The Chicago Fire kept it local with their first selection of the 2024 MLS SuperDraft, taking Notre Dame goalkeeper and Willow Springs, Illinois-native Bryan Dowd with the sixth overall pick.
Dowd joins the Fire after a standout career in South Bend that culminated with the goalkeeper being named Top Drawer Soccer’s National Player of the Year after a runner-up finish in the 2023 D1 Men’s Soccer College Cup — the first goalkeeper to take home the prestigious award. Before his time at Notre Dame, Dowd was a standout at Fenwick High School in Oak Park and the ‘keeper spent his college summers playing for Chicago FC United in USL League Two. Dowd was a member of the Fire Academy as a youth player, too, and he showed off his first academy jersey on the Apple TV broadcast.
The reunion is a welcome one for Dowd after a few years away from the Fire.
“I'm ready to give everything to the club that turned me from a little boy into a man who loves soccer,” Dowd told On Tap Sports Net over the phone after being drafted. “So I'm so excited to give back to my club. This club gave me the opportunity to play at the highest level with the MLS academy. And the fact that I get to thank them for investing their time and money in me by playing for them. It means everything to me.”
The goalkeeper won 32 matches over four seasons at Notre Dame, collecting a clean sheet in 75 percent of those collegiate victories. Dowd had a goals-allowed average of 0.699 with the Irish and only surrendered 15 goals in over 1,900 competitive minutes in his final season in Indiana. Dowd also served as Notre Dame football’s third-string kicker after graduating from Fenwick with the most field goals in school history.
The lifelong Bears fan joked that he would pick up the phone if Chicago’s NFL team called in need of an emergency kicker.
“I'd love to answer the call. I'm a Chicago sports fan, so just be able to talk with anyone from the Bears. I'd love that, but no, my focus is completely on the fire and hopefully bringing success to the Chicago Fire organization.”
Dowd has had no time off over the last eight days. He went from competing in the College Cup with the soccer team to taking five finals so he could complete his finance degree while also practicing with the football team ahead of their bowl game on Dec. 29.
The Fire’s new goalkeeper graduated last Thursday with a degree in finance. After a whirlwind of a week, he was finally able to reflect on what made his time in South Bend exceptional.
“What made my time [at Notre Dame] so special is I didn't view it or view myself as being just an athlete. I was just another student at the University of Notre Dame who happened to play another sport. So by having that kind of mindset, I made so many amazing friends and connections with guys, people in my dorm, people in my class, my professors, random staff members.
“So I was able to get to know a lot of people here and has made this journey just that much more special.”
Dowd is the first player Chicago has selected in the opening round of the SuperDraft since Kendall Burks was selected No. 11 overall in 2022, going without a pick in the first two rounds of last year’s draft before making three selections in the third round.
Dowd will have to fight for one of the backup spots behind Chris Brady during his first professional season and is expected to feature with the club’s second team in MLS Next Pro.
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