Club: | Chicago Red Stars |
Season: | 2023 |
Ownertitle: | Board chairwoman |
Owner: | Kim Vender Moffatt |
Chrtitle: | General manager |
Chairman: | Vacant |
Mgrtitle: | Head coach |
Manager: | Chris Petrucelli |
Stadium: | SeatGeek Stadium (capacity: 20,000) |
League: | League |
Cup1: | Challenge Cup |
Cup2: | Playoffs |
League Topscorer: | 4 goals Ella Stevens Bianca St. Georges |
Highest Attendance: | (Sept 17 vs. AC) |
Lowest Attendance: | (Apr 15 vs. KC) |
Largest Win: | 4–2 (Apr 15 vs. KC) |
Largest Loss: | 0–5 (Jun 10 vs. NC)0–5 (Aug 20 vs. OR) |
Pattern Name1: | Home |
Pattern B1: | _redstars23h |
Leftarm1: | 1c2125 |
Body1: | 1c2125 |
Rightarm1: | 1c2125 |
Shorts1: | 1c2125 |
Socks1: | 1c2125 |
Alt1: | Black shirt with gray star pattern, black shorts, and black socks |
Pattern Name2: | Away |
Pattern La2: | _redstars19a |
Pattern B2: | _redstars22a |
Pattern Ra2: | _redstars19a |
Leftarm2: | fff |
Body2: | fff |
Rightarm2: | fff |
Shorts2: | fff |
Socks2: | fff |
Alt2: | White shirt with blue and red deco pattern, white shorts, and white socks |
American: | true |
Updated: | July 1, 2023 |
Prevseason: | 2022 |
Nextseason: | 2024 |
The 2023 Chicago Red Stars season was the team's fifteenth as a professional women's soccer team, and tenth in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the top tier of women's soccer in the United States.
See also: 2022 Chicago Red Stars season.
See also: 2021 NWSL abuse scandal.
On October 3, 2022, the United States Soccer Federation published the Yates Report detailing the 2021 NWSL abuse scandal. The report detailed alleged abuses experienced by players from coaches and staff, and included reports of abusive behavior by former Red Stars head coach Rory Dames, who resigned in November 2021. The Yates Report indicated that Red Stars majority owner Arnim Whisler was aware of the allegations and either declined to take action or actively defended Dames, and a report in The Athletic described a letter sent by minority owners to all Red Stars investors and board members as early as January 3, 2022, that detailed allegations of abuse by Dames and complaints against Whisler over poor player housing conditions and his continued influence over club operations.[1]
On October 5, Whisler stepped down as the team's representative to the NWSL's board of governors.[2] Later that day, the Red Stars board of directors voted to remove Whisler from the club's board of directors.[3] The team transitioned to being managed by its board[1] with Kim Vender Moffat as its chairwoman.
On October 10, Chicago Red Stars players released a joint statement asking Whisler to sell his stake in the team.[4] > Red Stars chief business officer Vicky Lynch resigned the same day, and the club named Mike Ernst as her interim replacement.[1]
On December 5, Whisler confirmed his intent to sell his stake in the club through investment bank Inner Circle Sports.[5] On December 15, the club's board released a statement confirming the sale process.[6]
On November 3, 2022, assistant coach Morinao Imaizumi left the Red Stars to become assistant coach of NWSL competitors Washington Spirit.[7] [8] On January 11, 2023, the Red Stars hired former Red Stars player and Kansas City Current assistant coach Ella Masar as the club's new assistant coach.[9]
On January 19, 2023, the Red Stars promoted associate general manager Michelle Lomnicki to general manager.[10] On May 5, the Red Stars announced that the team had fired Lomnicki on May 4 due to a "lapse in judgment to not share important information with club leadership".[11] Lomnicki had not informed the club of the hiring of former Red Stars assistant coach Craig Harrington by Chicago Empire FC, a Chicago-area youth soccer club formerly affiliated with the Red Stars where Lomnicki's husband serves as sporting director. Harrington had been banned for two years by the NWSL following the publication of the league's joint investigation with the NWSL Players Association into the 2021 NWSL abuse scandal, which implicated Harrington in allegations of inappropriate behavior around players.[12]
Chicago released a new primary kit, named the Foundation Kit, on March 15, 2023. The black kit features a connected offset pattern of gray six-pointed stars around the team's traditional Flag of Chicago motif of four red stars at the center.[13]
