Wednesday afternoon the Chicago Fire announced that they are waiving midfielder Davis Paul. Paul was the 15th selection in third round (51st overall) of the 2011 MLS SuperDraft. The Upland, California product appeared in one match in his time with the Fire, playing against LA on April 17th.
Fire Technical Director and interim head coach Frank Klopas said, ““We want to thank Davis for his contributions to the Chicago Fire and wish him the best of luck in his next venture.”
Clearly Paul, a solid offensive threat who played forward in college, was in crowded company at the midfield position while with the Fire. Even in Klopas’ 4-4-2 formation, playing time was difficult to come by, quite possibly by no doing of his own.
It’s likely that the move on the part of the Fire front office is due to the upcoming July 15th transfer window, as well as the July 1st deadline to release non-guaranteed contracts. With the waiver of Davis Paul, the Fire now has three open roster spots, including one international spot. It seems apparent that there are definite acquisitions coming down the line for the Fire, who still look to bring in an offensive playmaker at the midfield spot.
Image courtesy of mlssoccer.com
