2021 Chicago Red Stars season
Chicago Red Stars 2021 soccer season
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The 2021 Chicago Red Stars season was the team's thirteenth season and ninth season in the National Women's Soccer League, the top tier of women's soccer in the United States.
OwnerArnim Whisler
Head coachRory Dames
StadiumSeatGeek Stadium
(capacity: 20,000)
(capacity: 20,000)
NWSL4th in season
Championship finalists
Championship finalists
| 2021 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | Arnim Whisler | |||
| Head coach | Rory Dames | |||
| Stadium | SeatGeek Stadium (capacity: 20,000) | |||
| NWSL | 4th in season Championship finalists | |||
| Challenge Cup | 4th in East Division | |||
| Top goalscorer | League: Kealia Watt (5) All: Kealia Watt, Mallory Pugh (5) | |||
| Highest home attendance | Regular season: 4,488 (Oct. 16 vs. KC) Postseason: 7,027 (Nov. 7 vs. NJNY) | |||
| Lowest home attendance | 2,265 (June 5 vs. NC) | |||
| Average home league attendance | 3,143 | |||
| Biggest win | 3–0 (Aug. 28 vs. KC) | |||
| Biggest defeat | 0–5 (May 16 vs. POR) | |||
|
| ||||
Team
Management and staff
- As of October 8, 2021.[1]
| Technical staff | |
|---|---|
| Head coach |  Rory Dames |
| Assistant coaches | Julianne Sitch |
| Goalkeeper coach |  Rade Tanaskovic |
| Medical staff | |
| Medical director | Roger N. Chams |
| Head athletic trainer | Emily Fortunato |
| Physician assistant | Molly Uyenishi |
| Physical therapist | Bria Wanzung |
Rory Dames resignation
On November 22, 2021, two days after losing to the Washington Spirit in the NWSL championship final, the Chicago Red Stars announced that head coach Rory Dames had resigned effective immediately.[2] Later that day, The Washington Post sports reporter Molly Hensley-Clancy reported that prior to resigning, the Post had approached the Red Stars front office with allegations from players, both previous and current, of abuse by Dames. The Post also provided documentation of reports made to United States Soccer Federation by players, including Christen Press, dating as far back as 2014 that detailed abuse, harassment, and inappropriate use of Dames's power as head coach to manipulate players. “Three former Red Stars players, including one who played on the team at the time of the investigation, told The Post that they had wanted to speak to U.S. Soccer investigators but had never heard from them,” reported Hensley-Clancy. “Two had left the team because of Dames's abuse, they said.”[3]
On November 24, the Red Stars ownership released a statement apologizing to "Christen Press, Jennifer Hoy, Samantha Johnson and those players who didn't feel safe to come forward" and saying that "our club will require significant reflection and evaluation to ensure this does not happen again."[4]
First-team squad
- As of October 30, 2021.[5]
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | USA |
Alyssa Naeher |
| 2 | FW | USA |
Kealia Watt |
| 3 | DF | USA |
Arin Wright |
| 4 | MF | USA |
Alyssa Mautz |
| 5 | FW | USA |
Rachel Hill |
| 6 | DF | USA |
Casey Krueger |
| 7 | MF | USA |
Nikki Stanton |
| 8 | MF | USA |
Julie Ertz |
| 9 | FW | USA |
Mallory Pugh |
| 10 | MF | USA |
Vanessa DiBernardo |
| 11 | DF | USA |
Sarah Gorden |
| 13 | MF | USA |
Morgan Gautrat |
| 14 | DF | USA |
Zoe Morse |
| 15 | FW | USA |
Makenzy Doniak |
| 16 | MF | USA |
Sarah Woldmoe |
| 18 | MF | USA |
Ella Stevens |
| 21 | GK | USA |
Emily Boyd |
| 22 | DF |  CAN |
Bianca St. Georges |
| 23 | DF | USA |
Tatumn Milazzo |
| 24 | MF | USA |
Danielle Colaprico |
| 26 | DF | USA |
Tierna Davidson |
| 28 | DF | USA |
Kayla Sharples |
| 32 | FW | USA |
Zoey Goralski |
| 33 | FW |  MEX |
Katie Johnson |
| 38 | GK | USA |
Cassie Miller |
Out on loan
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | MF | USA |
Sarah Luebbert (at América) |
Competitions
Challenge Cup
Group stage
| April 9, 2021 1 | Houston Dash | 0–0 | Chicago Red Stars | Houston, Texas |
| Report |
|
Stadium: PNC Stadium Attendance: 4,204 |
| April 15, 2021 2 | Chicago Red Stars | 0–1 | Portland Thorns FC | Bridgeview, Illinois |
|
Report | Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium |
| April 21, 2021 3 | Chicago Red Stars | 1–1 | Kansas City NWSL | Bridgeview, Illinois |
|
Report | Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium |
