Gonzalo Segares

Citizenship: Costa Rica
College: Virginia Commonwealth (2001-04)
Last Club: Apollon Limassol (CYP)
How Acquired: Re-acquired by the Fire on Aug. 6, 2010

Selected in the third round of the 2005 MLS SuperDraft, Segares enters his tenth MLS season in 2013. The 2007 Chicago Fire Defender of the Year has proven his versatility over the years, smoothly slotting in as a left back and in the middle of defense since joining the club.

2013: Started 32 matches. Assisted on Dilly Duka’s goal in the 36th minute of a 3-2 victory over SJ on 7/3. INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLIES: Started and played the first half of the Fire’s 3-2 loss to Liga MX side Club America on 7/10. LAMAR HUNT U.S. OPEN CUP: Started all four matches as the Fire reached the semifinal round. Assisted on Mike Magee’s 11th minute goal in a 2-0 win over the Charlotte Eagles 5/29. Assisted on Magee’s 29th minute goal of the 2-1 win over the Columbus Crew 6/13.

2012: Started in 31 games this season scoring three goals and adding one assist… Scored his first goal of the season in the 40th minute of a 3-2 win at TOR 4/21…Scored the game-winner in the 68th minute of a 3-1 win vs. NY 6/17…Assisted on Sherjill MacDonald game-winner in the 25th minute of a 2-1 win over NE 8/18…Scored in the 75th minute of a 4-2 loss at DC 8/22…MLS CUP PLAYOFFS: Started and played all 90 minutes in the Fire’s 2-1 loss to the Houston Dynamo in the MLS Cup Playoffs knockout match on 10/31.  INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION: Entered the match in the 68th minute of the Fire’s 1-0 loss to Aston Villa FC 7/21.

2011: Led all Fire players in games played, starts and minutes, accruing career highs in all three categories, tallying five assists over 33 appearances and 2950 minutes played. Only regular season game missed was a 2-0 loss 9/10 at SJ due to yellow card accumulation…Assisted on Marco Pappa’s 59th minute winner in a 3-2 victory on 3/26 vs. KC…Assisted on Dominic Oduro’s 67th minute equalizer in a 2-1 loss to PHI on 5/21…Assisted on Oduro’s 16th minute game winner in a 2-0 win over TFC on 8/21…After conceding a 90th minute penalty kick, assisted on both Sebastian Grazzini and Diego Chaves’ stoppage time goals in the 2-1 “Capital Comeback” victory on 10/15 at DC…LAMAR HUNT U.S. OPEN CUP: Appeared and started in five qualifying and tournament matches on the club’s run to the 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final…Assisted on Orr Barouch’s 61st minute goal in a 2-2 draw (5-4 PK victory) 5/24 at SJ…Assisted on Yamith Cuesta’s 48th minute header in a 4-0 victory over NY on 7/12…INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLIES: Started both matches, logging a combined 133 minutes in a 3-1 loss to Manchester United on 7/23 and 1-0 loss to Chivas de Guadalajara on 9/14…

2010: Appeared in 6 matches starting all of them, while logging 439 minutes…Returned to the club in August after spending the first half of the year with Cypriot club Apollon Limassol…Made his 2010 debut, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2-1 come-from-behind win vs. NE on 8/18…Started 4 consecutive matches after returning to the club: 8/18 vs. NE, 8/21 at HOU, 8/28 at SEA and 9/4 vs. LA…Sent off in the 21st minute in the 1-1 draw vs. LA on 9/4.

2009: Appeared in 12 matches, starting all of them and logging 965 minutes… Tallied 1 goal and 1 assist on the year, both coming in the 2-2 draw at CLB on 4/25, assisted on McBride’s 86th minute effort before striking the equalizer two minutes later…MLS CUP PLAYOFFS: Made 1 appearance, coming on as a 76th minute substitute for Mike Banner in the 2-1 quarterfinal first leg loss at NE on 11/1…SUPERLIGA: Started and played the full 90 minutes in 3 matches, including the Final loss to Tigres UANL at TOYOTA PARK on 8/5…INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLIES: Started and played the first 45 minutes in 2-1 loss to Club America on 4/29.

2008: Started 23 of 24 games played logging 2103 min… scored 2 goals and 2 assists out of the back…played every minute of first 10 games…missed 6/15 @ DAL and 6/19 @ CHV to play with Costa Rica… served two suspensions due to yellow card accumulation (7/19 vs. RSL, 10/23 vs. NY)… tallied first goal of the season @ NY in 5-1 win on 5/25…scored equalizer in 2-1 win @ NE on 8/9…MLS Cup: started both semifinal series matches against NE… scored insurance goal in 2nd leg in 3-0 win on 11/6…played 79 min. in 2-1 loss @ CLB in EC Final on 11/13 … Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: Came off the bench in 72’ to play 48 min. in 2-1 OT loss @ DC in quarterfinal on 7/8… International Exhibitions- Played first 45 min. vs. Everton on 7/30…International – Appeared for Costa Rica in wins over Haiti, Surinam, and El Salvador (World Cup Qualifiers).

2007: Named the 2007 Fire Defender of the Year award winner … Played every minute through 20 matches in 2007 before serving a one-game suspension on 8-25 vs. KC … Finished the season with 27 regular season games started and played … Registered a game-winning assist (Rolfe, 60’) on 4-29 in 1-0 win @ HOU … Notched a goal on 9-15 against RBNY in the 2-2 tie … Received first ever “caps” for Costa Rican National Team in friendlies on 9-09 vs. Honduras and 9-12 vs. Canada … MLS Cup Playoffs: Played 90 min. in both legs of the Eastern Conference Semifinal series matches against DC … Played 90 min. in the 1-0 loss to NE on 11-08 in the Eastern Conference Final … Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: Played 90 min. in the 1-0 loss to the Carolina RailHawks in the third round … MLS Reserve Division: Appeared in one match for the Fire Reserves, playing 90 min. on 9-23 against the D.C. United Reserves.

