Chicago Fire Juniors
The Chicago Fire Juniors are the youth soccer club linked to the Chicago Fire professional team, with branches in Chicago, NW Indiana, West Michigan, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida. Founded in 2004 as the official youth club of Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire, they are one of the few professionally based youth clubs in the United States.
The program is led by technical director Larry Sunderland, who also coaches the Chicago Fire Premier PDL team. The Juniors have won several titles, including the 2009 Illinois State Cup for U15, U16, and U19. In 2019, the U15 Boys won the YSSL National Soccer Title with an undefeated 37-0 season, led by captains Francisco Ventro and Dylan Zadeh, and they advanced to the Global Championship in June 2020.
They are part of the Chicago Fire Player Development Program, which uses a pyramid approach to development. Players move from introductory play to competitive and elite youth levels, then into Fire Academy teams (U16, U18) and professional programs (Super-20, PDL), with the goal of reaching the Chicago Fire MLS team. For girls, the Juniors partner with Chicago Red Eleven to offer a similar development path.
The Chicago Fire Juniors compete in top state, regional, and national leagues (including NISL Premiership, MRL, US Club, Super Y, USYS National League, and USSF Academy) and also play overseas. Many players are recognized by Olympic Development Programs and regional or national teams, and the club participates in major tournaments such as the Dallas Cup, Disney Soccer Showcase, Orange Classic, Raleigh Invite, and Final Four Showcases. Many alumni go on to play college soccer.
The club was created in 2004 by merging two Wheaton youth clubs and later absorbing Naperville Lightning. In December 2011, the Chicago Fire terminated its affiliation with the Juniors and sued over trademark licensing, after which the Fire sent a cease-and-desist regarding unauthorized use of Fire trademarks and raised questions about governance and coordination between the two organizations.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 02:12 (CET).