Fire gets UIC's Husidic in 2nd round of SuperDraft

The Chicago Fire didn't need a first-round pick to get the guy it wanted after all.

UIC midfielder and Libertyville High School graduate Baggio Husidic will be staying in Chicago after the Fire moved up in the second round to make him its first pick in Thursday's MLS SuperDraft.

The Fire traded its second-round pick, No. 28 overall, plus the rights to goalkeeper Matt Pickens to Colorado in order to move up to No. 20 and choose the Flames' All-America central midfielder as an understudy to Cuauhtemoc Blanco, who turns 36 Saturday, though coach Denis Hamlett didn't want to put that much pressure on Husidic.

"I want him to come in and just be part of our group," Hamlett said, adding he was surprised Husidic was still available.

"It's a kid we've seen over many years," Hamlett said. "He's got some good qualities to play in our league. He's a good soccer player, very technical."

Pickens spent part of last season with Queens Park Rangers in England after declining the Fire's contract offer. The trade came about at the last minute, Hamlett said.

The Fire traded its first-round pick in August for Brian McBride.

Husidic, 21, is a Generation adidas player, meaning he does not count against the senior roster or salary cap because he came out of college early, after his junior season. Many mock drafts had him going in the first round, but he reportedly had a poor combine last weekend.

"There is no better place for me to begin my professional career," Husidic said. "Having the opportunity to play in front of my friends and family is a dream come true."

In the third round, the Fire drafted University of California-Irvine defender David Sias.

The team picked up Jokull Elisabetarson, a midfielder from Iceland via North Carolina-Greensboro in the fourth round, as well as Richard Jata, a midfielder from Campbell University.

The Fire begins preseason training at the end of January.