If you love to watch women’s soccer, then the chances are you have surely heard of the Chicago Red Stars, one of the top domestic clubs in Chicago, Illinois. They have a loyal and enthusiastic fan base, a long and proud history, and a skilled and talented squad.
The Red Stars ranks among the leading teams in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). The team brings on joyous and engaging experience for soccer fans of all levels. Whether you are a hardcore supporter or a newcomer to the game, cheering for the Red Stars will fill you with happiness and belonging.
The Red Stars have a prominent role in the Chicago sports landscape and a dedication to advancing women’s soccer. They are role models and mentors for young players, both on and off the pitch.
If you are a true Chicago Red Stars Fan, then you don’t want to miss this article. Here, we will discuss the players’ information, upcoming schedule, stats, standings, net worth, and more.
The History of Chicago Red Stars
The announcement for the establishment of the Chicago team was made in 2007 and was one of the founding members of the Women’s Professional Soccer. In 2013, they joined the National Women’s Soccer League as one of the first eight teams.
The team’s official name “Red Stars” was revealed on June 3, 2008, at a ceremony in Toyota Park. The name was inspired by the four red stars with six points each on the Chicago flag.
Each star symbolizes a significant event in the city’s history: the Fort Dearborn massacre, the Great Chicago Fire, the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893, and the Century of Progress Exposition of 1933. Some of the other names that were considered were Progress, Towers, Union, Blues, 1871, and Wind.
The Red Stars have been in the playoffs for seven years in a row from 2015 to 2021, and have also played in three finals in the same period, including the 2019 and 2021 NWSL Championship and the 2020 Challenge Cup championship.
Chicago Red Stars Players List
Chicago Red Stars features some of the most skilled and seasoned players from different countries and national teams. The team has 30 players, including 3 goalkeepers, 10 defenders, 7 midfielders and 10 Forwards.
Here’s player information for the Chicago Red Stars –
| NAME | Jersey Number | Position | Age | Height | NAT |
| Alyssa Naeher | 1 | Goalkeeper | 35 | 5′ 9″ | USA |
| Emily Boyd | 21 | Goalkeeper | 27 | 5′ 9″ | USA |
| Kelsey Dossey | 30 | Goalkeeper | 27 | — | USA |
| Arin Wright | 3 | Defender | 30 | 5′ 7″ | USA |
| Casey Krueger | 6 | Defender | 33 | 5′ 6″ | USA |
| Tierna Davidson | 12 | Defender | 25 | 5′ 10″ | USA |
| Bianca St. Georges | 22 | Defender | 26 | 5′ 6″ | Canada |
| Tatumn Milazzo | 23 | Defender | 25 | 5′ 3″ | USA |
| Kayla Sharples | 28 | Defender | 26 | 5′ 11″ | USA |
| Amanda Kowalski | 31 | Defender | 25 | 5′ 9″ | USA |
| Samantha Fisher | 2 | Midfielder | 24 | 5′ 6″ | USA |
| Cari Roccaro | 4 | Midfielder | 29 | 5′ 6″ | USA |
| Julia Bianchi | 5 | Midfielder | 26 | 5′ 6″ | Brazil |
| Addie McCain | 13 | Midfielder | 24 | 5′ 9″ | USA |
| Jillienne Aguilera | 14 | Midfielder | 25 | 5′ 7″ | Puerto Rico |
| Sophie Jones | 16 | Midfielder | 22 | 5′ 5″ | USA |
| Sami Feller | 29 | Midfielder | — | 5′ 10″ | USA |
| Taylor Malham | 32 | Midfielder | 24 | 5′ 10″ | USA |
| Yuki Nagasato | 7 | Forward | 36 | 5′ 6″ | Japan |
| Ella Stevens | 8 | Forward | 25 | 5′ 8″ | USA |
| Mallory Swanson | 9 | Forward | 25 | 5′ 4″ | USA |
| Sarah Griffith | 15 | Forward | 24 | 5′ 4″ | USA |
| Cheyna Matthews | 20 | Forward | 30 | 5′ 9″ | Jamaica |
| Jenna Bike | 24 | Forward | 25 | 5′ 6″ | USA |
| Ava Cook | 25 | Forward | 25 | 5′ 10″ | USA |
| Allyson Schlegel | 34 | Forward | 23 | 5′ 7″ | USA |
| Penelope Hocking | 55 | Forward | 23 | 5′ 5″ | USA |
Coaching Staff of Chicago Red Stars
First headed by Emma Hayes, the Red Stars team has been coached by several veteran women footballers, including Marcia McDermott, Omid Namazi, Rory Dames, Rade Tanasković and Chris Petrucelli.
Here’s a detail of the Chicago Red Stars Coaching Staff –
| Head coach | None |
| Goalkeeper coach | Rade Tanaskovic |
| Assistant coach | Ella Masar |
Chicago Red Stars Stadium
After its establishment, the Chicago Red Stars started out playing at Toyota Park. The stadium, which has a capacity of 20,000 seats and is designed for soccer, is now renamed as SeatGeek Stadium. It was also the home ground of the Chicago Fire FC from 2006 to 2019.
The Red Stars moved to the Village of Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex, a smaller venue with 3,000 seats, from 2011 to 2015. They played in various leagues during this period.
In 2012, when the team was in the WPSL Elite league, they had to play some of their games at other locations, such as the Concordia University Chicago Athletic Complex in River Forest, Illinois, and the Lakeside Athletic Field at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. This was because the Benedictine University Sports Complex was undergoing renovation.
