Tag: Chicago Red Stars

NWSL Weekend Take-Off: Playoff race tension grows after Racing Louisville, Angel City both win

No team can ever relax in the NWSL

The NWSL is built to ensure late-season drama.

There’s no other conclusion to reach after another weekend that could have blown the standings wide open instead drew the entire table closer together. For the second time in recent weeks, the schedule set things up for the top six to largely push the bottom six adrift. Four of the six games over the weekend paired a team in a playoff position up against a team on the outside looking in.

And just like last time, the results largely skewed towards a tighter, more tense race. Racing Louisville and Angel City FC got big wins to keep pace, the Washington Spirit had a surprising stumble at home, and the only match between teams in playoff position ended up somehow being a bonkers 3-3 draw.

With four games to play, the gap from top to bottom is only 11 points. The teams in seventh and eighth are within six points of first. If you pull up Google’s NWSL standings and look over at the “last five” column, you’ll see more red X images signaling a loss for the teams in the top six (12) than in the bottom six (eight).

The seatbelt sign for this NWSL season should be flashing, because we’re about to have a turbulent landing.

Chicago Red Stars sold for $60 million to local investor group

One of the NWSL’s most difficult situations has reached a positive conclusion

The Chicago Red Stars have been sold to a large group of local investors.

The NWSL club has been purchased at a valuation of $60 million, with an ownership group led by Laura Ricketts, who is already a co-owner of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky and Major League Baseball’s Chicago Cubs.

“We wholeheartedly believe in and are excited about the future of the Red Stars and the NWSL,” said Ricketts in a statement supplied to media. “There is unprecedented fan growth in women’s soccer globally, and we want to be a part of building on that momentum and success here in Chicago… We will strive to provide an environment in which players thrive, supported by experienced executives who are dedicated to our athletes, our fans and the game.”

The Red Stars have been for sale since December 2022, one of the many dominoes to tumble after the Sally Yates investigation into NWSL misconduct. Former owner Arnim Whisler announced his intention to sell after a host of controversies surrounding the club’s handling of disgraced former coach Rory Dames.

“On behalf of the NWSL Board of Governors, we’re thrilled to welcome Laura and the entire new ownership group to our league,” NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said in a statement. “These talented and accomplished owners, successful in business, sports, and leaders in the Chicago community, are committed to investing the resources necessary to take the Chicago Red Stars to the next level and enable the NWSL to continue our collective growth. A new chapter for this team begins today.”

Chicago sale continues NWSL progress

The Red Stars had to some degree been left hanging after Whisler — long among the least-wealthy owners in NWSL — began the slow process of finding a buyer.

The official announcement of a larger and more deep-pocketed ownership group will allow a club that has suffered in recent years the chance to start catching up with the rest of the league. With the ambitious ownership groups behind Angel City FC, the Kansas City Current, and the Washington Spirit in particular pushing standards forward, 2023 has seen Chicago get left behind.

Those days should be over. Earlier in August, CBS reported that the breakdown of the $60 million figure included $35.5 million towards the actual purchase of the club, and $25 million in investment in the club’s infrastructure and soccer operations.

“Building a championship culture begins with treating our players with the respect they deserve as women and athletes,” said Ricketts. “We are committed to strengthening this team, this club, this league, and this game – all of which begins with the safety of and support for the athletes on the pitch.

“To build the world-class organization that our fans deserve, we need to attract the world’s best players, coaches, and staff, as well as create an environment that fosters their success. We’re going to make that happen.”

With Chicago changing hands, attention will turn to two other ongoing sales processes. The Portland Thorns remain for sale, with owner Merritt Paulson announcing that he would seek candidates to sell to as of December 2022.

OL Reign, meanwhile, remain for sale after Spirit owner Michele Kang’s acquisition of French powerhouse Olympique Lyon’s women’s club necessitated that the latter club no longer holds any control over an NWSL club.

Last week, Kang told reporters that her purchase of Lyon was still being finalized while the fate of the Reign is sorted out, but that the process was close to being concluded.

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NWSL Weekend Take-Off: Sophia Smith injury looms as playoff pressure ramps up

Bad news for Portland, while Angel City picked up a huge win

The NWSL regular season returned from its World Cup slumber last week, but with several big names not truly ready to come back just yet, it was only this past weekend where the league felt truly “back.”

