CHICAGO (Sept. 12, 2023) - Chicago Fire Academy U-19 forward Dylan Borso was named MLS NEXT Pro Rising Star of Matchday 26, following his performance in the 3-2 victory against Sporting Kansas City II on Sunday, Sept. 12, at Mercy Victory Field in Kansas City, Mo.
In his professional debut with Chicago Fire FC II, the Academy product logged his first career start and recorded 73 minutes of action in last Sunday’s victory. After the Fire found themselves down by a pair of goals early in the match, Borso created separation and drew a foul inside the box to earn the team a penalty. Current Fire II golden boot leader Luka Prpa capitalized and kickstarted Chicago’s comeback.
After Prpa recorded his brace to even the match at 2-2, Borso once again made an impact just seven minutes after the equalizer. Homegrown forward Missael Rodriguez found Borso with a through ball into the attacking third. Borso took the space given and split between two defenders inside the box before finishing in the bottom corner to score the eventual game-winning goal. With his tally, Borso became the first Academy product to score in his professional debut with Chicago Fire II. He joins forward Michael Nesci as the only two current Academy players to score this season with the MLS NEXT Pro side.
At the academy level, Borso is currently a member of the U-19 roster, having been a part of the Chicago Fire Academy since 2017. In the 2022 season, he tallied 13 goals and 12 assists in 37 appearances with the U-17 Academy, committing to Wake Forest University to continue playing at the NCAA level.
Chicago Fire FC II will wrap up the home portion of their 2023 regular season schedule on Friday, September 15, when they host Orlando City B at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and coverage of the match will begin five minutes prior on MLSNEXTPro.com. Match entry and parking will be free for all fans.
