016, part of Rodriguez's three- to five-year rebuilding plan. It was no place for a respected veteran looking for a shot at a title before he retires.
"I wish them the best of luck," Nyarko said. "I hope they get back because I'll always love the Fire."
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