There were major developments: multiple draws for teams in the top six, paired with Angel City’s win over OL Reign, breathed life into the race for the final playoff spots. However, we’d be remiss if we didn’t start off with the league-wide show of support for Jenni Hermoso and the players of Spain’s World Cup-winning national team.

“Contigo Jenni” was on wrist tape all over the league, while fans — and not only those in supporters’ groups — brought banners reading the same. This is a league that knows all too well how vital it is to push abusive figures out of the game, and the resumption of club play isn’t going to mean the issues with Luis Rubiales, Jorge Vilda, and their enablers in Spain are going to be pushed aside.

That said, a different unfortunate piece of news bubbled up this weekend, with Sophia Smith suffering a knee injury of (as yet) unknown severity. An injury to the runaway MVP favorite is hardly the news anyone out there wanted, and it could change the entire complexion of this season’s stretch run.

Let’s sort through the good and the bad:

NWSL Weekend Take-Off: Orlando Pride serves notice, broadcast woes are back

We see you, Orlando Pride

The World Cup is over, but the drama is not, because the NWSL is already back.

We’re not just getting to loosen up and ease into the league’s return, either. The NWSL stretch run is literally here, with each team down to its final six games. The standings are packed tightly, and the next few weeks before the September FIFA window are going to feel like a full-on sprint.

Some teams were fully prepared to get moving at full speed. With four teams outside the playoff places hosting games over the weekend, this was a huge opportunity for most of the league to either get seriously into the mix, or for teams in the top six to keep the chasing pack at bay.

The Orlando Pride got off the line fastest with a blowout victory, while the Kansas City Current came up with a gutsy win that effectively kept their playoff hopes alive. Racing Louisville and the Houston Dash came back to get draws, but neither side is in a place where home draws are going to get the job done.

We’re going to be attempting a format experiment here, at least with the next couple of Take-Offs. The hope is that with a little streamlining, the column is more easily digested. We’re thinking less of a minivan and more of a hatchback.

And with that in mind, let’s get this car on the road.

When will World Cup players return for NWSL teams?

Notes on returning World Cup players from all 12 NWSL teams

The World Cup may still have a final and third-place game to finish, but the NWSL is done waiting.

The league’s break from regular season play concludes Friday, with the Kansas City Current and OL Reign kicking off a full slate of matches.

It’s awkward timing, with a few players still participating at the World Cup, others still recovering from a physically and mentally grueling process, and yet more having come back quickly after the group stage. With 61 different NWSL players going to the World Cup, there are probably 61 unique situations to deal with here.

Pro Soccer Wire knows fans want to know when their team’s internationals will be back in uniform, so we’ve done the relevant social media research and Zoom press conference recording. Consider this a status update for all 61 World Cup participants as the NWSL playoff chase truly gets underway.

Chicago Red Stars set to be sold to Laura Ricketts, co-owner of Cubs and Sky

The controversial reign of owner Arnim Whisler appears to be nearing an end

A collective of women business and civic leaders led by Laura Ricketts has reached an agreement in principle to purchase the Chicago Red Stars, the group has announced.

Ricketts, who is the co-owner of MLB’s Chicago Cubs and the minority owner of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky, said in a statement that she is looking forward to taking over the NWSL franchise once the league’s Board of Governors gives its final approval.

“I am honored to lead this group of Chicago business and civic leaders in our effort to purchase the Chicago Red Stars,” said Ricketts. “Our respective backgrounds in professional sports, finance, turnaround management, commercial real estate, marketing and advertising, paired with our deep community ties, make for a powerful combination that will serve us well in reaching our ultimate goal: building a championship organization on and off the pitch.

“Building a championship culture begins with treating our players with the respect they deserve as women and athletes,” Ricketts added. “We look forward to completing this transaction so that we can begin this new chapter for the team and the fans.”

Ricketts also stated her desire to keep the team in Chicago.

“We wholeheartedly believe in and are excited about the future of the Red Stars and the NWSL,” said Ricketts. “There is unprecedented fan growth in women’s soccer globally, and we want to be a part of building on that momentum here in Chicago.”

Whisler’s controversial reign nears end

In December, Red Stars owner Arnim Whisler announced that he had begun the process of selling the team amid a host of controversies surrounding his handling of former coach Rory Dames.

Dames was forced to resign in 2021 after a Washington Post report detailed allegations of sexist comments, abusive conduct, and inappropriate relationships with players.

