Chicago Fire sign Alec Dufty

Alec Dufty

The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced the signing of 23-year-old goalkeeper Alec Dufty today. The 6-5 ‘keeper has trained with the Fire since the onset of the club’s preseason camp and will immediately be added to the roster. Per club and league policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Alec is a talented young goalkeeper, with size and confidence in goal,” said Fire Technical Director Frank Klopas. “He has the ability to grow as a ‘keeper with the Fire and helps provide stability to our goalkeeping core.”

Dufty joins the Fire after playing with USSF Div. 2 Pro side AC St. Louis, appearing in 30 matches over the course of the 2010 season. The University of Evansville product signed his first MLS deal with the New York Red Bulls in March of 2009, making his MLS debut against the Houston Dynamo one month later.

“He’s a good young keeper,” Klopas told MLSsoccer.com. “He’s very confident for his age. He’s got great size and he’s got very good upside and obviously this move provides some stability for us at goalkeeper.”

“We brought him in last year, so we’re very comfortable with him,” Klopas said. “We felt very good about him and we had kept an eye on him, and bringing him into camp and seeing him train with us and with the first team made this decision that much easier.”

The Raleigh, N.C. raised goalkeeper spent three matches on the Fire’s bench toward the end of the Fire’s 2010 MLS campaign. In addition, Dufty spent two stints with the Columbus Crew in May 2009 and October 2010.