BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. - The Chicago Fire today announced that the club has acquired the rights to rookie M/F Ryan Johnson in a trade with Real Salt Lake in exchange for defender Jack Stewart. Johnson will be added to the Fire's 10-man Developmental Roster and is expected to join the "Men in Red" for training on Wednesday or Thursday. To make room for Johnson on the team's Developmental Roster, the Fire have placed midfielder Craig Capano on the season-ending injury list. Today's moves leave one spot open on Chicago's 18-man Senior Roster.
"Being raised in Boston, Chicago is a place that is more like home to me, so I'm happy to come to the Fire," said Johnson. "I love the city of Chicago, having played and visited there during my collegiate days, so I'm very pleased to have the opportunity to play there."
With today's transaction, the 21-year-old Johnson finds his way onto his second MLS team during his rookie season. In his time with Real Salt Lake, the rookie Johnson played 154 minutes over seven MLS regular season games, including one start. Johnson has showcased his abilities with the Real Salt Lake Reserves, leading the squad with three goals and tying for the team lead with two assists in their five Reserve Division contests this season. In addition to his MLS debut on Apr. 2 in a substitute role at Chivas USA and his first career MLS start on Apr. 29 against the Los Angeles Galaxy, the month of April saw another first for Johnson as he made his first senior international appearance for the Jamaican National Team, starting in the Reggae Boyz' 1-1 draw with the United States on Apr. 11 in Cary, NC.
"We've had Ryan Johnson on our radar screen beginning with the January combine," said Fire Head Coach Dave Sarachan. "We felt that he would be a good, young addition to our roster and we feel fortunate that we were able to obtain him at this time. He's a versatile player and we are looking forward to having him join our team."
Johnson was drafted by Real Salt Lake in the third round (26th overall) of this January's 2006 MLS SuperDraft out of Oregon State University, where he earned All-Pac-10 honors during all four collegiate seasons and holds the Beavers' career (30) and single-season (13) assist records. He finished his Oregon State career with 66 points, good for third place on the squad's all-time scoring chart, in a school-record-tying 76 games, including 71 starts.
Stewart ends the Chicago portion of his MLS career having started four of his 14 games with the Fire's first team in regular season play, during which he scored one goal and totaled 540 minutes of play. Stewart also started in two of the Fire's three postseason contests in 2005, during which he tallied the Fire's game-winning goal in a 4-0 victory over D.C. United on Oct. 30, 2005 in the second leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series, helping the squad advance to the Eastern Conference Final.
"I'd like to thank Jack Stewart for his contributions to the Chicago Fire," said Sarachan. "Jack has a bright future in Major League Soccer. However, given our current roster status we felt it would be in Jack's and the Fire's best interest to accept this trade with Real Salt Lake."
Stewart made five appearances (one start) for the Fire's first team in 2006, totaling 139 minutes, and also contributed one goal in 431 minutes of play across five starts in MLS Reserve Division play. During his first full season with the Fire in 2005, the Southern California native scored one goal in 401 minutes over nine matches (three starts). Stewart took advantage of the newly started Reserve Division in 2005, topping the squad with 990 minutes, 11 games played and 11 starts. The Notre Dame product also helped the Fire make League history last season, as his goal on Oct. 5, 2005 against the then-MetroStars made him the Fire's 17th different goal scorer of the season, helping the "Men in Red" break the MLS record for most goal scorers on one team in a single season.
The 21-year-old Capano continues to struggle from leg and knee ailments that have kept the midfielder sidelined since the end of the 2004 season. Capano had made two appearances for the Fire's Reserve Division team in 2006, totaling 90 minutes of action. Capano, who underwent surgery on his torn left ACL in March of 2005, has not played for the Fire's first team since the club's final game of the 2004 season on Oct. 16, 2004 at New England.
