The Chicago Red Stars were not supposed to be here.
Early preseason rankings put the newly-overhauled club at the bottom of the table, or at best, out of the playoffs. Head Coach Lorne Donaldson joined the club in December and drilled a laser focus on defense.
Despite losing Sam Staab, the cornerstone of their defense to a torn achilles, this young team has defied those expectations, and at times, statistics to clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2022.
Tonight, they face the 2024 NWSL Shield Champion, and new total points and wins record holders, the Orlando Pride.
They shouldn’t be here, but they are.
Members of the Red Stars take pride in the journey they’ve taken this season.
“There’s been so many ups and down, we’ve battled some really nasty season-ending injuries and people have had to step up that never thought they’d probably have to step up in those positions this team is resilient and I’m just really proud to be a part of it,” said Shea Groom after the team’s loss against Kansas City.
It was a true rollercoaster season on the table for the Red Stars, who battled multi-game losing streaks alongside team sweeps. They struggled to score, create scoring chances, and maintain possession. And yet, all season, they never once fell below the playoff line.
However, this Red Stars team stumbled down the final stretch of the season. Olympic hero Mal Swanson hasn’t scored a goal since the team’s match against Houston in July. New signing Julia Grosso, signed to help the struggling midfield has not been set up for success. As André Carlisle writes, “they’re not set up to let her cook. As a result, you get this. Which is a yike. Several yikes, probably. Perhaps an entire yikea”
Their last five matches on the schedule included four of the top five teams on the table. Over the course of the season they’ve gone winless against these opponents, losing their last three matches of the season, and slipping to eighth place on the table.
It’s not the kind of momentum a team wants going into the playoffs, but as the saying goes, anything is possible in the NWSL. A critical save on one end, a clinical strike on the other, and the Red Stars can steal a result.
While they have not won against top-five teams this season, they’ve found results. They drew level with Kansas City on the road in June, and drew a Banda-less Orlando Pride in March.
“This is a new season. This is playoff time and we're at their place, which might be better for us, because if we had our place, we don't really do much. But I think our players have to be ready. We have to be ready to grind, and we have to be ready to make adjustments. Just figure how we will survive the first few [minutes] and then let the game settle in, then pose our own problems.” Coach Lorne Donaldson said of the team’s mentality ahead of the match.
No matter the result tonight, this team takes pride in the progress they’ve made since last year’s last place finish.
“It was difficult, it presented so many challenges. I have so much respect for everyone who was on that team” Schlegel said of the turnaround. “We navigated so many hardships together, and now… I was reflecting on this the other day. This team did that! I do not think that should be taken lightly.”
The Red Stars are a young team with world-class talent, and nothing to lose. They’re not supposed to win tonight, but they just might.