| April 27, 2021 4 | OL Reign | 3–2 | Chicago Red Stars | Tacoma, Washington |
| Report | Stadium: Cheney Stadium Attendance: 1,105 |
West Division standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland Thorns FC | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 10 | Qualification for the Championship |
| 2 | OL Reign | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 7 | |
| 3 | Houston Dash | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 6 | |
| 4 | Chicago Red Stars | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 2 | |
| 5 | Kansas City | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | −4 | 1 |
Regular season
Matches
| May 16, 2021 1 | Portland Thorns FC | 5–0 | Chicago Red Stars | Portland, Oregon |
| Report | Stadium: Providence Park |
| May 22, 2021 2 | Chicago Red Stars | 0–0 | Kansas City NWSL | Bridgeview, Illinois |
| Report | Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium Attendance: 3,121 |
| May 26, 2021 3 | Kansas City NWSL | 0–2 | Chicago Red Stars | Kansas City, Kansas |
|
Report | Stadium: Legends Field Attendance: 5,272 |
| May 29, 2021 4 | Houston Dash | 2–1 | Chicago Red Stars | Houston, Texas |
|
Report | Stadium: PNC Stadium |
| June 5, 2021 5 | Chicago Red Stars | 1–0 | North Carolina Courage | Bridgeview, Illinois |
| Report | Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium |
| June 19, 2021 6 | Chicago Red Stars | 1–1 | Washington Spirit | Bridgeview, Illinois |
| Report | Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium Attendance: 3,296 |
| June 22, 2021 7 | OL Reign | 2–0 | Chicago Red Stars | Tacoma, Washington |
| Report |
|
Stadium: Cheney Stadium Attendance: 2,518 |
| June 26, 2021 8 | Chicago Red Stars | 0–3 | Racing Louisville FC | Bridgeview, Illinois |
|
Report | Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium Attendance: 2,636 |
| July 2, 2021 9 | Washington Spirit | 0–1 | Chicago Red Stars | Leesburg, Virginia |
| Report | Stadium: Segra Field Attendance: 3,201 |
| July 11, 2021 10 | Chicago Red Stars | 2–1 | Houston Dash | Bridgeview, Illinois |
| Report | Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium |
| July 18, 2021 11 | Chicago Red Stars | 3–1 | OL Reign | Bridgeview, Illinois |
| Report | Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium Attendance: 3,301 |
| July 25, 2021 12 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 2–1 | Chicago Red Stars | Harrison, New Jersey |
| Report |
|
Stadium: Red Bull Arena |
| August 1, 2021 13 | Chicago Red Stars | 3–1 | Washington Spirit | Bridgeview, Illinois |
| Report | Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium Attendance: 2,534 |
| August 8, 2021 14 | Chicago Red Stars | 0–2 | Orlando Pride | Bridgeview, Illinois |
| Report | Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium Attendance: 3,298 |
| August 15, 2021 15 | North Carolina Courage | 1–0 | Chicago Red Stars | Cary, North Carolina |
| Report |
|
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park Attendance: 5,002 |
| August 18, 2021 16 | Racing Louisville FC | 1–1 | Chicago Red Stars | Louisville, Kentucky |
| Report |
|
Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 7,310 |
| August 28, 2021 17 | Chicago Red Stars | 3–0 | Kansas City NWSL | Bridgeview, Illinois |
| Report | Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium Attendance: 3,536 |
| September 4, 2021 18 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 0–0 | Chicago Red Stars | Bridgeview, Illinois |
| Report | Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium Attendance: 3,252 |
| September 10, 2021 19 | Houston Dash | 1–1 | Chicago Red Stars | Houston, Texas |
| Report |
|
Stadium: PNC Stadium Attendance: 3,155 |
| September 25, 2021 20 | Chicago Red Stars | 2–1 | Portland Thorns FC | Bridgeview, Illinois |
| Report |
|
Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium Attendance: 3,527 |
| October 10, 2021 21 | OL Reign | 3–2 | Chicago Red Stars | Tacoma, Washington |
| Report | Stadium: Cheney Stadium Attendance: 3,588 |
| October 13, 2021 22 | Chicago Red Stars | 1–0 | Orlando Pride | Bridgeview, Illinois |
| Report | Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium Attendance: 3,198 |
| October 16, 2021 23 | Chicago Red Stars | 2–1 | Kansas City NWSL | Bridgeview, Illinois |
