Carlos Teran, Fire hope signing worth the wait

Colombian defender Carlos Teran signed with the Fire on Aug. 21. But like so much else this year, his arrival was delayed by COVID-19 as Colombia didn’t allow flights to the United States until Sept. 21.

Teran arrived in the U.S. on Oct. 8 and began individual training the next day before finally joining team practices Monday, almost two months after becoming a member of the Fire. Understandably, the waiting game might have been trying for Teran, but communication from his new employers made the situation easier to handle.

“It was a little bit tense,” Teran said through a translator. “I felt a little anxious because one always wants to come over quickly and start competing and helping the team out, but at the same time I felt a lot of support because I was in constant contact with people from the club.”

Teran, 20, was acquired from Colombian side Envigado and signed through the 2024 season with a club option for 2025. The Fire (5-8-5, 20 points) hope he will emerge as part of the team’s core during his tenure.

Yet, as Teran said, he became even more familiar with the Fire during his in-between time, which he clearly appreciated.

“The coaches would contact me, and the players would contact me,” Teran said. “It felt good to feel that your team was supporting you but also knowing there were some difficult times for them, because they were over here fighting for victories and I wanted to come in and help them. I wanted to come in and help them because everyone’s fighting for the team to get better.”

How much Teran can help the rest of this season remains to be seen.

Colombian soccer was suspended at the outset of the pandemic, and Teran hasn’t played in a competitive match since the middle of March. After the match Saturday with the Red Bulls (7-8-4, 25 points), the Fire will have only four regular-season games remaining.

Teran, however, said he stayed fit in Colombia by taking part in virtual training sessions from home with Envigado. And before joining the Fire, Teran took part in preseason training with Envigado for almost a month.

“I feel well physically,” Teran said. “It was a little bit complicated, but I feel very well physically, so I don’t have any muscle issues or anything like that.”

Teran said he joined the Fire because he was excited by the project,which includes the new ownership, technical staff and even the stadium. And Teran’s goals for his time with the Fire aren’t small.

“We want to be champions and be one of the best teams in the league,” Teran said. “On a personal level, I want to keep growing. I want to keep learning from everything that this league has to offer, keep getting better, keep growing as a person and also keep working hard so that we can make this league, as it keeps growing, one of the best leagues in the world like the [English] Premier League and [Spain’s] La Liga.”