Tag: Chicago Red Stars

Chicago Red Stars players call on owner Arnim Whisler to sell the team

The Red Stars are looking to force their owner’s hand

Chicago Red Stars players released a coordinated statement on Monday calling on owner Arnim Whisler to sell the team.

Whisler is under fire after revelations from last week’s Yates report showed that he shielded former coach Rory Dames from accountability despite numerous complaints dating back to 2014.

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

The Red Stars Board of Directors last week voted to remove Whisler from his position as Chairman of the Board, but that move did not mean that Whisler would be required to sell the team.

Red Stars players are now doing their part to force Whisler’s hand, with their statement saying the owner lied to them about how much he knew about the allegations against Dames.

It continued: “We are united with the Board of Directors in their decision to remove Whisler from the organization entirely and look forward to finding a new majority owner who can help us reach the full potential that we as players always knew existed at this club.”

Prior to the move from the Red Stars Board of Directors last week, Whisler announced he had stepped down from the league’s Board of Governors and had given operational control of the club to the Red Stars’ “executive team.”

USWNT star Megan Rapinoe also called for Whisler and Portland Thorns owner Merritt Paulson to sell their respective teams.

[lawrence-related id=8144,8056,8002]

Rapinoe: Paulson and Whisler aren’t fit to be NWSL owners

Both owners are under fire for their roles in the Yates report

U.S. women’s national team and OL Reign star Megan Rapinoe has said Portland Thorns owner Merritt Paulson and Chicago Red Stars owner Arnim Whisler are not fit to be in their positions.

Paulson and Whisler have been under fire for their roles in the Yates report, with both owners taking steps back from their positions this week in the fallout from the investigation.

But neither has indicated at this point that they would look to sell their team, with Paulson also the owner of the Portland Timbers of MLS.

Rapinoe, speaking at a press conference ahead of Friday’s friendly against England at Wembley, has said that both Paulson and Whisler should not be part of the NWSL.

“Those people are in positions that have responsibilities and they didn’t fulfill those responsibilities,” Rapinoe said. “They didn’t protect the players at all. I feel like it’s impossible to overstate that every single year, someone said something about multiple coaches in the league and about multiple different environments. So if year after year after year, you cannot perform your duties — I know I wouldn’t be in my position if I couldn’t perform my duties year after year.”

Rapinoe added: “Without accountability and without people specifically who did the wrong thing being gone, that just says to us that nobody’s really hearing us. So obviously, the firings in Portland. We’ll see what happens with the management but I don’t think that Merritt Paulson is fit to be the owner of that team. I don’t think Arnim is fit to be the owner of Chicago. And we need to see those people gone.”

Rapinoe’s words came after her USWNT teammate Becky Sauerbrunn called for the dismissal of “every owner and executive and U.S. Soccer official who has repeatedly failed the players and failed to protect the players.”

On Wednesday, Paulson fired Gavin Wilkinson, the president of soccer for both the Portland Thorns and Portland Timbers, and the organization’s president of business Mike Golub.

Also. on Wednesday, the Chicago Red Stars board voted to oust Whisler from his position as Chairman of the Board.

[lawrence-related id=8002,7993,7985]

Chicago Red Stars board of directors strips owner Arnim Whisler of power

Whisler isn’t completely out in Chicago, but the club’s board has reduced his power

The dominoes continue to fall across the NWSL following devastating revelations from the Sally Yates investigation.

Wednesday evening, the Board of Directors for the Chicago Red Stars released a statement, saying that they had ousted the team’s controlling owner Arnim Whisler from his position as Chairman of the Board.

“The Board of Directors of the Chicago Red Stars voted this morning to remove Arnim Whisler as Chairman of the Board, to transition him out of his board seat immediately with the Chicago Red Stars (Chicago Women’s Soccer Academy, LLC) and to codify his removal from any further participation with either club or board operations,” read the board’s statement.

“The Board was deeply disappointed after reading the Yates report and believes the club cannot move forward in rebuilding trust with players, staff and the Red Stars community with his continued involvement. Job one for board members is to continue building a culture where players, and all who work at the club, feel that they are in a safe and supportive environment. Lastly, the board wants to extend its gratitude for all who displayed such bravery in sharing their stories. Thank you for coming forward.”

The changes do not mean that Whisler has sold his share of the club. On Tuesday, he posted a statement to Chicago’s site saying that he had stepped down from the league’s Board of Governors and had given operational control of the club to the Red Stars’ “executive team.”

