Star on leave for personal reasons
By Lesley Ryder
Chicago Stars FC kicked off their first pre-match media availability with news that USWNT standout Mal Swanson will not be available in the team’s first match, and her return status is still unknown.
The team originally reported Swanson’s absence at the beginning of preseason camp was due to personal reasons. As of Wednesday morning, there’s no timeline for her return to the club.
“To me, it’s a week to week thing,” said Stars head coach Lorne Donaldson “I kind of just give her space, and let whatever happens, happen… we just want her to be happy, and the club is behind her.”
When asked to clarify between the unknown timeline and Donaldson’s “week-to-week” comment, a spokesperson for the Stars said to Gal Pal Sports “She asked for space while she attended to personal matters and we understood, and are giving her space. Lorne’s week-to-week comment is more that we’re checking in with her to see how she’s doing, but we’re still just giving her space.”
Swanson won’t be with the team in person, but to Ally Schlegel, Swanson’s presence will still be felt. “I think being able to adjust without her, you see how much you've learned from her. So, she's always going to be with us because of what we've gained from the experience that we have with her and what we will gain from her in the future, too.
Stars FC will begin their 2025 season against the defending champions, Orlando Pride. It’s a rematch from the Stars last game of the 2024 playoffs. Donaldson believes his squad can show what they’ve learned since these teams last met. “We've been able to grow a lot during this preseason and reflect… I think those relationships have built a lot, so we feel confident going into the weekend.”
In happier news, the team announced defender Sam Staab will be available for selection against Orlando. Staab has been out of the lineup since suffering a torn achilles against Gotham FC in July.
Also joining the Stars is Justina Gaynor. The former Michigan State Spartan joins the club on a one-year contract, adding depth to a backline sorely in need. “She's a good footballer, but she also has the ‘she will bend but she won't break’ attitude, and she's going to grind with us, she's going to stick her nose - her head, something, anything - in traffic, just for the good of the team.” Donaldson praised the newcomer’s attitude.
The Stars will be without Natalia Kuikka, who joined the 45-day injured list after sustaining a knee injury on international duty with Finland. Ava Cook remains on the SEI list while she prepares for her return after tearing her ACL last season, and Ludmila will finish serving her suspension from last season’s incident against the Washington Spirit.
Catch the first kickoff at 7PM CT on Amazon Prime.