Major League Soccer's Home Grown Player Initiative has been in effect since 2007, but The Fire didn't take advantage of it until signing midfielder Victor Pineda. He'll be available for Wednesday's home game against the New England Revolution.
Each MLS team can sign two home grown players and they won't be counted against the 24-man roster.
Pineda, 17, worked his way through the Fire Player Development system and was a key member of the team that won the U.S. Soccer Development Academy U-16 national championship this summer. The Fire was the first MLS club to win that title.
The 5-11, 140-pound Pineda, who lives in Bolingbrook, played at Plainfield East High School and spent two seasons with the Chicago Fire Juniors and three with the Chicago Fire Academy, where he had eight goals and two assists in 28 games.
He also was in the U.S. U-17 residency program in Bradenton, Fla., in 2008 and 2009 and was called up to the U.S. U-18 team for a trip to Argentina.
Pineda isn't the Fire's first home grown player. Brian McBride grew up in Buffalo Grove before going on to a great international career.