Mauricio Pineda (soccer)

Mauricio Pineda (born October 17, 1997) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer.

Mauricio Pineda
Personal information
Date of birth (1997-10-17) October 17, 1997
Place of birth Bolingbrook, Illinois, United States
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Midfielder, Defender
Club information
Current team
 Chicago Fire
Number 22
Youth career
2015–2016 Chicago Fire
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2019 North Carolina Tar Heels 79 (17)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018 Tobacco Road FC 12 (2)
2019 North Carolina FC U23 4 (0)
2020– Chicago Fire 23 (3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 8 November 2020 (UTC)

Early life

College and Youth

Pineda was part of the Chicago Fire academy,[1] before attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he played college soccer from 2016 to 2019, making 79 appearances, scoring 17 goals and tallying 8 assists.[2]

While at college, Pineda also appeared for USL League Two sides Tobacco Road FC[3] and North Carolina FC U23.[4]

Professional career

Chicago Fire

On January 17, 2020, Pineda signed a one-year contract with Chicago Fire as a Homegrown Player, with options for a further three seasons.[5] Pineda made his professional debut on March 1, 2020, starting in a 2–1 loss to Seattle Sounders at CenturyLink Field.[6]

On July 14, 2020 Pineda earned his first assist and scored his first professional goal for the Fire, also against Seattle in the MLS is Back Tournament. The Fire won 2–1 with Pineda's goal the game-winner.[7] The following day he signed a contract for the club until 2021.[8]

International career

In December 2020 after his first professional season in MLS, Pineda was called up to the senior national team of the United States, the first call up he'd received at any age level.[9]

Personal

Born in the United States, Pineda is of Mexican descent.[10] He is the younger brother of former soccer player Victor Pineda, who also played for Chicago Fire.[5]

References
  1. "Chicago Fire". chic.ussoccerda.com.
  2. "Mauricio Pineda – Men's Soccer". University of North Carolina Athletics.
  3. "Tobacco Road FC – 2018 Regular Season – Roster – # – Mauricio Pineda – M". www.uslleaguetwo.com.
  4. "North Carolina FC U23 | uslleaguetwo.com". www.uslleaguetwo.com.
  5. "Chicago Fire FC keep it in the family, sign North Carolina's Mauricio Pineda to Homegrown Player deal | MLSsoccer.com".
  6. "Boxscore: Seattle Sounders FC vs. Chicago Fire FC 03/01/2020 | Matchcenter".
  7. Bogert, Tom (July 14, 2020). "Chicago Fire FC 2, Seattle Sounders 1 – MLS is Back Tournament Match Recap". MLSSoccer.com. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  8. "Chicago Fire FC Exercises 2021 Contract Option on Mauricio Pineda". chicagofirefc.com. 15 July 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  9. "Berhalter Calls 22 Players ahead of USA-El Salvador on Dec. 9 at Inter Miami FC Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale". www.ussoccer.com.
  10. "Mauricio Pineda: A Letter To My Freshman Self". University of North Carolina Athletics.


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