The Chicago Red Stars decided to go back to Toyota Park for their 2016 NWSL season. They made this announcement in December 2015.
Chicago Red Stars Jersey
The Chicago Red Stars have recently revealed their new jersey. The black base with faint inter-connected graphic stars spreads around the T-shirt. At the same time, sponsors Nike and CIBC appear on the right and middle in white graphics.
Chicago Red Stars Stats – All Seasons
Chicago Red Stars has been playing since 2009 and has never missed a single season. Here are the results of all leagues and competitions played by Red Stars since 2009.
| Season | Division | Played | Won | Draw | Lost | Pts | Pos |
| 2009 | WPS | 20 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 20 | 6th |
| 2010 | WPS | 24 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 27 | 6th |
| 2011 | WPSL | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 1st |
| 2012 | WPSL E | 14 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 28 | 4th |
| 2013 | NWSL | 22 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 30 | 6th |
| 2014 | NWSL | 24 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 35 | 5th |
| 2015 | NWSL | 20 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 33 | 2nd |
| 2016 | NWSL | 20 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 33 | 3rd |
| 2017 | NWSL | 24 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 39 | 4th |
| 2018 | NWSL | 24 | 9 | 10 | 5 | 37 | 4th |
| 2019 | NWSL | 24 | 14 | 2 | 8 | 44 | 2nd |
| 2020 | NWSL | Regular season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | |||||
| 2021 | NWSL | 24 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 38 | 4th |
| 2022 | NWSL | 22 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 33 | 6th |
| 2023 | NWSL | 22 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 24 | 12th |
Chicago Red Stars Points Table
Here’s a Chicago Red Stars standing for the 2023 NWSL season –
| Positions | Teams | Matches Played | Points | Won | Draw | Lost |
| 1st | San Diego Wave FC | 22 | 37 | 11 | 4 | 7 |
| 2nd | Portland Thorns FC | 22 | 35 | 10 | 5 | 7 |
| 3rd | North Carolina Courage | 22 | 33 | 9 | 6 | 7 |
| 4th | OL Reign | 22 | 32 | 9 | 5 | 8 |
| 5th | Angel City FC | 22 | 31 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
| 6th | Gotham FC | 22 | 31 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
| 7th | Orlando Pride | 22 | 31 | 10 | 1 | 11 |
| 8th | Washington Spirit | 22 | 30 | 7 | 9 | 6 |
| 9th | Racing Louisville FC | 22 | 27 | 6 | 9 | 7 |
| 10th | Houston Dash | 22 | 26 | 6 | 8 | 8 |
| 11th | Kansas City Current | 22 | 26 | 8 | 2 | 12 |
| 12th | Chicago Red Stars | 22 | 24 | 7 | 3 | 12 |
Chicago Red Stars Schedule
The upcoming schedule of Chicago Red Stars for the 2024 season is yet to be announced. Let’s take a look at the results of the Chicago Red Stars’ schedule 2023:
| Date | Against | Goals | Result | Stadium |
| October 15, 2023 | OL Reign | 0-3 | Lost | Children’s Mercy Park |
| October 7, 2023 | Kansas City Current | 6-3 | Lost | SeatGeek Stadium |
| September 30, 2023 | Racing Louisville FC | 1-0 | Won | SeatGeek Stadium |
| September 17, 2023 | Washington Spirit | 0-2 | Won | SeatGeek Stadium |
| August 27, 2023 | North Carolina Courage | 1-1 | Draw | WakeMed Soccer Park |
Chicago Red Stars Owner
The Red Stars belonged to the Women’s Professional Soccer League from 2009 to 2010, under the ownership of the Chicago Professional Women’s Soccer investor group. The team was managed by Gary Weaver, Jim Willett, and Arnim Whisler in April 2010, with the support of the Illinois Women’s Soccer League (IWSL).
Arnim Whisler became the sole owner of the team after the 2010 season and ran it for the 2011 season in the WPSL. He and his family formed a new ownership group for the Red Stars, which was announced on March 1, 2021.
On August 18, 2022, the NWSL hired Haddon as its chief marketing officer. Haddon had given up his stake in the Red Stars before taking the role. On October 10, 2022, Red Stars players demanded that Whisler sell the team. They wrote a letter after reports of his involvement in the 2021 NWSL abuse scandal came out.
On September 1, 2023, Whisler and the other minority owners of the Red Stars agreed to sell their shares to an investment group headed by Laura Ricketts. The deal valued the team at $35.5 million and also included $25 million in funding for the club’s operations. The current net worth of Chicago Red Stars is valued at around $40 million.
Chicago Red Stars Achievements
- Runner-up of 2019 and 2021 NWSL Championship
- Runner-up of 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup
- Winner of 2012 USASA National Women’s Open
FAQs
What Is The Mascot Of The Chicago Red Stars?
The mascot of the Chicago Red Stars is Supernova, a six-pointed red star with a face and limbs.
Where Do The Red Stars Practice?
The Red Stars practice at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, which is also their home stadium.
How Much Is The Chicago Red Stars Worth?
The Chicago Red Stars were sold for $35.5 million to an investment group led by Laura Ricketts, a co-owner of the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago Sky.
Who Is The Captain Of The Chicago Red Stars?
The captain of the Chicago Red Stars is Julie Ertz, a midfielder and defender who also plays for the U.S. women’s national team.
Who Bought Red Stars?
The Red Stars were bought by a group of Chicago businesswomen and civic leaders, including Debra Cafaro, Jennifer Pritzker, Sidney Dillard, and Jessica Droste Yagan.