Whisler not gone yet

While Whisler’s step back being followed by the board’s move to strip him of power does provide some distance between an owner who per the Yates investigation repeatedly shielded former coach Rory Dames despite numerous complaints, it does not mean he is no longer involved with the club.

At the moment, Whisler still holds a controlling share of the club, and based on his history — which includes a claim he had stepped back from day-to-day control early in 2022, only for him to announce in Tuesday’s statement that he was only now moving away from operational control — it is impossible to believe that the team and organization will be free of his influence until he has divested his financial stake in the club.

Chicago, on Whisler’s watch, was found to have let players down beyond simply hiring and empowering Dames for many years. Players ended up having Whisler as a landlord rather than a proper team housing environment, while both the Yates investigation and Local 134 have said that statements Whisler made to them were later proven to be false or misleading. Dames was allowed to resign — and praised by a club statement announcing the move — just before a Washington Post report spelled out extensive allegations of sexist and racist comments, abusive conduct, and inappropriate relationships with players.

In other words, how can anyone believe that Whisler will actually stay out of team business? And how can the players and staff that remain heal and move on with him in place, even at a distance?

According to CBS Sports, the club’s board “wants to help facilitate a sale of Arnim’s shares,” but that necessarily means he still holds those shares.

Red Stars supporters’ group Local 134 said they will “boycott all in-person events including attendance at games, merchandise purchases, and other Red Stars events that directly or indirectly benefit Arnim Whisler.” The group also urged fans who had already purchased 2023 season tickets to demand a refund in full.

Just as players and employees shouldn’t have to suffer through the environment Whisler fostered, fans should not have to choose between completely staying away and turning their backs on something they love or feeling like they’re supporting someone who has let them down in such an egregious manner.

[lawrence-related id=7993,7985,7973]

Chicago Red Stars owner Arnim Whisler surrenders operational control after Yates investigation

Chicago is the latest club undergoing massive upheaval after the Yates investigation

Major change continues in the NWSL, with Chicago Red Stars majority owner Arnim Whisler reducing his role at the club.

In the aftermath of the investigation led by Sally Yates that has shaken the league to its core, Whisler released a statement via the Red Stars’ site on Tuesday, announcing that he has stepped down from the NWSL Board of Governors and will not have operational control of the team going forward.

“In the interest of the club and the players, and fans we serve, effective immediately, I will remove myself from my governance role within the NWSL board of governors and will hand over operational control of the club to our executive team in Chicago,” wrote Whisler.

It is not immediately clear who that executive team is. Curiously, Whisler was supposed to have already reduced his day-to-day role with the club, with the Red Stars’ CBO Vicky Lynch reportedly saying in February that she was “running the day-to-day” operation. The Red Stars’ site only lists Lynch and associate General Manager Michelle Lomnicki with job titles that could be recognized as those of club executives, while a section on team ownership lists a Board of Managers and Advisory Board Co-Chairs, but contains no indications of which owner would have a controlling share.

Whisler’s choice comes one day after the report from the lengthy investigation from Yates, the former U.S. attorney general, revealed findings that portrayed his inaction as the club’s controlling owner as a major factor in how Rory Dames — the subject of extensive allegations of abuse, sexual advances, usage of slurs, and other misconduct in the report — continued for years as Chicago’s head coach.

Dames was in place as Chicago’s head coach when NWSL began in 2013, and was retained until the end of the 2021 season, when he abruptly stepped down just a day before a Washington Post report detailing years of misconduct came out.

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

Ongoing turmoil around NWSL

Whisler’s step back came just hours after Portland Thorns owner Merritt Paulson said that he and club presidents Gavin Wilkinson and Mike Golub would relinquish decision-making power at the club, though in their case all remain employed and in their roles with MLS’s Portland Timbers.

The Yates investigation also contained disturbing findings about Racing Louisville coach Christy Holly, but as of now no executive has made a statement or been put on leave at the club.

Speaking from the U.S. women’s national team’s camp in England, Thorns and USWNT captain Becky Sauerbrunn called for the removal of “every owner and executive and U.S. Soccer official who has repeatedly failed the players and failed to protect the players, who have hidden behind legalities and have not participated fully in these investigations.”

NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman made a statement concerning the moves in Chicago and Portland shortly after Whisler’s move was announced.

