The Mike Magee-Robbie Rogers trade will continue to be front-burner conversation for all the attached tentacles, some quite a bit larger than silly sports.
Further, as Rogers was out of the game for a while, and out of sorts even longer for everything going on in his life, he still needs time to get those soccer feet beneath him. As such, I’ve always said the big trade between Chicago and L.A. needs to be evaluated in a year or two rather than in June or July.
Still, as we sit here today, it looks ever more like the Fire got a better side of this one.
Magee was quite the presence last night at Toyota Park. In the end, a 2-2 draw at home won’t do much for the Chicago Fire’s efforts to overcome a skunky start and try to make its way up the Eastern Conference ladder. But it was a rally from a 2-0 deficit, so that probably makes it feel like a point and a half. And as for Magee …
The draw wouldn’t have happened without him.
Magee was a ball of fire out there … no pun intended. He wasn’t just the team’s emotional leader, he made things happen through an effective combination of intelligent play and unquenchable desire.
Magee’s hustle and positioning led to the first Chicago goal. And it was Magee drawing the foul that led to Daniel Paladini’s fantastic free kick.
So, from the May 24 trade, the Fire got a player who just landed in the 16-year-old club’s record book. Magee is the first player in club history to score in each of his first three competitive matches for Chicago. He hit a goal in a U.S. Open Cup match, and then another in last year’s MLS debut as a Fire attacker.
And they have a man who is third in MLS scoring with eight goals. Oh, and with his eighth goal last night, he just set a career high.
The Galaxy, meanwhile, have a player who is coming off the bench. Rogers has three appearances, without a goal or assist so far.
Again, we’ll need much more time for final assessment on this one – but Magee and the Fire have pulled well in front so far.
Highlights of Saturday’s 2-2 draw in Bridgeview:
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