Chicago Soccer: Can this be a Miracle Summer?
The Story So Far: Chicago Red Stars
Despite never having a losing record, making the playoffs every year since the NWSL started in 2013, the Chicago Red Stars have never hoisted silverware. The Red Stars weren’t exactly world-beaters in the WPS, despite boasting rosters featuring Megan Rapinoe, Carli Lloyd, and Cristiane, and while they won the USASA Women’s Open Cup in 2012, it wasn’t a professional trophy. Since joining the NWSL in 2013, the Red Stars have been a leading force in the league. They drafted players like Julie Ertz, Daniele Colaprico, and Vanessa DiBernardo early on and have seen continued success from their ability to identify talent and develop it from the draft.
Over the course of their existence, the Chicago Red Stars’ main problem is an over-reliance on star power. From 2014 to 2017, the team was led by Christen Press and while the team was strong all together, the offensive tactics seemed to fall apart whenever she was unavailable for a game. No one could replace her. So when she was dealt away in a three-team trade, it was believed that the Red Stars would reorientate the team and spread their offensive talent around. Not really. Sam Kerr, possibly the best athlete in any sport to play in Chicago since Michael Jordan, was the return on that trade.
But now that Kerr has moved on to Chelsea, there is a massive hole at the tip of the Red Stars’ attack. There are options of course, with Katie Johnson, Savannah McCaskill, and even Yuki Nagasato possibly staking a claim for that spot. But as seen during the World Cup stretch last year, without Kerr, the offense falls flat. Recent trades have been made for Orlando’s Rachel Hill and Houston’s Kealia Watt (formerly Kealia Ohai), but neither will have the same impact as Kerr.
Going into the 2020 season, the Chicago Red Stars were surrounded by questions. Now with sudden silverware on the table, they’re going to need to find the answer to those questions quickly.
The Story So Far: Chicago Fire
With a single exception in 2017, the Chicago Fire have underperformed for a decade. Much of the blame has been placed on former owner Andrew Hauptman. As of September 13th of last year, however, the Chicago Fire’s new sole owner, local billionaire Joe Mansueto, has set about changing the organization. Some of that change was welcomed with massive praise, like the hiring of the Swiss duo Georg Heitz and Raphael Wicky, the move to Soldier Field, and the new commitment to youth through building the academy and signing young DPs. Some was less welcome, such as the newly rebranded logo.
The Chicago Fire need a win. Not just literally, but they need a win on an emotional level. This club has been the league whipping post for years. It felt like they had forgotten how to do things the correct way. They were the antithesis to the Red Stars’ quality team-building, on and off the pitch. After the sale, fans believed that a new era was set to begin, a return to the glory of the past, only to be rudely awakened with the fact that there is a long way to go.
Even though it took a while to put it all together, the Fire seem to have gathered an impressive team, one that, in a normal season, might have just started clicking at around this time. The major signings arrived, with Boris Sekulic, Luka Stojanovic, Nacho Aliseda, and Gaston Gimenez all set to play a major part for the team starting in July and there is a tentative hope that Wicky can form a cohesive unit. The MLS is Back tournament will provide the proof.