“The NWSL is supportive of the important steps taken by the Portland Thorns and Chicago Red Stars today. As the league continues to evaluate the Yates report, I want to assure you that we remain committed to implementing reform and disciplinary action, both as a result of the Yates report and the NWSL/NWSLPA’s Joint Investigative Team’s findings,” wrote Berman. “The Joint Investigative Team is working towards concluding their report by the end of the year, and we will not interfere with that process, as the findings of that investigation will offer important input from our players.”

“While it will take time, we are fully prepared to take the necessary steps to protect the health and safety of our players, staff and other stakeholders in order to create the league that our players, fans, partners and staff deserve and expect.”

[lawrence-related id=7957,7959,7920]

What are my NWSL team’s playoff chances? Your guide to the last two matchdays of the season

There’s so much potential for NWSL chaos this weekend

The NWSL season has just two rounds of games left, with every team having two more chances to pick up points.

Eight teams are alive in the playoff race, and somehow only the Portland Thorns know that they’re definitely going to the postseason. The table is packed like the stands at Snapdragon Stadium! It’s as crowded as a storage container locker room at Segra Field! It’s a lot to take in, is what we’re saying.

NWSL Chaos is in the eye of the beholder, and while we can all agree on an idea like a seven-team tie was the wildest thing out there last week, that dream is over. We now have a wide range that are all arguably the most bonkers outcome.

The last version of this piece was omakase; you got one incredible scenario to savor, but no choices. This time, you’ve got the whole menu to look over, with truly wild scenarios peppered throughout this piece.

What are my NWSL team’s playoff chances? Your guide to the last two weeks of the season

What if everyone finishes tied for first? The NWSL wants to find out!

There are less than two weeks left in the NWSL regular season, and yet no team has clinched a playoff spot. Only three teams are officially out of the running, and the prospect of a truly bonkers final table — we promise, there is a possible scenario detailed below that is a true mind-melter — is still very much looming over proceedings.

Here, then, is Pro Soccer Wire‘s breakdown of every team’s situation heading into the last 12 days of the season.

What are my NWSL team’s playoff chances? Your guide to the stretch run

We stared at the NWSL standings for 10 hours so you don’t have to

The NWSL is officially in the home stretch, with the season down to its final three weekends. Most teams have just four games left to play, and we have an incredible five teams all within two points of one another at the top of the table, along with a potentially wild race for the last playoff spot.

Here, then, is Pro Soccer Wire‘s breakdown of every team’s situation heading into these final, critical games of the season.

Mal Pugh scores two wonder goals vs. KC Current, sets new land-speed record

Pugh’s solo goal has to be seen to be believed

Mal Pugh scored a potential NWSL Goal of the Year candidate on Wednesday night in a way that effectively underlined all of her best traits as a player…and then tacked on another just for emphasis.

Just minutes after the Chicago Red Stars took an early lead over the visiting Kansas City Current, with Tatumn Milazzo mopping up a loose ball resulting from Pugh’s corner kick, the U.S. women’s national team attacker received a pass out of the Chicago box.

The field dimensions at SeatGeek Stadium are listed as 120 yards by 75 yards, and based on where Pugh received the ball, she was roughly about 95 yards from the Current goal, facing the Chicago goal and with Kristen Edmonds racing over to pressure. No problem, right?

Well, it turns out, Pugh is a problem anywhere on the field. Pugh turned as she took her first touch, nutmegging Edmonds. Pugh’s vision may not be talked about as much as some other qualities, but it might be her most vital advantage over opponents. In this situation, having dispatched with Edmonds, she needed just the tiniest amount of time to scan the field and piece together that even being that far from goal, she had a huge opportunity in front of her.

The quick read of the situation was followed by something that gets talked about more when it comes to Pugh: she is fast. Pugh turned on the jets immediately, entering the Current half in a flash and leaving the scrambling defense no time to get a good angle that might force her to slow down. Desiree Scott gave it everything she had to get there, but as she was not moving at the speed of sound, it didn’t work.

Pugh bore down on Elizabeth Ball, and unfortunately for Ball, Pugh is also an elite dribbler. Ball couldn’t afford to retreat any longer and tried to challenge Pugh, but the USWNT winger notched another nutmeg without even really having to slow down.