On December 23, 2022, the Red Stars announced that defender Tierna Davidson would train during the offseason with German club VfL Wolfsburg, which had agreed to become strategic partners with the Red Stars during the 2022 season.[14]
The team traveled to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, for its preseason training camp.[15]
On May 27, the Red Stars faced the Orlando Pride at home. In the match's 22nd minute, Yūki Nagasato scored her 20th career regular-season goal, becoming the 12th player to be credited with 20 goals and 20 assists in a regular-season NWSL career. The goal held up as the match winner in a 1–0 shutout. In the 49th minute, Naeher recorded her 518th regular-season career save, breaking the NWSL career record previously held by Ashlyn Harris. After the match, the Red Stars honored Naeher's 150th regular-season career NWSL appearance and the 100th regular-season NWSL appearance of Cari Roccaro.[16]
The Red Stars won their second consecutive regular-season match for the first time in the 2023 season on June 6, defeating Angel City FC on the road 2–0 behind an 11-minute brace by Ava Cook in the first half. The match also marked the 100th NWSL appearance for defender Casey Krueger, all with Chicago, making her the sixth player in league history to record 100 regular-season appearances with the same club.[17]
On June 30, the league issued a one-match suspension to midfielder Julia Bianchi for major game misconduct, for an offense committed in 63rd minute of the June 25 match against NJ/NY Gotham FC, and fined head coach Chris Petrucelli an undisclosed amount of money for comments "detrimental to the league" on social media on June 26.[18] Petrucelli had tweeted "When do the charters start in this league?" during a four-hour delay returning home from the June 25 match against Gotham FC.[19]
The Red Stars continued to play in SeatGeek Stadium, their full-time home since the team's 2016 season.
On April 26, 2023, the Red Stars announced the continuation of its local broadcast agreement with WCIU-TV ("The U"), including matches broadcast on WMEU-CD and WCIU-TV. Broadcast talent included play-by-play announcer Dan Kelly and color commentators Erica Ayala and former Red Stars player Jackie Santacaterina Manny.[20]
Name | Previous team | Notes | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | March 25, 2023 | 2016 | Boston Breakers | ||||
19 | March 25, 2023 | 2023 | Northwestern Wildcats | IRP | |||
21 | March 25, 2023 | 2018 | California Golden Bears | ||||
3 | March 25, 2023 | 2015 | Kentucky Wildcats | ||||
6 | March 25, 2023 | 2016 | Avaldsnes IL | ||||
12 | March 25, 2023 | 2019 | Stanford Cardinal | ||||
23 | March 25, 2023 | 2021 | South Carolina Gamecocks | ||||
28 | March 25, 2023 | 2019 | Northwestern Wildcats | ||||
31 | March 25, 2023 | 2022 | Butler Bulldogs | ||||
2 | March 25, 2023 | 2023 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | ||||
4 | March 25, 2023 | 2023 | Angel City FC | ||||
5 | March 25, 2023 | 2023 | Palmeiras | INT | |||
13 | March 25, 2023 | 2023 | Kansas City Current | ||||
14 | March 25, 2023 | 2022 | Arizona Wildcats | ||||
16 | March 25, 2023 | 2023 | Duke Blue Devils | ||||
18 | March 25, 2023 | 2023 | VfL Wolfsburg | INT LOAN | |||
22 | March 25, 2023 | 2019 | West Virginia Mountaineers | INT | |||
29 | March 25, 2023 | 2023 | Denver Pioneers | D45 | |||
32 | March 25, 2023 | 2023 | Arkansas Razorbacks | ||||
7 | March 25, 2023 | 2022 | Racing Louisville FC | INT | |||
8 | March 25, 2023 | 2020 | Duke Blue Devils | ||||
9 | March 25, 2023 | 2021 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | SEI | |||
15 | March 25, 2023 | 2022 | Purdue Boilermakers | D45 | |||
20 | March 25, 2023 | 2023 | Racing Louisville FC | ||||
24 | March 25, 2023 | 2023 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | ||||
25 | March 25, 2023 | 2021 | Michigan State Spartans | ||||
27 | March 25, 2023 | 2022 | Adelaide United FC | INT LOAN | |||
34 | March 25, 2023 | 2023 | Penn State Nittany Lions | ||||
55 | March 25, 2023 | 2023 | Penn State Nittany Lions | ||||
See main article: 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup.
See main article: 2023 National Women's Soccer League season.
