The Red Stars’ offensive attack features Lindsay Tarpley (pictured) and Ella Masar from the University of Illinois. Photo courtesy of Chicago Red Stars.
The coach is from England. The top player is from Brazil, and some of her teammates are from Scotland, Australia and Sweden.
But now through August, all are calling Chicago home.
The newest professional sports team in town, the Chicago Red Stars, is part of the seven-team Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) league, which also features teams in St. Louis, Boston and Los Angeles, among other cities.
“I think this league is sustainable and something that will [and] can last,” said Chicago Red Stars head coach Emma Hayes who, since 2006, has served as first team assistant coach and academy director at the FA’s Women’s Premier League’s top-ranked Arsenal Ladies Football Club in London, England.
“I think the [WPS] league has a good business model, something that is setting us apart from other leagues. Our social media presence has really shown that you can reach out to mass audiences without having to spend millions of traditional advertising dollars.”
Hence, the team’s is trying to reach young adults living in the city, the ethnic communities, men’s soccer fans and also the LGBT community, among other demographics. And the team is looking to average 5,000 or more fans per home game this season.
The Red Stars open their home schedule at Toyota Park in Bridgeview on Sunday, April 19. Game time is set for 5 p.m. against Sky Blue FC, which will play most of its inaugural season at Yurcak Field on the campus of Rutgers University in Piscataway, N.J.
“We can’t control the [national] economy, but [we] can control the quality of the product [on the field]. And I think people will discover that it’s an affordable game to come out and watch,” said Hayes. Tickets to Red Stars action start at $15.
“I think the thing that will keep us going during a difficult time is, people ultimately still want to come see good entertainment,” Hayes said. “And this is not [just] an average product; this is the best product in the world. It’s been very impressive to me that the league has been able to attract the best players in the world.”
Take, for instance, the Red Stars’ top player: Cristiane, 23, a forward from Brazil. She was a silver medalist at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, and the leading goal-scorer at the 2008 Olympics (five goals) and tied with Germany’s Birgit Prinz for the most goals at the 2004 Olympics (also five). Cristiane was a member of Brazil’s 2003 and 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup teams, and she scored five goals at the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup and won the Bronze Ball, awarded to the tournament’s third most valuable player.
“Cristiane is one of the best finishers in the world. She’s very explosive and technical,” Hayes said. “Her ability to get away from defenders is, I believe, better than most players in this league. She’s very quick on the ball and also very technical. She has so much disguise and deception to her play, so, if you’re not smart with her defensively, she’ll go around you with ease. She has such a great eye for the goal. And she also is very, very dangerous in the air.
“She scores goal at the top level on a regular basis. She can do it on the biggest stage in the world.”
And there are other Red Stars’ forward to note, too. Karen Carney, for instance, is from England; she has great movement off the ball and puts good delivery into the attacking penalty box. The Red Stars’ offensive attack also features Lindsay Tarpley and Ella Masar from the University of Illinois.
“We have quite a lot of talent up front,” Hayes said. “There definitely is a strong attacking presence to this team. We’ve got a number of players who really suit our style of play. We’ve got a lot of flair and creativity in the wide areas, and we have a pretty strong core down the middle.”
Carli Lloyd leads the team’s midfield attack. “Lloyd is a very important, central play; she’s a world-class player. I haven’t seen very many players strike a ball better than Carli,” Hayes said.
Frida Ostberg of Sweden is a key, defensive-minded midfielder. The midfield also will showcase the play of England’s Karen Carney, who Hayes predicted will be one of the league’s best players.
The Red Stars’ backfield is solid and speedy, Hayes said, and includes Chioma Igwe, Ifeoma Dieke, Nikki Krzysik and Heather Garriock, among others.
In goal, the Red Stars feature Caroline Jonsson, a superstar from Sweden.
“If there’s a better goalkeeper in the league, I’ll be surprised,” Hayes said. “Caroline Jonsson is Sweden’s top keeper and truly has a dominating presence in goal. I feel very confident in the quality of our goalkeeper. She is an exceptional leader. She has great shot-stopping abilities.”
The Red Stars will play nine of their 10 home games on the weekends, and the playoffs kick off in mid-August.
“I’m very excited about our team. I think we have a lot of fluid, fluent attackers who are very technical. We’re a very technical, very quick team—and I think that’s something the fans will love about us,” said Hayes, who is determined to keep the team focused and driven, with an emphasis on “focused.”
“I will make sure we keep our feet on the ground and play one game at a time,” Hayes added. “Sometimes they may look ahead to a future game, but I have to impress upon them that the most important game is the next game. I know they’re excited about the league and the rivalries, but we have to stay grounded, stay focused.”
The Los Angeles Sol are, according to several soccer insiders, the team to beat in the WPS in 2009 … if only because the Sol roster features Brazil’s superstar forward Marta Vieira da Silva.
The FC Gold Pride (San Francisco) and the Boston Breakers also are considered among the league’s top teams.
“I think every team has strengths and weaknesses. I don’t think there’s an outright favorite,” Hayes said. “You’re not going to find soccer talent at this level anywhere else. And it’s in your backyard. We guarantee it’s going to be exciting and entertaining. I think people will be impressed by the quality.”
Coming up: Features on the Chicago Force and the Chicago Sky