A tenacious tackler. A smart and skilled attacker. And a gentleman off the pitch.
These are just a few of the ways that teammates, coaches, opponents and supporters described Gonzalo Segares during his 10 remarkable seasons with the Chicago Fire Soccer Club. Earlier this year, Sega formally announced the end of his playing career, closing the book on a tenure that saw him record the fifth-most appearances (264), starts (258) and minutes (22,658) -- as well as the most yellow cards earned (66) -- in club history.
Of course, Segares' tenure with the Chicago Fire Soccer Club is far from over; he’s
become an integral part of the Chicago Fire Academy
as an assistant coach. But with Sega's retirement recognition slated for Saturday prior to Chicago's match vs.
New England
(7:30 p.m. CT, CSN Chicago), the time is right to look back at some of his greatest moments on the field as the tough defender Fire fans came to know and love.
January 14, 2005:
With the 35th pick in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft, the Fire select Segares out of Virginia Commonwealth University. He is the penultimate selection of the SuperDraft's third round (out of four), joining four players drafted by Chicago before him: Chad Barrett, Jack Stewart, Will John and Chris Rolfe.
May 21, 2005:
Segares makes his Major League Soccer debut for Chicago, going 90 minutes in a 2-1 win over Colorado. That would be the start of 1,054 straight minutes of action to start his career, with his first goal coming on June 15 at D.C. United.
July 2 and July 9, 2005:
If Chicago Fire fans didn't yet know the name of their rookie defender, they certainly did after a one-week stretch in his debut campaign. With the Fire battling for top-of-the-table positioning, Segares delivered the game-winning goal in back-to-back 1-0 outcomes, first against Chivas USA and again vs. New England.
September 27, 2006:
In his second season in MLS, Segares helps the Fire capture the 2006 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with a 3-1 victory over L.A. Galaxy at Toyota Park. The 23-year-old’s first trophy was one to remember. “That was my first championship as a professional,” he would later say. “You can’t replicate a memory like that, especially at home.”
November 6, 2008:
Segares taps in the final goal in a 3-0 rout over New England in the conference semifinals of the MLS Cup Playoffs. It serves as a bit of redemption, as the Revolution had knocked Chicago out of the playoffs in each of Segares’ first three seasons in the league.
April 25, 2009:
Down 2-0 late on the road to Columbus, Segares sets up Brian McBride in the 86th minute to pull one back. Two minutes later, he takes care of the rest himself, blasting home a goal from 20 yards out to complete the comeback.
August 18, 2010:
After a spell with Apollon Limassol in Cyprus, Segares makes his triumpant return in a Fire shirt, going 90 minutes in a 2-1 win over New England.
October 15, 2011:
Talk about an emotional rollercoaster. With the Fire playing to keep their playoff hopes intact, Chicago and D.C. United found themselves in a scoreless match late on at D.C. United. Scoreless, that is, until Segares was whistled for a penalty kick as the match headed into stoppage time. After Dwayne De Rosario converted the PK, Segares catalyzed the "Capital Comeback," first teeing up Sebastián Grazzini for the equalizer and, only moments later, breaking behind the D.C. back line to provide the game-winning assist to Diego Chávez.
June 17, 2012:
In the second half of a 1-1 game between Chicago and New York Red Bulls, a go-ahead goal by Dominic Oduro is taken off the board by the referee. Moments later, with the commentators still addressing the controversy, Segares smashes a rebound into the back of the net for the winning goal in an eventual 3-1 win. In the aftermath, Segares lets the official know what he thought of his earlier call, as only Sega could.
July 3, 2013:
Facing San Jose at Toyota Park, Segares makes a typically strong run down the left flank, playing a terrific ball across for a Dilly Duka goal to pull the Fire level at one. The Fire would eventually win 3-2, and this would be Sega’s final assist for the club.
February 4, 2015:
Segares announces his retirement from soccer with a letter to the fans. He steps away fifth all-time in Chicago Fire history with 264 appearances across all competitions, starting all but six of them. He leaves the game with 12 goals and 19 assists in a Fire jersey.
