Angel played zero minutes in 2026 despite Chicago’s backline troubles
By Lesley Ryder
The Stars defensive depth was dealt another blow this week when Sam Angel went out on loan to Boston Legacy FC. After playing 200 minutes across four matches last season, she has yet to feature for the Chicago Stars in 2026.
When asked about the reasons for the move, GM Richard Feuz sent the following statement to Gal Pal Sports:
“Sam was looking for more consistent playing time. With the current dynamics of our roster, we felt it was important to find a solution that supports her development while remaining aligned with the team’s needs. We hope this loan gives her the opportunity to play regularly.”
Angel came to the Stars from Sweden’s IFK Norrkoping in the 2025 midseason transfer window for an undisclosed transfer fee. At the time of the signing, Feuz said “Samantha is a promising young talent that had an impressive year in Sweden in 2024. We are very excited to welcome her to the Stars.”
The same transfer window brought Kathrin Hendrich over from VfL Wolfsburg as the Stars tried to backfill their defensive depth. The club began their 2025 preseason campaign with just three healthy defenders on their roster.
At a time when the Stars are balancing backline injuries with a packed schedule, it begs the question why Sam Angel, an actual defender, has zero minutes with the Stars. Amazingly, she’s not the only Chicago defender facing this predicament. Stanford first team All-American center back Elise Evans has also yet to make her debut with the Stars. Instead, the Stars have opted to cycle in a trio of midfielders—Tessa Dellarose, Bea Franklin, and Maitane—along with forward Jenna Bike into the backline.
But why, though?
To understand how we got here, we’d have to ask General Manager Richard Feuz. It’s an interview the Chicago Stars have not been keen to offer after several requests dating back to the 2025 summer transfer window. [note: I can’t imagine why!] While the coaching position’s been through a revolving door of temporary appointments, the on-field personnel has almost entirely been signed by Feuz. Jenna Bike and Mal Swanson are the only outfield players on the roster to precede his GM appointment.
The Chicago Stars 2025-26 offseason, explained through interpretive song and dance
Richard Feuz has signed the players he wants. So either he, the coaching staff, and the scouting staff aren’t on the same page, or some branch of this triad lacks the necessary competence to build a successful team in the NWSL. The Stars have lacked a cohesive on-field identity in Feuz’s tenure, and the club’s puzzling transfer market activity isn’t helping. In less than a year, the signing strategy seems to have gone from “optimizing team value” by maximizing free transfers, and “bought another bottle of hoisin sauce!” as the club reportedly spent over a million dollars to bring both Ivonne Chacon, and Jordyn Huitema to play the same position.
It’s not the recipe for success in the modern NWSL, and it’s not working for the Chicago Stars. Richard Feuz is entering the final 200-day stretch of his 1000-day rebuild, and the Stars are exactly where they were before his signing: fighting to stay out of last place.