Whisler has been under fire after revelations from last year’s Yates report showed that he shielded Dames from accountability.

According to the Yates report, complaints against Dames were filed with U.S. Soccer and/or the NWSL in 2014, 2015, and 2018, but Whisler seemed uninterested in considering their merits. Whisler was also found to have never conducted a background check on Dames, and told investigators he never had reason to take action against Dames despite the allegations over the years.

The Red Stars Board of Directors voted in October to remove Whisler from his position as Chairman of the Board, while the team’s players released a coordinated statement calling on Whisler to sell the team.

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NWSL Weekend Take-Off: Racing Louisville, Orlando Pride serve notice with statement wins

Heading into the World Cup break, and the chaos is back

The NWSL is heading into its World Cup break, and the vibes are all over the place.

Some teams could use the break to make some tweaks, get healthy, or even go for a wholesale adjustment. By contrast, a few others may just be hitting their stride, and will be understandably frustrated to have a couple of weeks without more games to build on their current momentum.

Naturally for this topsy-turvy league, the teams that need the break are closer to the top of the table, while most of the teams that are settling into a groove are the ones just outside the playoff places. In a couple of weeks, the NWSL has gone from the brink of “we might not have a serious race for postseason spots” to “everyone’s in the mix.”

For one last time before the World Cup gauntlet begins, here’s your Weekend Take-Off.

NWSL Weekend Take-Off: Shim returns as league parity verges on parody

The only predictable thing in the NWSL is its unpredictability

The National Women’s Soccer League is not a normal league.

Last week, the major through-line for this column was that the league’s six playoff teams were already threatening to separate themselves. This past weekend’s schedule paired the teams in playoff places with teams on the outside, and could have more or less sealed a haves and have-nots stretch run (give or take the Houston Dash clinging to the contending pack).

Instead:

The “we are SO back!” vibes are off the charts.

The teams entering the weekend sitting seventh or worse went 3W-2D-1L against the top six. The Kansas City Current and Orlando Pride got road wins against the Portland Thorns and Washington Spirit (arguably the two most consistently good teams in the NWSL in 2023). The Chicago Red Stars got a shutout! Up is down, left is right. That’s our league.

We talk all the time about NWSL parity, but this was parity to the point of parody. Of course the NWSL had a weekend where the teams that can’t win all rise up to beat the teams that can’t lose.

This league knows no other way to be.

NWSL Weekend Take-Off: Top-of-table clash delivers, crunch time arrives for playoff outsiders

The game of the year may have already happened

The World Cup break isn’t quite here yet, but for this NWSL season, it feels like we’ve hit an inflection point.

The 13th round of matches is clearly past the halfway point in a 22-game season, but it does serve as a sort of act break for the drama that is this league. With players leaving for the World Cup, it’s a moment to take stock on where teams are, and what the stretch run might start to look like.

In short, we really have two groups: a top seven who should be in the battle for six playoff spots through the end of the season, and a bottom five whose hopes are already surprisingly dim.

That might seem harsh on Racing Louisville, just three points out of that top seven, but consider this: the San Diego Wave hold the final playoff spot, and their current points-per-game (PPG) pace has them on course for a 34-point total.

Louisville would need 19 points from their final nine games to match that total, which is 2.11 PPG. A hypothetical team on 2.11 PPG through 13 games this season would have 27 points and be two points clear of the Portland Thorns, who have been outstanding this season.

Barring a collapse from the playoff contenders (none of whom look like they have a lengthy losing run on their bingo card), the teams on the outside have already hit their It’s Go Time moment.

NWSL Weekend Take-Off: McKeown, Spirit back atop table after parity-driven week

There are no days off in the NWSL

When people talk about how competitive the NWSL is, this is exactly the kind of week they’re talking about.

The top six teams from last week’s standings took on the bottom six, and rather than the gap between the haves and the have-nots growing, we saw the league’s parity on full display. Two teams entering the weekend in playoff position lost to teams that were out of the mix, with the San Diego Wave falling in the Chanclásico and NJ/NY Gotham FC stumbling against Racing Louisville.

Meanwhile, the Washington Spirit went top of the table, but only after coming from 2-0 down against a Kansas City Current team that sits in last place (probably not for much longer though, it must be said). The Portland Thorns, who are currently in second place, were pushed extremely hard by the 11th-placed Chicago Red Stars.

There are truly no days off in this league. Let’s get into the action.