Mauricio Pineda (soccer)  Mauricio Pineda (born October 17, 1997) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer. Pineda was part of the Chicago Fire academy, before attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he played college soccer from 2016 to 2019, making 79 appearances, scoring 17 goals and tallying 8 assists. While at college, Pineda also appeared for USL League Two sides Tobacco Road FC and North Carolina FC U23. On January 17, 2020, Pineda signed a one-year contract with Chicago Fire as a Homegrown Player, with options for a further three seasons. Pineda made his professional debut on March 1, 2020, starting in a 2–1 loss to Seattle Sounders at CenturyLink Field. Maurico is the younger brother of former soccer player Victor Pineda, who also played for Chicago Fire.