2006: Started in 22 of his 25 League appearances, scoring a goal and an assist in 1984 minutes … Started Chicago’s first three matches before missing five contests (4-30 @ NE through 5-27 @ CHV) due to injury (L ankle sprain) … Returned to line-up and appeared in 22 of the Fire’s remaining 24 League contests … Registered first career multi-point game on 10-15-06 @ DC by scoring his first goal (21’) and assist (Guerrero, 24’) of the season to lead the Fire to a 3-2 victory in its regular season finale … MLS Cup Playoffs: Started in each of the Fire’s contests vs. NE in their Eastern Conference Semifinal Series … Started and went the full 90 on 10-22 vs. NE, helping the Fire record a 1-0 shutout in Leg One … Started and played the first half in the Fire’s 2-1 loss in the away leg … Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: Started and went the full 90 minutes in three of the Fire’s four contests in the USOC en route to a fourth title … Went the full 90 min. on 9-27 vs. LA in helping the Fire to a 3-1 win and a 4th USOC title … MLS Reserve Division: Started in one of two games played for the Fire Reserves and logged 105 minutes. 

2005: Enjoyed an impressive rookie campaign, scoring three goals and two assists in 1,864 minutes across 21 League contests – all starts … Made his first-team debut on 5-21 vs. COL, starting and playing all 90 min. in helping the Fire to a 2-1 win … Started 21 of Fire’s last 24 contests after impressing in MLS Reserve Division play at the beginning of the season … Scored first career MLS goal on 6-15 @ DC … Registered first MLS assist on 6-04 vs. CHV, helping Nate Jaqua achieve a hat trick by assisting on his second goal of the match in the 60’ of a 5-2 win … Tallied game-winning goals in back-to-back matches on 7-02 @ CHV and 7-09 vs. NE, helping the Fire to its season-best third and fourth consecutive wins … Returned to Fire’s first-team line-up on 8-10 vs. KC after missing previous two League contests due to injury (L ankle sprain) … MLS Cup Playoffs: Played all 270 minutes in the Fire’s three postseason contests, helping the squad to within one match of its fourth MLS Cup berth … His apparent goal in the waning moments on 11-06 @ NE in the Eastern Conference Championship was deemed offside, resulting in a heartbreaking 1-0 Fire loss … Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: Played in two of the Fire’s four contests, registering 200 minutes on the way to the U.S. Open Cup Semifinals … MLS Reserve Division: Played in seven contests, all starts, and logged 611 minutes 54 for the Fire Reserves in their inaugural campaign … Started and played every minute in the Fire Reserves first six contests, including the team’s inaugural match, a 4-1 loss at DC on 4-10. 

Abroad: Joined Cypriot club Apollon Limassol on a free transfer in January 2010… Appeared in 12 matches, starting 10 and logging 914 minutes during his time with Apollon…Made his club debut in a 2-0 loss vs. AEL Limassol on 1/24…Helped Apollon to a third place finish in the 2009-10 Cypriot First Division table. 

International: 2010: Made 1 appearance, playing the full 90 minutes in a 3-0 loss at Slovakia on 6/5 in Bratislava…2009: Appeared in 3 matches, starting all of them and logging 270 minutes…Started in the 3-2 WCQ victory at Trinidad & Tobago on 6/6… Played 2 matches at the CONCACAF Gold Cup…2008: Appeared in 6 World Cup Qualifying matches, starting all of them and logging 464 minutes, helping Costa Rica to the Final Round of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying…2007: Received his first international “caps” for the Costa Rican National Team, seeing time for the “Ticos” in their Sept. 9 friendly against Honduras, as well as the Sept. 12 friendly against Canada … U-17s: Participated in qualifying for the World Youth Championships Cup qualifying in Jamaica in 1998. 

College: One of the top defenders in the Colonial Athletic Association throughout his career, he won the conference’s Defender of the Year Award in both his sophomore and senior seasons … Started all 84 games during his four years at VCU and scored 16 goals and 11 assists for 43 points … Known as a fierce competitor and a player who can build up the attack from the back rather than play the long ball … 2004: One of three MAC Hermann Trophy finalists, awarded annually to the best collegiate player … NSCAA/adidas First Team All-American … CAA Defensive Player of the Year … All-CAA First Team selection … Started all 21 games for the Rams and scored four goals and an assist for nine points … 2003: Started 21 matches, helping VCU to earn 10 shutouts … All-CAA First Team selection … Added three goals and two assists for eight points … 2002: First team All-CAA selection and the CAA Defensive Player of the Year … Started all 21 games for the Rams … Finished second on the team with 18 points (5g, 8a) out of the backfield, while his eight assists led the Rams … 2001: Started all 21 games at left back for the Rams as a true freshman while scoring eight points on four goals. 

Club/Prep: Played for USL Premier Development League side Williamsburg Legacy from 2002-04 appearing in 60 matches … Helped the Legacy to a Conference championship or runner-up position every year. 

Personal: Nicknamed “Sega ”… Most rewarding moment of his soccer career was becoming a professional player as a member of the Fire… Was a Sociology major at VCU … Admires Costa Rican National Team player Gilberto Martinez and Brazilian National Team player Ronaldinho … Enjoys watching TV, playing video games and listening to music – including reggae, reggaeton and rock & roll – in his free time … Favorite TV show is ESPN’s SportsCenter … Always prays before games.