Patrick Doody is eager for his first Chicago Fire cap, and it showed last Friday at Houston’s BBVA Compass Stadium.
The left back had just been recalled from Saint Louis FC one day earlier and, having not trained with the Fire in three months, forgot that he's typically addressed as "Doody" by his coaches and teammates. So when head coach Frank Yallop called down the bench for “Patrick” to begin warming up, he was quick to react.
“I hopped up, and I made it about two steps over, and then I’m like, ‘Ah, he’s probably talking about Nyarko,’” Doody said with a smile. “So I sat down, and everybody on the bench had a good laugh."
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Nyarko went on to provide the equalizer in the second half, while Doody did not get into the match. Still, the Homegrown product could have his chances to make an impact with the First Team in the coming weeks.
Starting Saturday, the Men in Red will play five matches in 15 days. Centerbacks Jeff Larentowicz (herniated disc) and Adailton (groin) each are nursing injuries, bringing Eric Gehrig and potentially Matt Polster into the centerback roles. Another defender, Joevin Jones, is in the midst of a Gold Cup call-up to Trinidad and Tobago. Depth on the back line is being tested, and Doody may not be far off from making his debut in a Fire shirt.
“We brought all our loan players back because of our lack of numbers right now, so it’s a good chance to look at him live,” Yallop said of Doody as well as Kingsley Bryce (Saint Louis FC) and Collin Fernandez (Louisville City FC). “We’ve got a lot of games coming up, so I expect him to get to play and contribute to the five games we’ve got in the next three weeks.”
Doody spent preseason with the Fire -- appearing in an exhibition draw with Portland on Feb. 25 -- before being loaned to Saint Louis FC on March 20. He has since made the most of his time with the USL side, appearing in 13 games with 11 starts and two assists. He's also racked up a few frequent flyer miles, accompanying the First Team to New England for the June 13 match before bouncing around between St. Louis, Houston, Charlotte and Chicago in just a few short days last weekend.
“That’s the beauty of the Saint Louis affiliation, the staff down there and the team down there,” Doody said. “It’s been a really great three months, and I’ve been getting time and getting to play every day. That’s why it’s set up. If the team needs me back, or whoever’s on loan, if they need to come back, then hopefully you’re not too far off the pace and everything. I feel like that’s how it’s been so far.”
With two training sessions in the books since his latest return to the First Team, Doody feels he's reacclimmated well. Now, he's just waiting for Yallop to call for “Doody” rather than “Patrick.”
“I’m just kind of taking it day by day,” he said. “I’m out here practicing and doing whatever I can to help the team."
