Fire adds 3 players in draft

If nothing else, the Fire again has numbers.

The Fire added three former college players in Tuesday's supplemental draft, bringing its preseason roster to 26.

Whether these players belong on an MLS roster will be determined in preseason training, which begins at the end of January.

The team also is expected to announce soon the signing of a foreign player.

Trying to fill its need for attacking players, the Fire picked forward Amani Walker in the supplemental draft's first round.

Walker, whom many thought the Fire might take in the third round of last week's SuperDraft, played at UC-Irvine, where he had 27 goals and 11 assists in four years.

In the second round the Fire selected midfielder Yannick Salmon of Rutgers. Forward Sam Arthur of South Carolina came in Round 3.

“We selected three athletic players who have a knack for scoring,” said Fire technical director Frank Klopas. “Amani, Yannick and Sam have performed well at the collegiate ranks and we look forward to them joining the Chicago Fire soccer club.”

In other news former Fire defender C.J. Brown accepted a job as an assistant coach at Real Salt Lake. Brown retired as a player after last season, his 13th with the Fire.

“This is a great opportunity for C.J., and everyone at the Fire is very happy for him,” Klopas said in a statement. “We are grateful for all of his contributions to the club, and we wish C.J. and his wife, Kim, and their two girls the very best.”