Player | Goals by competition | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Total | ||||||
8 | 4 | 0 | — | 4 | |||
55 | 3 | 0 | — | 3 | |||
25 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | |||
7 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | |||
34 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | |||
22 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | |||
4 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | |||
9 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | |||
3 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | |||
Total | 17 | 0 | — | 17 | |||
Player | Assists by competition | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Total | ||||||
5 | 3 | 0 | — | 3 | |||
15 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | |||
6 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | |||
23 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | |||
7 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | |||
34 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | |||
22 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | |||
8 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | |||
Total | 11 | 0 | — | 11 | |||
Player | Clean sheets by competition | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Total | ||||||
21 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | |||
1 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | |||
Total | 3 | 0 | — | 3 | |||
Player | Total | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | |||||||||||
5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | ||||
23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | ||||
22 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | ||||
24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | ||||
25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | ||||
4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | ||||
12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
55 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
32 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
Total | 17 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 21 | 0 | ||||
Player | Won | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 | [21] | ||||
5 | [22] | ||||
9 | [23] | ||||
10 | [24] | ||||
Player | Won | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
7 | GK | [25] | |||
8 | Won | [26] | |||
9 | Won | [27] | |||
Draft selections are not automatically signed to the team roster. The 2023 NWSL Draft was held on January 12, 2023, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Player | College | Status | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 7 | Penn State University | Signed to a three-year contract with an option for a fourth year on March 20, 2023. | [28] [29] | |||
2 | 14 | Oklahoma State University | Declined to report to preseason training. | ||||
23 | Penn State University | Signed to a three-year contract with an option for a fourth year on March 20, 2023. | |||||
4 | 43 | Duke University | Signed to a two-year contract on March 20, 2023. | ||||
Date | Player | Notes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
December 1, 2022 | Free agent declined new contract. | [30] | |||
January 8, 2023 | Contract expired; new contract offer declined. | [31] | |||
Date | Player | Notes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
November 11, 2022 | Re-signed to a one-year contract with an option for an additional year. | [32] | |||
November 15, 2022 | Re-signed to a two-year contract. | [33] | |||
November 16, 2022 | Contract option exercised. | [34] | |||
December 13, 2022 | Signed new two-year contract with an option for an additional year. | [35] | |||
Date | Player | Notes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
November 16, 2022 | Waived. | ||||
June 28, 2023 | Released. | [36] | |||
Date | Player | Destination club | Fee/notes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
October 31, 2022 | Adelaide United FC | Loaned until May 4, 2023; recalled on March 2, 2023. | [37] [38] | |||
Newcastle Jets FC | Loaned until April 6, 2023. | |||||
March 2, 2023 | IFK Norrköping | Loaned until the end of the 2023 Damallsvenskan in November. | ||||
Date | Player | Former club | Fee/notes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
January 9, 2023 | Racing Louisville FC | Acquired via waiver wire and signed to a two-year contract with an option for a third year. | [39] | |||
January 11, 2023 | Racing Louisville FC | Acquired via waiver wire and signed to a two-year contract with an option for a third year. | [40] | |||
January 25, 2023 | Angel City FC | Acquired in exchange for $65,000 in allocation money. | [41] | |||
Palmeiras | Signed to a two-year contract. | [42] [43] | ||||
March 20, 2023 | Racing Louisville FC | Acquired via discovery after being waived and signed to a one-year contract. | [44] | |||
March 25, 2023 | Racing Louisville FC | Free agent signed to a one-year contract with an option for an additional year. | [45] | |||
Denver Pioneers | Preseason trialist signed to a three-year contract with an option for an additional year. | |||||
Selfoss | Preseason trialist signed to an injury replacement contract for Addie McCain. | |||||
Northwestern Wildcats | Preseason trialist signed to an injury replacement contract for Emily Boyd. | |||||
April 7, 2023 | Rutgers Scarlet Knights | Signed to a national team replacement contract for Alyssa Naeher. | [46] | |||
Player | Previous club | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Rutgers Scarlet Knights | ||||
Penn State Nittany Lions | ||||
Georgia Bulldogs | ||||
MSV Duisburg | ||||
Puerto Rico Sol FC | ||||
Denver Pioneers | ||||
Pepperdine Waves | ||||
Selfoss | ||||
MSV Duisburg | ||||
Racing Louisville FC | [49] | |||
Racing Louisville FC | [50] | |||