Subbed on at 81 mins as Chicago (12th in the East) draw 2-2 at top of the table New England.
Chicago were down 2-1 when Collier came on. Fire stay 12th, and 12 points off the playoffs with 5 games left.
5 games left for Collier to try save his MLS career. But odds against that happening, and he's likely to be back in the USL next season. Hopefully wrong.
Are you basing that on his game time, or some kind of media speculation? He might be a bench player in one of the worst teams but he is playing, and he counts as a domestic player.
I could well be wrong, Collier being a domestic player is certainly a big bonus for him & club. Are there enough young promising US players over all the 28 MLS teams that Chicago could definitely get an upgrade somewhere? Maybe not.
Certainly getting more game time than say Deklan Wynne got in his last season in the MLS, as a comparison. But Collier still getting limited playing time. Too date 324 mins, over 24 squad appearances. So 13.5 mins per game. He got 521 mins over 21 squad appearances last season (24.7 mins per game), and Fire are still pretty shark.
All depends whether Chicago are trying to slowly build a project and still see Collier as part of that (age 27 by start of next season), or whether they are going to take a broom through a squad that has been poor since he's been there.
Finishes the MLS season an unused sub as Chicago (12th), lose 2-0 at bitter local rivals Colombus (10th).
Both teams out of playoff contention.
Presumably Collier will be on the plane tomorrow to UAE with Tuiloma & M Boxall. Google tells me a 13.5 hour flight. He'll be dead keen to prove himself worthy of future call ups in 2022.
He made 27 match day squads for Chicago, 17 appearances with 3 starts. No goals. Only 324 mins for the season. Got 518 mins last season from only 21 squad appearances.
I think it's still a positive season. He featured regularly in an MLS team, though often as a substitute. Be interesting to see what happens. There might be lesser team in need of a starting striker or even USL teams looking for someone like him. Still, not a bad position to be in at his age.
No time wasted there. Collier joins the illustrious Unattached FC.
To be fair though, could've seen that coming from a mile away. Not a starter, a somewhat peripheral figure in the squad, although he was almost always with the team in terms of being on the bench.
Wonder if some of these MLS players that are coming off contract were now coming into consideration by Uffie (Not Collier specifically).
I remember an article from last week saying we were looking at a couple of visa players whose seasons were almost up.
Got a bit of Sheridan about him. He'd bring some welcome height to the Nix.
But seems a trend that once Kiwis stateside get that Green Card, they are reluctant to leave. Even if off the AWs radar down at that USL level.
Though Hay will likely chat to him about his club future in the UAE. Could be something along the lines of 'if you drop down to the USL, you will be out of AWs reckoning in 2022 a WC year'.
A lowly MLS team like Cincinnati, Houston, Austin etc may look at him, being a 'local' player.
Signed for USL conference finalists San Antonio FC this morning. I suppose that leaves him out of contention for the AW's run at the WC this year barring some covid induced squad buggery. Still they are a good team and if he gets the minutes under his belt this coming season will do his game the world of good. Exciting move all round!
Starting for San Antonio today in a pre season friendly verus fellow USL side FC Tulsa.
With Wood, Just, McCowatt, Champness & Greive all likely to be unavailable for the first 2 pool games at OFC tourney (De Jong also maybe injured), Collier will probably be selected in a wider AWs squad. That's after being dropped for Jan window games against Jordan & Uzbekistan.
Starting as San Antonio travel to LA Galaxy II in the USL. He did miss the USL game against Wynne’s Detroit last week.
Edit - not a great competitive debut for his new club. Got a straight red at 55 mins. Galaxy II had a young 18 yr old Mexican sent off about 3 mins prior. Collier always seems pretty mild mannered, so be interesting to know what happened.
SA won 2-1. Winning 2nd goal scored by SA between the 2 send offs.
Starting as San Antonio travel to LA Galaxy II in the USL. He did miss the USL game against Wynne’s Detroit last week.
Edit - not a great competitive debut for his new club. Got a straight red at 55 mins. Galaxy II had a young 18 yr old Mexican sent off about 3 mins prior. Collier always seems pretty mild mannered, so be interesting to know what happened.
SA won 2-1. Winning 2nd goal scored by SA between the 2 send offs.
Collier’s dismissal is at 1 hour 21 mins into the stream. Pretty ridiculous red for me, was nothing you don’t see at most corners, and probably not worth a yellow, let alone a straight red card. It’s no DOGSO, because a penalty would’ve been given in that case, and none was, and I don’t see that as violent conduct. Only other explanation would be dissent, but doesn’t look like that either.
Being a straight red means any ban he receives should be able to be rescinded, and they still won, so might end up less bad than it could’ve.
Starting as San Antonio (3rd West, USL) host El Paso Locomotive (11th in the West).
Edit - and scores after 11 mins. His 3rd in 4 games, after not scoring once in 38 MLS games (over last 2 seasons).
Too good for USL, and not good enough for the MLS?? Handy pickup for the Nix, if he wanted to stay a serious AWs contender.
Would take this guy in a heartbeat. Would provide good level experience and is on the fringes of the AW's.
It's a puzzling one, but his time with a struggling Chicago probably wasn't the best fit. In the right set up I think he would prove himself to be MLS level.
Perhaps he's quite settled stateside, but he's forged a half decent career for himself over there. If he keeps up his goal scoring form, Texas could become a long term home for him.
Starting as San Antonio (3rd West, USL) host El Paso Locomotive (11th in the West).
Edit - and scores after 11 mins. His 3rd in 4 games, after not scoring once in 38 MLS games (over last 2 seasons).
Too good for USL, and not good enough for the MLS?? Handy pickup for the Nix, if he wanted to stay a serious AWs contender.
Would take this guy in a heartbeat. Would provide good level experience and is on the fringes of the AW's.
It's a puzzling one, but his time with a struggling Chicago probably wasn't the best fit. In the right set up I think he would prove himself to be MLS level.
Perhaps he's quite settled stateside, but he's forged a half decent career for himself over there. If he keeps up his goal scoring form, Texas could become a long term home for him.
He has Green Card permanent residency, and including college has probably been there close to a decade. I’m not sure how USLC stacks up against A League, but it’s probably not that clear-cut. A League probably has higher peaks in terms of players, but the US has over 320 million people, so enough for some quality in the second tier.
As an out-and-out striker he’d be up against Grieve, Waine, De Jong, Mata for maybe two spots. If he keeps scoring goals then he’s a good shout of being there in June. As it was, he was there in November and was a good chance of being there in March had he not carried an injury.
Level is a factor but this season:
Collier: 5 games (388 mins), 3 goals 0 assists (G/A every 129 mins)
Waine: 23 games (1236 mins), 6 goals 0 assists (G/A every 206 mins)
Greive: 15 games (589 mins), 2 goals 1 assist (G/A every 196 mins)
Mata: 9 games (425 mins), 3 goals 1 assist (G/A every 106 mins)
De Jong: 14 games (598 mins), 0 goals 2 assists (G/A every 299 mins)