| 19:00 CDT | Report | Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium Attendance: 4,488 |
| October 29, 2021 24 | Orlando Pride | 0–1 | Chicago Red Stars | Orlando, Florida |
|
Report | Stadium: Exploria Stadium |
Regular season standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland Thorns FC | 24 | 13 | 5 | 6 | 33 | 17 | +16 | 44 | NWSL Shield |
| 2 | OL Reign | 24 | 13 | 3 | 8 | 37 | 24 | +13 | 42 | Playoffs – Semi-finals |
| 3 | Washington Spirit (C) | 24 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 29 | 26 | +3 | 39 | Playoffs – First round |
| 4 | Chicago Red Stars | 24 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 28 | 28 | 0 | 38 | |
| 5 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 24 | 8 | 11 | 5 | 29 | 21 | +8 | 35 | |
| 6 | North Carolina Courage | 24 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 28 | 23 | +5 | 33 | |
| 7 | Houston Dash | 24 | 9 | 5 | 10 | 31 | 31 | 0 | 32 | |
| 8 | Orlando Pride | 24 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 27 | 32 | −5 | 28 | |
| 9 | Racing Louisville FC | 24 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 21 | 40 | −19 | 22 | |
| 10 | Kansas City | 24 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 15 | 36 | −21 | 16 |
Results summary
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 24 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 28 | 28 | 0 | 38 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 11 | +8 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 17 | −8 |
Last updated: October 30, 2021.
Source: NWSLsoccer.com
Results by matchday
Updated to match(es) played on October 30, 2021. Source: NWSL
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
Playoffs
Matches
| November 7, 2021 First round | Chicago Red Stars | 1–0 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | Bridgeview, Illinois |
| 14:00 CST |
|
Report | Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium Attendance: 7,027 Referee: Kevin Broadley |
| November 14, 2021 Semifinal | Portland Thorns FC | 0–2 | Chicago Red Stars | Portland, Oregon |
| 14:30 PST |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Providence Park Attendance: 15,832 Referee: Katja Koroleva |
| November 7, 2021 Final | Washington Spirit | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Chicago Red Stars | Louisville, Kentucky |
| 12:00 EST | Report | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 10,360 Referee: Tori Penso |
Transactions
2021 NWSL Draft
Draft picks are not automatically signed to the team roster. The 2021 NWSL Draft was held on January 13, 2021.
| Round | Pick | Nat. | Player | Pos. | College | Status | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | | Madison Haley | FW | Stanford | Returned to Stanford; did not make final 2022 roster | [7][8] |
| 2 | 18 | | Kelsey Turnbow | FW | Santa Clara | Returned to Santa Clara; traded to San Diego Wave FC in December 2021 | [7][9] |
| 3 | 25 | | Brianna Alger | DF | Washington State | Returned to Washington State; did not make final 2022 roster | [7][8] |
| 4 | 32 | | Channing Foster | FW | Ole Miss | Returned to Ole Miss; signed contract in 2022 | [7][8] |
| 35 | | Alissa Gorzak | FW | Virginia | Not offered a contract | [7] |
Transfers out
| Date | Nat. | Player | Pos. | Destination club | Fee/notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 29, 2021 | | María Sánchez | FW | Houston Dash |
Rights traded in exchange for Houston's natural second-round pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft. | [10][11] |
| November 30, 2021 | | Kayla Sharples | DF |  Adelaide United FC |
Loaned until March 28, 2022. | [12] |
| December 2, 2021 | | Makenzy Doniak | FW | San Diego Wave FC |
Traded in exchange for protection in the 2022 NWSL Expansion Draft and an undisclosed amount of allocation money. | [13][14] |
| Katie Johnson | FW | ||||
| Kelsey Turnbow | FW | ||||
| Julie Ertz | MF | Angel City FC |
Traded with international slots in 2022 and 2023 in exchange for protection in the 2022 NWSL Expansion Draft. | ||
| Sarah Gorden | DF | ||||
| Nikki Stanton | MF | OL Reign |
Traded for a third-round pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft. | ||
| December 8, 2021 | | Zoey Goralski | DF | — | Retired. | [15][16] |
