CINCINNATI – FC Cincinnati have acquired the MLS Homegrown rights to defender Andrew Gutman and the Chicago Fire’s natural 2020 MLS SuperDraft third-round selection in exchange for $50,000 in General Allocation Money. Should FC Cincinnati add Gutman to their roster and he meet certain performance-based metrics, FC Cincinnati could send up to an additional $150,000 in General Allocation Money to Chicago. In addition, the Fire will receive a percentage of any future transfer or loan fee should FC Cincinnati acquire and transfer Gutman outside of MLS.
Gutman, 22, began his professional career earlier this year when he signed for perennial Scottish Premiership power Celtic Football Club on January 31. The Chicago Fire Academy product spent the first half of 2019 on loan with the USL Championship’s Charlotte Independence before returning to Celtic for the Scottish side’s preseason preparations. The Hinsdale, Illinois, native scored three goals and added one assist in 14 appearances with the Independence before returning to Scotland.
In his illustrious four-year collegiate career at Indiana, the defender helped the Hoosiers advance to consecutive NCAA Men’s College Cup appearances in 2017 and 2018. Gutman scored 20 goals and added 17 assists in 90 appearances with the Hoosiers from 2015-18.
Following the 2018 season, Gutman won the 2018 MAC Hermann Trophy – the annual award given to the United States’ best college soccer player. Gutman also earned first-team All-America honors, and was tabbed the Big Ten Defender of the Year and with First-Team All-Big Ten recognition as the outside back led Indiana with 11 goals and added nine assists in his senior campaign.
Gutman was also included on U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Gregg Berhalter’s preliminary roster for the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup, despite playing on a USL side at the time.
FC Cincinnati returns to the field on Saturday, Aug. 3 when the team hosts Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Nippert Stadium. First kick is set for 8 p.m., and the game will be televised live on WSTR 64, streamed on FloFC (in-region) and ESPN+ (out-of-region), carried on the radio on WDJO with an audio stream on TuneIn (WDJO) and fccincinnati.com. Pick-Six mini plans, and individual-game tickets and group options are on sale at fccincinnati.com/tickets or by calling 513-977-5425 (KICK).
For up-to-the-minute information about FC Cincinnati, visit the team’s official website at fccincinnati.com, or follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FCCincinnati. For more information about FC Cincinnati tickets - including 2019 season tickets - call 513-977-KICK (5425) or visit fccincinnati.com/tickets.
Transaction: FC Cincinnati acquire the MLS rights to defender Andrew Gutman the Chicago Fire’s natural 2020 MLS SuperDraft third-round selection in exchange for $50,000 in General Allocation Money and future considerations on Aug. 1, 2019.