Still, Pugh wasn’t done. Defender Taylor Leach and goalkeeper Cassie Miller both approached, driving Pugh away from goal. Still, Pugh kept her composure, moving to her left to buy space from Leach and change her angle on Miller, opening up just enough room to calmly tuck the ball into the back of the net, a nice and easy end to one of the most spectacular moments of the NWSL season.

Perhaps understandably, Pugh didn’t even break out much of a celebration, as running that far that fast is tiring. Sometimes you’ve done too much work to throw in an NWSL Celebration of the Year entrant, and when the goal looks like this, it’s not a problem.

Then, with the Current throwing numbers forward in the second half in an attempt to overcome a two-goal deficit, Pugh struck again. Ella Stevens tried to touch a long ball into Pugh’s path, but ended up having to battle two KC players after getting her pass wrong.

Stevens did just enough to prevent the Current from winning the ball back, and then out of nowhere, Pugh was off and running, again with just one defender between her and goal. Edmonds moved in, hoping to try to drive Pugh wide, but the Colorado native just dipped her shoulder to go inside before driving a low 19-yard shot past Miller to make it 3-0.

And then, before Chicago mercifully took her out of the game to spare KC any more punishment, another Pugh corner became a goal, with Amanda Kowalski nodding her service in at the back post in the 72nd minute.

The huge win was surely fun for Red Stars fans, but it’s got potentially huge implications for the NWSL playoff picture. Chicago moved up into a tie for fourth place with the Houston Dash (who they host in three days’ time), opening up a four-point gap between them and seventh-placed Angel City FC.

Enjoy Pugh’s two-goal masterclass

[lawrence-related id=2676,7104,6285]

USYNT star Jaedyn Shaw scores for San Diego Wave on NWSL debut

Shaw wasted no time before scoring her first pro goal

Jaedyn Shaw heard the hype, and was ready to deliver, bagging a goal on her NWSL debut for San Diego Wave FC.

Given her first start, Shaw finished off amid some chaos in the box to give the Wave a 1-0 lead in the 27th minute. Katie Johnson broke into the box but, after drawing Alyssa Naeher and two Chicago Red Stars defenders, laid the ball over to the right for Shaw.

There was still work to do. Shaw showed the composure to take a touch and shake a defender, giving her an open net to shoot at, before calmly guiding the ball into the empty net before Naeher could recover.

Shaw’s path to this point has been a winding one. The 17-year-old Texan spent most of 2022 training with the Washington Spirit, who spent a good while trying to find a way to sign her. However, NWSL rules left no avenue to do so, and Shaw was placed in the league’s discovery process.

San Diego were atop the discovery list, and selected Shaw. Washington began negotiations, and Pro Soccer Wire was told that the Wave’s asking prices included $250,000 in allocation money, or $150,000 and a first round pick in the NWSL College Draft. In the end, the talks never progressed, and Shaw signed with San Diego.

Shaw will not be able to immediately build on her first goal, at least in NWSL play. After Saturday’s game, she will be off to join the U.S. under-20 national team at the U-20 World Cup in Costa Rica. Tracey Kevins’ side will play Ghana, the Netherland, and Japan between August 11-17, and a run to the final would see their tournament go on until August 28.

Check out Jaedyn Shaw’s first NWSL goal

[lawrence-related id=5218,4852,3976]

Red Stars’ Mallory Pugh showed off sly dribbling skills to score sick goal against Reign

What a slick move from Chicago’s Mallory Pugh.

The Chicago Red Stars have been one of the better teams in the NWSL for a little while now. And the 2022 season has treated them no differently. As we approach the near-third month of this year’s campaign, Chicago sits in a healthy third place overall in the league. In other words, they sit from their usual perfect striking distance.

Thanks to Mallory Pugh, everyone got another excellent glimpse of the Red Stars’ ongoing prowess on Saturday afternoon.

With Chicago and the Reign tied near the end of the first half, Pugh made an incredibly deft dribble in the final third of the field. We’ll let her right leg tell the rest of the story:

Oh my goodness. Professional defenders simply do not miss slides like that. It only takes someone with Pugh’s ability to make that happen.

The Red Stars would win 1-0 on the strength of Pugh’s goal. Don’t mind us: We’ll keep Pugh’s subtle dribble to the side on replay.

Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO).

[mm-video type=video id=01g0m4dmdvsym6qex9yg playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g0m4dmdvsym6qex9yg/01g0m4dmdvsym6qex9yg-9bcd45b44f1d9a06f324992670e970d7.jpg]

[listicle id=1868953]