The Chicago Red Stars have announced that they will face Bay FC in a NWSL match at Wrigley Field on June 8.
It will be the first NWSL game held at the iconic home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks.
The Red Stars were sold last fall to an ownership group led by Laura Ricketts, who is also a co-owner of the Cubs.
In a press release, the Red Stars said the game was part of an effort to make the team “more accessible to sports fans in Chicago.” The team’s home games typically take place at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, IL, 15 miles outside of downtown Chicago.
“Wrigley Field is one of the most iconic sports venues in the country. This is a unique opportunity for us to bring further visibility to our team and women’s soccer,” Red Stars captain Alyssa Naeher said in a club release.
“Chicago has always been an incredible sports town with such a rich history; I can’t wait to compete on the field, under the lights, in front of our dedicated Chicago fans from every part of the city!”
Wrigley Field was home to the Chicago Sting of the NASL in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The last top-level soccer match it hosted came back in 2012, when Roma beat Polish side Zaglebie Lubin in a friendly.
“Playing at Wrigley Field will be the event that fans of the Red Stars, Cubs and Chicago sports won’t want to miss,” said Chicago Red Stars president Karen Leetzow.
“On behalf of the Red Stars, I’d like to thank the Cubs for inviting us to Wrigley Field and giving these elite athletes the stage they deserve. We look forward to representing our great city and showing Chicago fans and the country how talented this club is and the intense level of competition that exists on the pitch every week in the NWSL and in Chicago’s backyard.”
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